Article 1. Hits, clicks and
other terms
Hits:
You see this term everywhere, and often, it is misunderstood and
misused. Each hit to a web site doesn't necessarily represent one
visitor. Generally, hits refer to not only the web page itself, but
all files requested, including all graphics. Therefore, if a page has
25 graphics, each visitor to that page represents 26 hits - one hit
for the page and 25 for the graphics. As you can see, hits can be
very misleading when representing web site traffic.
Page View - Also known as Impressions:
As the term indicates, this refers to the number of times each page on your site is viewed
by a visitor. If your site has 20 pages, and a
visitor goes to all pages, that visitor generated 20 page views. Keep
in mind, every time that same visitor returns to your site, they will
again generate more page views, regardless of the time between visits. Please note
that some affiliate programs use the term page views or impressions synonymously with
unique visitors.
Unique Visitors:
This, by far, is the best and most reliable measure of traffic. A
unique visitor is one visitor to a web site, regardless of how many
pages he or she visits or how many pages or files/graphics the site
contains. Unique visitors are counted only once for a specific period
of time - depending upon how the site statistics are configured.
Generally, a visitor is only counted once in a thirty day period, no
matter how many times they may have returned during that time. Keep
in mind, this time period varies wildly in the industry, so when
talking about unique visitors, make sure you know how long it takes
for a visitor to be counted again.
CTR - Click Through Ratio:
Used primarily in affiliate programs and advertising, this is the
ratio between the total impressions of a banner or link and the number
of times a site visitor actually clicks on (or executes), the banner
or link. For example, if a banner/link had 10,000 impressions in a
month, but the advertiser's banner/link was only actually clicked
2,000 times during that same period, the CTR would be 20%.
CPC - Cost Per Click:
This represents the amount of money (or other consideration), an
advertiser would pay to the site owner each time their banner or link
was clicked by a site visitor.
CPI - Cost Per Impression:
This represents the amount of money (or other consideration), an
advertiser would pay to the site owner each time their banner or link
was viewed by a site visitor.
CPM - Cost Per Thousand:
This is the amount an advertiser would pay a site owner for every
thousand units. I'm using the term UNITS to represent whatever the
site owner and advertiser agreed to base payments on - per click, per
impression, per subscriber (in e-zine advertising), etc. For example,
if you were being paid $.20 cents for each click through, and in a
month your site generated 10,000 click throughs for a specific
advertiser, you would be paid $2,000.
There are many more terms you should become familiar with, but these are the most commonly
used terms with regard to web site traffic, affiliate programs, and web site and/or e-zine
advertising.
Article 2.
How to get more unique visitors? Tap the non-English speaking sites.
You need a translated version of your website. If you have a large site, you may prefer to
produce an abridged version. Translation services are easy to find locally, or you can
find them online. Ideally,
use one where the translator translates into their native tongue.
There are some online services where you can just type the URL of
a webpage, and it will provide you with your page instantly
translated. These services are inexpensive or even free , such as
http://www.freetranslation.com
or http://www.plustranslation.com
It is advisable, however, to get a fluent speaker of the language
to check the results before you use them.
Once you have translated your website, you must of course
promote it. Register it with search engines and directories in
the appropriate countries. You can find listings of search
engines and directories, country by country, at
http://www.searchenginecolossus.com
If it’s too big to ignore, then you can register a domain for that country, and set
up a separate website.
1. Identify countries suitable for your business, that you
would like to tap into - and find out their native tongue.
2. Translate your website, using local translators, software or
online services.
3. Have someone check the translation
4. Place links on your homepage, showing you have other language
options.
5. Promote your website in the local countries, through
directories, search engines etc.
There you have it. As the competition increases in the English
speaking world, you now have the opportunity to inexpensively
access fresh markets with tens of millions of potential
customers.
Article 3. Fundamentals for a successful business.
Believe in Your Product or Service
First, you need to believe in your product or service. If you
don't believe in it, you will have a great deal of difficulty
selling your product or service to other people. You also need to
have confidence in your ability to provide and promote your
product or service. An old saying sums this up best by stating:
"All things are possible to he who believes".
Aptitude for the Business
Secondly, you need to have an aptitude for the business. You will
also need the motivation to acquire at the very least basic
skills and experience before you start your business. If you were
to set yourself up as a web designer but did not have any skills
or training in this area, then you will almost certainly fail.
However, if you are employed as a bookkeeper and you enjoy the
job, then setting up your own bookkeeping service would be a
sensible choice with a greater chance of success.
Be Responsible
Thirdly, you need to be responsible to your customers. This is
achieved by only making commitments you can keep and by not
engaging in misleading or dishonest advertising. If you want to
build long-term success in your business, then you need to
develop long-term satisfied customers. When their needs are being
satisfied, customers are at their happiest.
Aim for High Quality
The next principle is that you need to have a high quality
product or service. This will be your best advertisement.
Inferior quality products usually generate poor customer
satisfaction. A dissatisfied customer can be very dangerous for
your business. Usually they tell on average about fourteen other
people who will then be disinclined to buy your product or
service based on the experience of that one dissatisfied person.
Therefore, always aim for a top quality product or service.
Make a Profit
However, it is not enough to have a top quality product or
service. You also need to have a product or service that will
generate enough income to cover all your business expenses and
give you a satisfactory wage. A friend of mine once said that
business is only about two things: satisfying customers and
making a profit. A simple statement but very true.
Sufficient Start-up Capital
You also need to have access to enough cash to set up and run
your business, and enough income to meet your private expenses
during the start-up phase. A major problem with many home and
small businesses is that they fail to have enough money available
to ensure their success. There is nothing more discouraging than
having a great idea, getting it started on a shoestring, not
being able to expand due to cash shortages and seeing a
competitor come along and steal your market.
Start Small
Another fundamental principle of home business success is that
you start small. This will enable you to minimize your overheads
until you are confident of your success in the marketplace. For
many of you, this would mean starting part-time while retaining
your full-time income source. When you can, expand your business
into a full-time venture. This is a great way of minimizing the
risk of failure.
Be Well Organized
Successful businesses are well organized. They have a system for
keeping track of expenditure and earnings. This level of
organization in your business will help to ensure that you are
providing your customers or clients with a top quality product or
service. It will also ensure that you have enough information
available to maximize your profitability and to satisfy your
legal requirements for record keeping.
Be Prepared
Preparation is another key ingredient in your business success.
This preparation will include being aware of the regulations and
laws affecting small and home business. Armed with this
knowledge, you should not have any nasty surprises from
unintentional violations of the law.
Have a Business Plan
Finally, successful businesses have developed a comprehensive
business plan. This is their road map to success. It tells them
where they are going and how they are going to get there. There
are a number of good resources about business planning on the
Internet. Here are some:
http://www.bplans.com
http://www.businesstown.com/planning/creating.asp
http://www.bizplanit.com/vplan.htm
Conclusion
It has been said that genius is one percent inspiration and
ninety-nine percent perspiration. The same can be said about
business success. Without having the fundamentals in place, a
great business idea will usually fail. Set yourself up for
success by considering each of the points raised in this article.
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