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The Free Traffic Myth

Discussion in 'General Marketing' started by streetcopmillionaire, Oct 21, 2013.

  1. #1
    One thing I've noticed in this thread, and probably others... is lots of people asking the best way to get free traffic. Typically because they are on a limited budget, etc...

    I used to think the same way....

    Then one day, I watched a video (I think it was by Matt Lloyd) .....that made me really 'get it'. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FREE TRAFFIC....it's a myth!!

    You are going to either pay cash, or you will pay with time and effort to bring visitors to your site. If you have lots of time to optimize your site and put continuous quality content out, blog on forums, etc...then you can get visitors to your site...but keep in mind...it takes work. There is no easy shortcut to get 'free' traffic.

    On the other side of the coin...there is of course, paid traffic....and paid traffic is like 'instant testing'... you can pay some, get some visitors, see if your site converts, make changes, and do it again until you get it right. No need to make it harder than it is.

    The main point of this is that if you're looking for 'free' traffic....I think you're doing it wrong.. there is no 'free' traffic.... you either pay with time, or you pay with money.... period.

    Hope that helps some of you!

    SCM
     
    streetcopmillionaire, Oct 21, 2013 IP
    anonymous01 likes this.
  2. Kaloyan Gadzhev

    Kaloyan Gadzhev Peon

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    #2
    Totally agree with you! This can also be explained with the opportunity cost in economics where every subject choose the best alternative from several alternatives when he owns limited resources. Time is a limited resource. Very limited and the most important resource! We have one life, one opportunity to live the life we want. Imo spending counting hours on commenting or posting on forums is wasting of time. Yeah, sure, it may bring you visitors and even few sales but the time you invest might be used to collect data, analyze it and monetize it.

    The only thing I disagree with you is the paid traffic. I prefer paid traffic because it's more interesting, it's dynamic and it's fast. It requires lots of money for testing though and if you don't have enough budget, you may bankrupt. But once you find the formula which brings you profit for the particular niche, it's just rinse and repeat.
     
    Kaloyan Gadzhev, Oct 21, 2013 IP
  3. Cyberchoices

    Cyberchoices Active Member

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    #3
    I totally agree. I think the free mentality has to give way to a business mentality. Unfortunately what compounds the problem is marketers (newbies) will often try to create their marketing materials themselves and their inexperience shows through like a 100w bulb at night. Then other marketers will try to take advantage of them by selling them the latest and greatest push button software solution, playing on their "no work mentality", which of course rarely works.
     
    Cyberchoices, Oct 21, 2013 IP
  4. Tyler A

    Tyler A Peon

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    #4
    I have to disagree slightly.

    If you have good communication skills and are consistent with social media you def can get free traffic, however if you want lots of traffic QUICKLY, then paid is definitely the way to go:)
     
    Tyler A, Oct 25, 2013 IP
  5. jrbiz

    jrbiz Acclaimed Member

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    #5
    Free traffic is generally worth exactly what you have paid or put into it. Any method of generating quality traffic will require either cash or individual effort. It is not necessarily true that paid traffic is quicker than worked for traffic; speed of traffic generally depends upon what marketing channel you are using. There are ten ways to generate traffic or leads. I will list them below in descending order of quality (not quantitiy)

    Customer Referrals
    Third Party Referrals
    Public Relations (PR)
    Telemarketing
    Direct Mail
    SEO
    SEM
    Social Media
    General Advertising
    Trade Shows

    Again, the above list is prioritized by Quality of lead generated. You cannot get a better prospect than one referred by one of your existing customers, for example. On the other hand, the worst prospect you can talk to is at a trade show because he has seen all of your competitors at the show, as well.

    Hope that this helps.
     
    jrbiz, Oct 26, 2013 IP
  6. indiasbull

    indiasbull Well-Known Member

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    #6
    nothing is free, if u cant pay money, u have to spent same time on others site so they can spent same time on ur site , m telling about 1:1 :)

    nothing is free.
     
    indiasbull, Oct 26, 2013 IP
  7. jrbiz

    jrbiz Acclaimed Member

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    #7
    It is less of a problem with an ecommerce site, but I have seen so many companies over the years focus on generating leads...any leads to keep their sales pipeline full or growing. This happens both online and offline and what it causes is a tremendous waste of sales resources on leads that just suck up your time and resources when they will never buy, anyway. Generating quality leads, online or offline, is what reaslly matters. What are quality leads? A lead that has a need for your product/service and has the means to afford your product/service. That is what you want to drive to your website and/or your sales team. Anything else, just wastes everyone's time, including the lead generating marketer's time.
     
    jrbiz, Oct 28, 2013 IP
  8. Stirksales

    Stirksales Member

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    #8
    Personally, I find that by engaging yourself within "Free" traffic, is a rather more effective route though... Because over time, you end up building such a great content base that its almost even more effective than paying... Like for example, over a long period of time, you would gain a customers trust, in-turn increasing your conversion rates on your lets say "Blog" or personal fan pages through Facebook/Youtube/Google, whatever it is you use..

    By using your "Free" traffic providing content, you ultimately end up branding yourself drawing people towards you to do business because they have grown to know you and respect you in a way that paid traffic just doesn't return.

    Of course a fine mix between Paid Traffic, and your own time for "Free" traffic... You can build a rather amazing base of people flowing through your content.... Or you can pay for traffic to view your content that has CTA's.

    Hope this makes sense.. Basically by building a content base, you build yourself a Legacy, rather than a business.

    Don't forget to help others succeed, by helping others you will ultimately help yourself!
     
    Stirksales, Oct 30, 2013 IP