Ask Kesha: Get More Website Traffic and Increase Subscribers

March 16, 2011

Question asked; question answered!

Here’s a question posed from the Ask Kesha segment of the blog.

I’ve seen a lot written on getting more subscribers. With WP (WordPress) running for me for just around a month (I write pretty much every day), I’m wondering what effective plugins I can use to build subscribers and traffic. I know there is tons of advice out there. So much it’s difficult to take it all in. I guess I looking for something a little more direct. I‘d be really grateful for any tidbits of assistance you can offer. Many thanks!

Marty, http://lifechapters.net

Answer

Great question Marty. I, too, understand the frustration and confusion one can have with the plethora of information online today about getting traffic and building subscribers. So in an effort to help you, here are my initial thoughts.

Some of the best ways to build a list…

Just tell people to sign up – you’d be surprised at the response you’ll get when you just ask people to do something.
Offer something free as an incentive to signup for your list and then go back and do the first tip : – )
I’ve seen people include an opt-in box to subscribe to their list at the bottom of every blog post.
Run a (monthly/weekly/or other periodic) contest/sweepstakes where someone has to be a subscriber of your list to win.
List plugins – WP plugins Pro, MaxBlogPress Subscriber’s Magnet and Viral List (gets your current subscribers to promote your email list by recruiting them as affiliates). I don’t use any of these but I’ve seen people say they have dramatically increased subscribers. Just make sure you don’t bombard your precious subscribers with sales pitches once you have them or they’ll start dropping like flies! You want to adhere to at least the 80/20 rule – 80% great content, 20% product pitches or other messages.

Some of the best ways to build traffic to your blog/website…

Content, content, content – but I’m sure you know that already so I won’t go into further detail, except to say I’d focus on content first. Give people something they can learn from and enjoy and they’ll want to subscribe and come back to your site : – )
Join blog challenges (like Dani McGrath’s Blogging Mastermind group on Facebook or Heather Stephens’ Blog Prove It Challenge)
Guest post on others’ blogs and invite others to guest post for you (because they will most likely send their followers to your blog to check out their work)
You don’t have to use just text. Use video, audio/podcasts, slideshows and other multimedia for your content.
Submit your site to blog directories – there are many free ones out there.
Don’t forget about offline methods. Use word of mouth and networking to tell others to visit your site and subscribe to your list.
Use Ping.fm to blast your blog posts to other networks (and use services like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck to post to multiple networks at once to save time). Did I mention that these services are free!

UPDATE: Ana over at Traffic Generation Cafe has written an extensive post about this very subject entitled “How to Build a List: Rich Man, Poor Man List Building” so I thought I’d share it as well.

In the end, take it slow and build your list and traffic daily or as often as you can. Essentially, just add these tips to your list of tasks to do and start working them one by one. You can’t go wrong with the traffic generation and list building tips you get if you employ many different methods of doing so. If one fails, guess what? You have other methods working for you. : – )

If you have any follow up questions or comments, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Your turn….

Where are my traffic and list building experts? Weigh in and offer Marty any additional advice! Please share!

About Kesha Brown

Kesha is the Creative Director and Principal Web Designer at her company XD Web Solutions who specializes in helping small businesses and organizations maximize their online presence. Go ahead and follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn.

35 Comments to “Ask Kesha: Get More Website Traffic and Increase Subscribers”

January 12, 2012 at 11:35 pm
Kate Brown Wilson says:

I really appreciate this article you have shared Kesha, to be honest all I know, we can increase traffic to our website by link building. well I am wrong.
Kate Brown Wilson recently posted..Baby Eagle

[Reply]
June 30, 2011 at 2:06 pm
Torrey W says:

Kesha great tips. There is information overload out there on the internet and it is hard to focus on what is real or fake. I appreciate the tips and guidenece and will use it. THANKS

[Reply]
March 21, 2011 at 4:36 am
Rowena Bolo
Twitter: rowenabolo
says:

Hi Kesha,

(This comment is a bit delayed, deary. Been pre-occupied during the weeekend)…I completely agree with Ana, that you do know your stuff

One strategy I haven’t really implemented is Twitter automation. I read that you’ll be writing about Hootsuite on your next post, so I’m so looking forward to that.

Everything that you listed here are great tips. What I love is how you give us tips about the technical aspects of traffic generation, while at the same time emphasizing on the importance of good content, guest posting, and participating in communities and challenges too.

p.s. way to go with your video marketing! I can’t wait to see more videos from you

Hugs,
Rowena
Rowena Bolo recently posted..Aspiring Blogger’s Corner- Tips For Improving Writing Skills Inspired by Marie Forleo’s Video

[Reply]
Kesha
Twitter: xdwebsolutions
Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 5:48 am
Rowena, I like delayed so you’re good Thank you always for your wonderful comments!

Yes, I will be doing a screencast on how I use Hootsuite and more so stay tuned.

[Reply]
March 18, 2011 at 10:43 pm
Ana | Traffic Generation
Twitter: WebTrafficCafe
says:

Kesha – great blog!!!

And you do know your stuff – some great advice on list building.

The only thing I can add is the list building post I recently wrote; I’ll leave it as my ComLuv link.

See you around!
Ana | Traffic Generation recently posted..How to Build a List- Rich Man- Poor Man List Building

[Reply]
Kesha
Twitter: xdwebsolutions
Reply:
March 19th, 2011 at 4:49 pm
Wow, now that is an extensive list of tips! Excellent! I will update this post with a link to yours as it will be a great companion to this topic

Thanks Ana!

[Reply]
March 18, 2011 at 12:28 pm
Mavis Nong @ Blog Traffic
Twitter: GrowOnlineBiz
says:

Hi Kesha,

Great response to Marty’s question. Building a list is absolutely critical for every marketer or blogger.

Thanks for sharing these tips.

All the best,
Mavis
Mavis Nong @ Blog Traffic recently posted..Attraction Marketing – How I Promote My Blog and Command Attention on Facebook!

[Reply]
March 17, 2011 at 11:48 pm
The Cubicle Chick
Twitter: TheCubicleChick
says:

Very good tips, woman! I just sent a request to be included in Dani’s FB group. I also sent you a DM on Twitter so feel free to answer that one too. I have a great base of readers but I want to branch out and stretch my following. Great post!

[Reply]
Kesha
Twitter: xdwebsolutions
Reply:
March 18th, 2011 at 12:22 am
Hey boo boo! Thanks for stopping by and I’m glad you’re joining us! Blog challenges/communities are an excellent way to build subscribers, readers, and traffic in general. We’ll talk more about it soon as well. TTYL!

[Reply]
March 17, 2011 at 9:23 pm
Karlene says:

Hi Kesha,

I’m with Hector on the consitency of blogging and commenting! Those two methods are a great way to build readership and traffic.

Having joined Heather Stephens blogging challenge has helped me tremendously in the fact of consistency! I know that my blog theme appearance and so on has some huge developing to do yet and so I am still not very savvy on all these plugins being mentioned. But thats the beauty of participating in these blogging communities and tribes, we don’t have to be the expert in ALL areas. If we just ask our fellow bloggers there is always an answer!

Thanks for sharing Kesha!

Karlene
Karlene recently posted..Learn how Your “Why” Becomes Your Key to a Successful Online Business

[Reply]
Kesha
Twitter: xdwebsolutions
Reply:
March 17th, 2011 at 10:47 pm
Absolutely Karlene! You have us, your fellow community bloggers, to get advice from, bounce ideas off of, and collaborate with. So feel free to contact me if you think there’s anything I can help with!

And don’t worry about not having your blog just perfect; most of our blogs are always in constant update mode – trying new things, testing to see what works best for us, etc. So you’ll most likely be doing the same

[Reply]
March 17, 2011 at 4:55 pm
Jeanine
Twitter: DressingMyTruth
says:

Great tips, Kesha! I wonder about putting an opt-in box in every post. I have noticed that I have gotten more subscribers since I put it at the top side of my blog.

Do you think I’d get even more if it were in every post? Or would a call to action indicating it be sufficient? Because I don’t have that as part of my signature, but I could.

Which would be better, do you think?

Jeanine
Jeanine recently posted..A St Patricks Day Three in Thirty Post- Did Your Luck Change This Week

[Reply]
Kesha
Twitter: xdwebsolutions
Reply:
March 17th, 2011 at 5:39 pm
@Jeanine, trial and error deary

I will say this – if you can put the opt-in box at the end of every post with a compelling reason to join, that may work better since you already have your audience right there – hopefully pumped after reading your excellent and engaging post

Usually, for blogs either the opt-in box is at the top right or in every post. I don’t know for sure which converts better as it also depends on your objective.

Here are 2 examples of an opt-in box on bottom of posts:
http://blog.thinkmarketact.com
http://www.stayonsearch.com/opt-in-placement-for-maxmizing-subscribers

Here’s an article I found that talks about placement of opt-in boxes:
http://blog.thinkmarketact.com

I know I may not have answered your question directly but it does depend. Testing is key. Try both places for the same amount of time (say two weeks) and see which method gets you the most subscribers

[Reply]
Jeanine
Twitter: DressingMyTruth
Reply:
March 17th, 2011 at 10:27 pm
@Kesha, thanks SO much!! Very helpful.
Jeanine recently posted..A St Patricks Day Three in Thirty Post- Did Your Luck Change This Week

[Reply]
March 17, 2011 at 12:47 pm
Adrienne
Twitter: asuperaffiliate
says:

Hey Kesha,

I’m back!!! I have a few that you didn’t mention that might help.

Don’t forget about the CommentLuv plug-in for WordPress. If you are implementing blog commenting to your list of ways to drive traffic to your site, you will find that others will follow your link back to your site because they saw your title as something they may be interested in reading. I’ve gotten a LOT of traffic this way.

Also, CoTweet is a free service that connects with Ping.fm so you can schedule your posts to all your networks and not have to worry about going to Ping.fm each time. Cool little service I found about a month ago.

Great tips, loved them all. Guess I better get back to work.

Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Free Methods for Driving Traffic to Your Blog

[Reply]
Kesha
Twitter: xdwebsolutions
Reply:
March 17th, 2011 at 1:21 pm
@Adrienne, yes, I love commenluv. I haven’t yet installed keywordluv yet but looking into it next

Commentluv is so valuable because, like you’ve mentioned, it’s so easy to click on an interesting blog title from another commenter and go read someone else’s blog. It has tremendous affect on blog traffic.

I just learned of CoTweet when I was researching alternatives to Hootsuite from an earlier comment. I use Hootsuite with Ping.fm now too. Ping.fm is another one of those gems that integrates with a lot of sites and can help increase exposure.

Great value-added feedback!

Talk to ya soon

[Reply]
March 17, 2011 at 11:26 am
Hector Avellaneda says:

Hi Kesha

This is my first time on your blog. It;’s great to meet you.

I think you had some great advice for the question asked. I have found that one of the best ways to build traffic is to just be consistent with everything you do.

For example, I never post an article or a blog just for the act of posting something or because I want google to index more of my content.

What I do, is make sure that I am always posting a quality article and that every article is unique and valuable in its own sense. This had led me to increase my traffic and followers over time. At first, I found that I did not have much if a readership but what happened over time is that I created a compounding effect.

Creating quality/unique content every time, along with commenting actively has led so some pretty great results. I’ve always led with the reader in mind and recently I decided to have a new theme designed for my blog, aimed at helping my readers feel more “at home” and at helping them find my content much easier.

In a matter of days my traffic literally increased 100%.

I am not looking to be more active in Guest Posting, implementing video and creating my own unique eCourse to help me start building a list of subscribers.

Thanks for sharing your insights. Very helpful!
Hector Avellaneda recently posted..What I Learned from Hiring a WordPress Developer on Elance

[Reply]
Kesha
Twitter: xdwebsolutions
Reply:
March 17th, 2011 at 11:38 am
@Hector, nice to meet you as well!

I have found that being consistent is the hardest part for most people. I admit I struggled with it at first too. Then when I started to participate in blogging challenges and blogging communities, I found my rhythm. So now, when I don’t blog I get antsy Almost like when you get used to exercising and have a routine, you don’t want to miss a day as it throws you off schedule!

Traffic increased 100%? Wow, that’s fantastic! That just goes to show that your methods are working, consistency is key, and ultimately content is truly king (or queen in my case ).

Thank you sooo much for your feedback!

FYI: I just started working with elance so am going to head over and read your latest post about what you learned…

[Reply]
March 17, 2011 at 10:29 am
Marty
Twitter: decksar
says:

Hey Keisha, thanks for attending to my question. I like your use of this. I starting reading this post the other day and got distracted at home. I’ve now got to comment on it. Thanks for the reminder.
Marty recently posted..Communicating online- Top tips for success

[Reply]
Kesha
Twitter: xdwebsolutions
Reply:
March 17th, 2011 at 10:32 am
@Marty, no problem. I just wanted to make sure you were aware of the additional feedback people were providing.

Here’s to our blogging success!

[Reply]
March 17, 2011 at 5:40 am
Diana
Twitter: coachdiana11
says:

Hi Kesha,

Thanks for this post. I am also new to blogging and slowly coming up with a free giveaway for people to opt-in. I currently use HootSuite and finding my way around. It’s all new but all good. One last thing, it’s definitely about sharing valuable content.

Thank you for doing that
Diana recently posted..WAHM Solution on Passion- Innovation and Tattoos

[Reply]
Kesha
Twitter: xdwebsolutions
Reply:
March 17th, 2011 at 10:07 am
Thanks for leaving your feedback Diana!

I’ll have to do a post soon about how I use Hootsuite and maybe that will help you as well. I think you’ll love it!

[Reply]
Diana
Twitter: coachdiana11
Reply:
March 17th, 2011 at 4:26 pm
@Kesha, That’s a great idea and I look forward to it! Thanks
Diana recently posted..WAHM Solution on Passion- Innovation and Tattoos

[Reply]
March 17, 2011 at 5:25 am
Devesh
Twitter: tnsblog
says:

Hi Kesha,

Email list is something that every blogger should build from beginning.

Here are somethings that i did to build my list from zero to 1600+ active subscribers.
-Guest Posting – I did guest posting and linked to a landing page. One of my guest post MBP send me around 100 email subscribers
-Social Media Sites – Another great way is to put a optin form on your Facebook page. I’m not utilizing it properly but it has great pros.
-Another great plugin is Popup Domination, i know many people hate it but it is designed in a such way that people will love it and defiantly subscribe to your list. It doesn’t work well in mmo/blogging niches, though.

Thanks for sharing this great post. Retweeted.

~Dev
Devesh recently posted..4 Tips to Help You Get Out of the Dreaded Home Based Business Rut

[Reply]
Kesha
Twitter: xdwebsolutions
Reply:
March 17th, 2011 at 10:05 am
Hey Devesh! I hear from a little birdie that you’re the man! I’m sure there will come a time when I’ll need your services

I just added an optin form to one of my facebook tabs but will need to have it redesigned to stand out more or at least design it better so that people actually will want to sign up

I’ve seen popup domination and a lot of people swear by it. So I’m sure it works. I just haven’t decided to go that route just yet.

Thank you for sharing Devesh. Talk to you soon!

[Reply]
March 17, 2011 at 3:46 am
eric
Twitter: thinkmarketact
says:

I use pop up domination and noticed a jump in subscribers. I also use a newsletter plugin that allows you to put a check box below the comment section. It would go above ” confirm your not a spammer” on your blog. It allows you to check it by default. after the comment is posted you are automatically subscribed to the newsletter. It synchs with mailchimp and aweber.

I think it is to intrusive so i have removed the check by defualt.

Sorry to every one who is not on my mailing list
eric recently posted..What is Twitter About You Already Know so why are You Asking

[Reply]
Kesha
Twitter: xdwebsolutions
Reply:
March 17th, 2011 at 9:59 am
@Eric, I’ve seen a lot of people use pop up domination and they do look very nice. I know that service also has a lot of options so as to annoy people so much

What’s the name of the newsletter subscribe plugin you use? I’ve seen that on sites as well. I’d definitely not have it selected by default. It will only increase unsubscribes.

[Reply]
eric
Twitter: thinkmarketact
Reply:
March 17th, 2011 at 1:25 pm
@Kesha, here is that newsletter plugin.
http://qoate.com/wordpress-plugins/newsletter-sign-up/

It is free.

I think max magnet subscription or whatever it is also does the same thing but that plugin is upwards of 150
eric recently posted..What is Twitter About You Already Know so why are You Asking

[Reply]
Kesha
Twitter: xdwebsolutions
Reply:
March 17th, 2011 at 5:40 pm
Wow, $150? No thanks! *going to play with the free one first*

Thanks for the resources!
March 16, 2011 at 11:17 pm
Jayne Kopp
Twitter: jaynekopp
says:

Keisha, what a terrific post. I have never used Hoot Suite if you can believe that.

Hmm.. so blog directories huh? I have heard mixed reviews. Not saying who’s right here… cause to be honest I don’t have the foggiest.

I’m going to bookmark this and fiddle with some of your suggestions.

Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge!

Jayne
Jayne Kopp recently posted..Did You Know Happiness is a Choice

[Reply]
Kesha
Twitter: xdwebsolutions
Reply:
March 17th, 2011 at 9:51 am
@Jayne, I haven’t really done an extensive test to see if submitting a site to blog directories actually works or not but if it can done rather easily, I say why not. Another suggestion to add to your fiddling is to do a search for “dofollow blogs” and do some relevant commenting and we all know that helps!

Hootsuite and Tweetdeck are only 2 services (albeit the top rated) as there are many more out there that allow you to “post once, submit to many”. These types of services save you time which we all can use. I personally like Hootsuite because it allows you to have tabs and is very easy to use (maybe I’ll do a post of how I use Hootsuite for you ).

There are other alternatives like Seesmic and CoTweet to name a couple.

[Reply]
March 16, 2011 at 8:55 pm
Janet @ The Natural Networker
Twitter: janetcallaway
says:

Kesha, aloha. Your answers to Marty were great. To add to your answer, I would say without a doubt, that the best source to learn about traffic, links and list building is Ana Hoffman’s http://trafficgenerationcafe.com

Last week Ana ran a series of posts on that very topic. Guaranteed that if you go to her site, read the posts, click the hyperlinks and browse, you will find your answers. Ana knows what she is talking about as do her guest bloggers.

She/they will not only tell you what to do, what to use, she/they will also tell you why.

Marty, remember, you don’t have to learn everything at once. Tackle one aspect at a time and then move on to the next. Aloha. Janet
Janet @ The Natural Networker recently posted..3 Things You have in Common with a Pilot or a Surgeon by Janet Callaway The Natural Networker

[Reply]
Kesha
Twitter: xdwebsolutions
Reply:
March 16th, 2011 at 8:57 pm
@Janet, love it! I just really started getting to know Ana and her blog and you’re absolutely right – one can just live on her blog and learn so much about traffic generation! I appreciate your feedback and I’m sure Marty does as well

[Reply]
March 16, 2011 at 8:42 pm
Jon
Twitter: Jonathan_Alford
says:

Kesha,

I’m a fan of Hootsuite. Frankly, I’m surprised they have a free option but I’m not complaining! I see a lot of people using the Subscriber’s Magnet plugin; it’s neat. The time is fast approaching for me to put out my “ethical bribe” to start building my list. It’s very important to start building early.

Not only are email lists search engine change-proof; they are a great way to build community. You can offer value to this list that you don’t give away freely and valuable, shareable, and actionable content keeps your unsubscribe rate down.

Thanks!

Jon
Jon recently posted..3 Epic Revelations about Online Community

[Reply]
Kesha
Twitter: xdwebsolutions
Reply:
March 16th, 2011 at 8:48 pm
Hey Jon, welcome! I used Hootsuite’s free version for a very long time until I acquired more than the 5 accounts it allows to remain free. But I love it so much I finally upgraded!

You are right about how to keep the unsubscribe rate down – giving your list something special other than what they might get from you elsewhere. I’m still working on that myself though

[Reply]