Sunday, March 8, 2009

How to Attract Quality Dating Traffic

If you are webmaster for a dating site, one of your top priorities is getting quality traffic. Dating sites are about people, and you must attract heavy traffic to have a successful dating site.

Just quantity is not enough, however. You have to have quality too; in your landing page, your site in general, and especially your ‘clicks’.

All webmasters are after the elusive ‘clicks’. Each person who clicks on an ad that brings them to your site should be a potential conversion or sale. Quality clicks bring you the people who stay and shop, and this is how your dating site produces income.

All clicks are not created equal! There are three types of clicks, and they all have the potential to convert - but some have more potential than others.

‘Accidental’ Clicks. These are the clicks that originate with a slip of the mouse, the incorrect reading of a banner or a faulty ad placement. Sometimes things just happen! J These clicks might or might not generate a sale - you really don’t know the consumer, or what they were looking for when they clicked on your ad, but where there is a click, there is hope.

‘Just Curious’ Clicks. Surfers may click on dozens of ads just to see what’s going on. They are un-targeted or on the fringe of your target audience, and their interest is generally sparked by an attraction to your banner view or the originality of your slogan. It’s all about their curiosity! J Again, there is a possibility that these ‘Just Curious’ people can turn into serious customers once they see your products or services.

‘I Need This’ Clicks. Here’s where we hit the jackpot. These clicks are the air we breathe, the lifeblood that keeps our site alive and pumping! J They bring us the target demographic - the people who want what we have to offer. Of course, these are the hardest clicks to get, but a dedicated webmaster will have a solid game plan to secure the clicks they need.

How to Get Your Targeted Clicks

Here’s a little secret: banner exchange or banner advertisement can bring you the best available dating traffic for your dating sites.

At this point you are shaking your head - they teach this in Monetizing Your Website 101, right? Well, there’s a hitch in this method when it comes to dating sites, and you have to get past it to see real results.

The truth is, quality and reliable dating banner exchange networks are hard to find. This is because ‘adult’ dating and general dating are often lumped together as one market. This can be a frustrating fact, especially if you are trying to set up a serious niche dating site.

You have to be highly selective when promoting your own dating site. Advertising on ‘adult’ dating sites will simply result in large amounts of ‘Just Curious’ traffic that quickly dissolves when they discover you are a serious site. Adult dating surfers are likely to hit hundreds of sites in an evening, and what you have to offer is not what they are looking for.

Advertising in the adult dating arena can also damage your reputation, particularly if you participate in a banner exchange with such a site. Too often, the banner exchanges from such sources are not properly moderated. This means that you are quite likely to end up with an ‘adult rated’ banners on your own site, which can offend your visitors - especially if you are promoting a niche site, such as religious dating.

To avoid such issues, you should concentrate on finding a banner exchange network that has a good reputation, is well moderated and works with other quality dating sites. You want to attract your target audience - remember, these are the ‘I Need This’ clicks! Only quality and reliable dating banner exchange networks can garner you the attention you need from these consumers.

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