You shouldn't just work to get visitors to your site you should work to keep them coming back time and time again. This helps to build a community for your Web site. As most people know the chances of a first time visitor purchasing anything from your site is slim. If you have the incentive for them to return the chances of them making a purchase increases.

Content
When did you last update your site? Last month, two months, six months ago? For people to return they need a reason to return. One of the major reasons for them to return is a site update.

I don't mean a complete site update, just add more content or replace your current content. A great way to do this is to have your own online library of reports and information. This way you can archive any material that's been previously viewed as well as add new content to it.

Let people know that you update the site regularly. Encourage them to bookmark your site and return frequently to check it out for new information. You could even let them know what day of the week or time of the month that you update your site. This way they'll keep coming back to see what new, interesting information you have for them.

Forum
An online discussion forum is an excellent way to get people to return to your site several times a week. People return time and time again to forums because it's is an excellent way for them to develop a good name, as well as increasing traffic to their site.

Set your forum up around the theme of your site, then you'll be able to answer a lot of the questions and queries posted on it. This adds to your visitors image of you.

The key to a good forum is making your visitors feel at ease so that they post. A good way to do this is to post regular help and questions on your forum to show visitors that it's being used regularly. Also, approach other forums and see if the owner of that forum is interested in being a moderator on your forum in return for a link on his page to yours and vice versa. This will benefit both of you by sharing traffic and knowledge.

You may even want to add to the competition prizes each month. This doesn't have to cost you anything. Just write a report and bundle it with the prize, simple.

You can also use the competition to directly increase your sales. To do this email all of the runners up and let them know that they haven't won the main prize but they have won a discount for one of your products.

Newsletter
Everyone seems to suggest start your own newsletter when it comes to building repeat traffic, here's why:

1) This is one of the cheapest forms of promotion available.
2) You're able to mass mail without being labeled as a spammers
3) Your sales message is delivered right before your prospects eyes.
4) You're able to promote your own products.
5) Build confidence in you and your products.
6) Develop trust to generate repeat business.
7) Easily maintain contact with prospects and customers.
8) Develop a need to return to your Web site.
9) Develop a highly targeted mailing list.
10) Produce a revenue stream from increased sales and newsletter advertising.

If you want to succeed online you need your own newsletter. You work hard to bring visitors to your Web site, so it make sense to have a tool that allows you to keep in contact with these visitors, bringing them back, time and time again.

-Article by Simon Vause of Strontium Webs. The ultimate free resource for Web site design and promotion.

The opinions stated in this article are strictly opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Eclipse E-zine. If you would like to write an article for Eclipse, please contact us!