How to make your Traffic Stick Around and Do More

Don’t you just wish people would stay on a page on your blog longer? May be click a few more links to your best posts and subscribe? One thing I learned is that when you want something, ask for it. As long as it’s within reason and in good taste, why not ask? Requesting subscription is common, it’s the way the blogger asks that differs. Some use a plugin called “What Would Seth Godin Do”, a wordpress plugin that shows a small box to a visitor who arrived on your blog for the first time. The box contains a request to subscribe as well as links to your subscription links. I like the idea, actually, but I would rather have a nice image attached to my request. It really depends on what the blogger’s style is. Yes, it’s perfectly ok to flatter the reader a bit, and post an attractive photo (maybe of yourself) near the subscribe box or link.

Encourage your readers or visitors to comment by adding a text after your post. There may be some internet users who do not know that they can participate in the discussion and could communicate their opinions to you through comments. It doesn’t hurt to ask a leading question after a post, and it will get your readers’ mental gears turning. Having said that, it is of equal importance to answer each comment promptly and thank the commenters accordingly. Doing this will make them feel welcome and will encourage them to comment again.

If you are running a blog contest soon, it’s just proper that you put a prominent link to a pre-launch blog post describing what the contest will be about, who can join and when it will be launched. This could make people subscribe because they have something to look forward to on your blog. You can also do this for particular blog posts or series of posts on a specific topic that you will publish in the future.

Give away a free item. A good ebook or a short report tackling the main topic of your blog could attract anyone. Remember to reiterate to your readers that the ebook is free. Having people own a piece of your blog in their hard drives will remind them to visit your website again. This free giveaway is also for those who would like to read more articles on a specific topic without having to wait for the next ones to get published.

If you’re tackling a sensitive subject, be ready to put out flames and remember to not say anything that could fan the flame that’s already burning among your readers. The attention that a comment fight attracts could be heady, but bear in mind that bad words, even when said by someone else, will be a bad thing for blog owners. On the other hand, do not be too strict with comments and give everyone the benefit of the doubt. If someone directly flames you for the post and your opinions, the best option is to stay quiet and filter the bad words on the comments.