Please help, spent a ton of time on developing a website and I'm having trouble getting traffic!

Also I am about to hire someone for SEO/link building work, is this a good place to start?

Have your tried, article marketing?

Not yet, i have been reading a lot about it and i already have some articles written that are posted on my site, but being a noob and reading all these forums about the technicalities and strategies of article marketing Im somewhat confused on where to start and what path to take...

Okay, if you're talking about traffic.. then here are some ways (free one) but if your concern is on the profitability, I doubt that it's going to be profitable ..

As mention, Article marketing is great. It's free and yet able to generate targeted traffic that is comparable to that of Adwords. It's just required more effort. The first step to start with article marketing is this Bum Marketing Method - Free Traffic Tips .

Next, go here: http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...marketing.html

2) Video marketing
3) Web 2.0 marketing - http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...AtcGIECFLXZkKg
4) List building
5) Forum marketing
6) JV marketing

Just make a search and you'll find tons of gold on this forum itself about each of these subject.

Yeah i have a few ideas that i am implementing now that deal with offline marketing, yet because my website's income is adsense i can not pay much for PPC advertising because it is not worth the $ right now. Once i get decent traffic i will expand to offering products on my site that will increase my revenue stream but for now i need to work on the viral marketing and other free forms of marketing to increase my user base.

Thanks to all that are replying, all this info is priceless!!!

Start here -> Trees for the Future>Partnerships>Business Partnership Information

Get them to broadcast something out to their mailing list about your quiz/cause.

Then get some more exposure from here (and others like it) -> Causes on Facebook | Trees for the Future - over 10,000 members!

Find, document and participate in some eco-friendly forums/social network sites (like the one above) to spread the word about your site while imparting some of your eco-wisdom to build a following.

Create your own Auto-responder sequence to recycle traffic back to your site as those who are likely to complete the quiz would also be interested in more information about the cause (it appears that your site is just a one-time visit -> not good).

Better idea would be to have them opt-in, complete the quiz, then send them the results via auto-responder along with a gift (free CPA offer/white paper on current global eco-state).

Do ad-swaps with others in your niche.

Get interviewed by the blogging community in your Forest (niche).

Press Release - send one out at every relevant milestone your site reaches.

The long and the short of it is this.....

- You need to completely understand who the raving lunatics are about the subject you chose. Browse through the Facebook page I linked to above with over 10,000 tree huggers and study them until you know how they tick.

- Find out where they like to socialize about their heartfelt cause and then socialize with them. Share your quiz/cause and also, ASK them to share it with their friends.

- Find out where they meet-up for events/rallies/riots and become a sponsor of that cause and/or become the known resource of such collective information.

- Find out what they buy and where they buy (insert your marketing message here). Become an affiliate of those products too.

Track and follow the herd and they will become yours.

Screw Google... leverage online/offline properties where your site can be marketed to those who are the most interested in your subject.

If there is any way you can have software developed that would measure an individual's CO2 footprint on a weekly/monthly/yearly basis along with its impact on "THEIR" environment (as a standalone app or better yet, a membership site) then you'll clear-cut your way through the noise to reach those who want to listen, often.

There's a tonne that you can do on the cheap to attract "traffic"... study the movements/patterns of those most likely to utilize your site and the answers will become very obvious to you.

Again, don't be seduced by Google/SEO as you WANT to see the Forest for the Trees (Ah-thank you)... Big G, Y! and B will find you regardless. ** this is my answer to your question in post #2) ***

Give coupons for Free Firewood - Doh, don't do that
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