In the world of online marketing, an enormous amount of attention is given to the subject of “improving” website traffic. This emphasis seems to be put in the right place, considering the central role traffic plays in any online marketing campaign. But despite the popularity of the subject, it would be difficult to find two Internet marketers that share the exact same idea of what it actually means to “improve” website traffic.

Every marketer has a solid feeling for what it means. But by failing to ask, in detail, what it actually means to improve traffic, too many online marketers miss out on the benefits that come form a deeper understanding of effective website-traffic improvement. Effective and lasting traffic improvement has multiple layers. And by looking at what it means to “improve” website traffic at each layer, an overall view of traffic-improvement becomes much clearer.
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At its most basic, “improving” website traffic means bringing more traffic to a site. At this level, it’s a question of numbers and not much more. Bringing more people to a website is an essential part of traffic-improvement – it lays a solid foundation. But even though it’s central to every online marketing campaign, it should not be seen as the final goal.

At a slightly higher level, improving website traffic means making the flow of traffic to a site as regular as possible: Getting new traffic is good. But regularly getting new traffic is even better. Traffic like this shows signs of sustainability and it’s the type of traffic that a business can start to be built upon.

At the next level, improving website traffic means making the regular traffic of a site as targeted as possible. This targeting has a positive effect on traffic because it raises the overall quality of the traffic. Targeted traffic is made up of people that are genuinely interested in what is being offered. They are more likely to respond to offers; and because of this, they improve traffic by improving its responsiveness. Ten highly-targeted leads will always be more profitable than a hundred luke-warm leads.

At its highest level, improving website traffic means reaching traffic at the right stage in the buying cycle. The buying cycle has three main stages: browsing, gathering information, and ready-to-purchase. In the browsing stage, people are looking to see what’s available. In the information-gathering stage, they are weighing the pros and cons of particular options. And in the ready-to-purchase stage, they have already decided what to buy and are looking for the best deal.

It’s important to draw traffic that is at the information-gathering stage because this is the stage where choices are being made. If traffic is reached earlier in the cycle at the browsing stage, it’s difficult to make enough of an impression for the site to be remembered later on. If traffic is reached later, at the ready-to-purchase stage, it’s too late – potential customers have already decided what to buy. Reaching traffic at the right stage in the buying stage is a very effective traffic-improving step that is often overlooked. And it has the potential to greatly increase the performance of a site.

By being aware of what it means to “improve” website traffic at each of the four levels mentioned above, serious online marketers will give themselves a clearer idea of what it really means to improve overall website traffic. They’ll be able to easily judge where they are in the traffic-improving process. And, more importantly, they’ll be able to see in which direction they should head to reach the next level. The long term effects can only be positive.

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