Internet Marketing Tips: Is All Traffic To Your Site Created Equal?

One of the biggest mistakes that newbie Internet marketers make time and time again is paying close attention to the amount of traffic there able to push to a web property – never really paying close attention to whether or not that traffic is of any value.

To think that all traffic is created equal could be one of the most crippling mistakes you ever make in this business and one that you should strive to eliminate entirely if at all possible. There are different kinds of traffic (even when you’re talking about traffic pushed from a single source), and it’s important that you understand the “ins and outs” of traffic generation if you’re going to have any real success whatsoever.

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There are two major types of traffic that you need to be aware of

Now that you know that all traffic is anything but equal, it’s important to understand exactly how traffic sources are broken down into different categories. Taking a very large overview of traffic generation in general, there are two major parts that you need to be aware of – targeted traffic and untargeted traffic.

Untargeted traffic is the kind of traffic that you get from just about anyone, anywhere – online or off – that may have just stumbled upon your web property. Untargeted traffic is also the kind of traffic that you purchase from big-time list brokers without checking to see what kind of list they were on in the first place), not making sure that they had a connection to your product or service.

At the same time, targeted traffic is worth its weight in gold – and much more difficult to create. This is the kind of traffic that you’re going to be able to enjoy from industry blogs, direct mailings that have been sent to niche prospects, and joint ventures that you’ve put together with other people in your industry – as well as the traffic that you generate from your own custom lists to

Target Your Customers

Eliminate untargeted traffic while embracing targeted traffic

Obviously, of the two types of traffic, targeted traffic is much more valuable to your bottom line while untargeted traffic is only going to eat away at your profits.

The problem is that targeted traffic is much more difficult to secure (and almost always more expensive). Anyone can shoot out a message across the Facebook opening to find 10 or 15 prospects, but it costs a tremendous amount of money to create real connections with industry insiders, gain their trust to mail they are specific customer lists, and then focus on only picking the very best prospects from the bunch.

However, the moment that you decide to take charge of your different traffic types is the moment that your business changes forever. Just by making the relatively simple adjustment to committing only to get targeted traffic – regardless of the cost, or time necessary to generate – you’ll find that your returns go down, your customer service requests go way down, your profit goes up, and your enjoyment of your business goes through the roof.

Don’t ever fall for the “traffic is traffic” myth, it just might end up being the nail in your business’s coffin.

Now it’s your turn!

What is your approach to traffic?  Do you target anyone and everyone?  Or do you dial it down to a specific targeted group?  Please leave your feedback in the comments section and I look forward to reading them!

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43 responses to “Internet Marketing Tips: Is All Traffic To Your Site Created Equal?”

  1. Liz says:

    This is very interesting, always looking for ways to increase my blog traffic!

  2. Mario says:

    we can sometimes get lost in the numbers and end up focusing more on watching our unique visitor count rise than what those visitors are actually doing. What any good business wants are site visitors that convert into sales or leads.

  3. It used to make me sad that all of my FB friends did not like my fanpage. But then I realized that, as long as I had some decent numbers to look like a legit business, it was more important to have traffic who could use my message!

    • Nate Leung says:

      Hi Adrian,

      Yes, anyone starting off brand new wants to get their feet off the ground and one of them is getting the Facebook fanpage going. Social proof is everything. The way I look at it, if they don’t “like” your fanpage then it’s a good thing because they may not be your ideal visitor or future customer.

  4. Steve says:

    ‘At the same time, targeted traffic is worth its weight in gold.’ Most inexperienced internet marketers don’t know that there is value in targeting specific markets online. People are happy with high traffic numbers forgetting that one unique visitor is worth 1000 untargeted site visitors. Targeted buy from you. Untargeted don’t buy from you.
    That is the difference.

    • Nate Leung says:

      Hi Steve,

      I agree with you here. When people hear the words, traffic and leads, they think anything that comes in is good. The issue lies in the quality of the traffic and leads that come in. It’s not created equal. Thanks for the comments!

  5. Alanna says:

    Wow! Very great article!!! I LOVE reading your blog posts!! Very valuable information! Thanks, Nate!!

  6. Excellent article Nate. Determining your target market, going where they are, and then speaking to them in their language in ways that peak their interest and hit a “hot spot” is the rewarding challenge!

  7. Renee says:

    Wow this blog post was so informative. I just did one on ways to boost your traffic, but I am no pro. This is great advice especially for someone like me who is just starting out.

    • Nate Leung says:

      Hi Renee,

      Yes, and that fact that you’re taking action is all that matters. You’re going to make mistakes but you will learn from them. No one can really teach you how to drive traffic, you have to have to learn them on your own, in a sense taking concepts from courses and implementing them. Keep at it and you’ll get results in no time. 🙂

  8. Moira Wight says:

    “traffic is traffic” myth is busted! Thanks for the explanation Nate. I try to think about where my target audience might be congregating online and then get my content in front of them. I have also tried to define and identify my ideal customer and create my content as though I am conversing with them, so that hopefully through content marketing in the places where they might be, I will be able to attract their attention.

    • Nate Leung says:

      Hi Moira,

      Yes as long as you’re doing the “work”. Be consistent and dedicated to getting your message in front of your audience, the results will happen. Take action, watch what happens, then scale when needed. Thank you for the feedback!

  9. Wow! Great info Nate! It’s always our goal to find more targeted traffic. And that’s not as easy as it seems. The cheapest way to get more targeted traffic is to build relationships with others like you. Takes time and patience, which most of us don’t have these days. Thank you for your tips.

    • Nate Leung says:

      Hi Stefani,

      Yes, it’s not as easy as it seems, you are right. It does take some work. It’s not hard, yet it’s not easy but it’s simple to do. At the same time, it’s simple not to do. Relationships is everything. This is a business, most treat it like a hobby. However you decide to drive traffic you have to look at it from a short term and long term perspective. In the end like you said, relationships win the game. Thank you for the comments!

  10. Cindy Eidahl says:

    Very Interesting article on the different kinds of traffic.
    I never really gave it much thought to the type of traffic
    I attract to my blog or business. Now I have a better understanding of the types of traffic and how to focus on targeted traffic
    Thanks again.

    • Nate Leung says:

      Hi Cindy,

      Yes, it is all about who you want to get your message in front of. Thanks for the comments!

  11. Arleen says:

    I agree with you a point. Getting more traffic to your site will also help you get ranked higher in the search engines as Google sees you as having a viable site. Don’t get me wrong I want good traffic and those that will turn into an order.

    • Nate Leung says:

      Hi Arleen,

      Yes, it is a balance between the two. On one hand, you want to get ranked and on the other hand you want to make sure you get your message in front of the right customers to get that order. Especially in your niche, you have hundreds of products on your site. Even then, you still need targeted traffic for your products or no one will buy. Thank you for the feedback!

  12. Tony says:

    You also have the problem of traffic being harder to get now. The days of throwing up some content, doing some article marketing and getting traffic are over. I think now you have to really make yourself stand out and get people to want to bookmark you and come back on their own. You cannot expect so much from the search engines anymore unless you really have an authority site.

  13. Melissa says:

    I target my target market usually. At times, I venture out when I see fit. I just have that feeling or prompting to do so. Thanks for the info.

  14. pam schmidt says:

    Nate, I appreciate your posts so much! Every day I get new, meaty information. As a person who is fairly new to marketing, I really thank you!

  15. Adelien says:

    My targets are homeschoolers and mommy bloggers. I don’t really understand about those traffic things. However, I am still ongoing learning about this. Thank you for sharing.

    • Nate Leung says:

      That means you have a USP which stands for unique selling proposition. So in your case, your USP is for homeschoolers and mommy bloggers and that is your targeted traffic. So whatever it is that you are promoting, you’re getting your message in front of that target audience. Hope that clears it up.

  16. Zina Solomon says:

    Targeted traffic is key!

  17. Somer Nelson says:

    Love this. And I have been wondering about my target market. Im in the essential oils business. Who is my target market?? I think I know but I just want to hear what you have to say:)

    • Nate Leung says:

      Hi Somer!

      It’s hard to say without testing but I would say women who are into health and wellness that care about their skin and what they put into their bodies. There are ways to scale up and get really targeted. That is a great place to start. Just put it out there, analyze the response and scale up from there. Thanks Somer!

  18. Interesting topic, Nate! I would go for targeted traffic all the time~ 🙂

  19. Wow Nate. I have been down this road. SO TOUGH for good old ego to let go numbers and focus on effectiveness. Targeted traffic builds your biz and puts money in your pocket, and of course, the more TARGETED traffic you get, the better…..but never chase numbers because numbers cannot join your team lol 😉

    Thanks Nate!

    Ryan

  20. Always best to know you’re talking to a targeted niche of hot buyers. 🙂

  21. Judy Garey says:

    Great info Nate! Gotta learn more about this. 🙂

  22. Adam Payne says:

    Great article Nate. Knowing ones avatar and creating an empathy map are ways to find your ideal customer. This makes at least knowing what it is for ‘you’ a possibility and then you can go after targeted traffic.

    Adam

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