Traffic Exchange Tips

Are you in the summertime doldrums? Has your surfing gone to pot? I know mine has. Summer is just such a busy time, that you don’t have time to do the things you do when the kids are in school or when the snow is on the lane. Then, you don’t hear the call of the swimming pool, either. Well, I do here in Florida, but not as loud.

But summer can be a good time, too.

Sit back and evaluate your systems. Are you surfing the right exchanges? If you don’t know, you’d better get tracking. The Clix Network offers a very good server-side tracking system. I use it myself. I just decide what I want to promote and where, and then, make a link for it. Then, I know how many clicks I’m getting and where they’re coming from. Then, add is sales or sign-ups and you know which TEs are treating you the best.

I used to go by one list. If that one said that a traffic exchange was number 1, well, I thought it was, too. But that’s not accurate. Just because many people think a certain exchange is good for them, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be good for you. You have to track and test like a nuclear scientist to be sure. I’m very serious about this. If you aren’t tracking your results, you’re flying the 747 blind, folks.

There are many good tracking services out there. Hits Connect is one (and I’m very partial to that one because you can track links specifically and you can put them into a rotator that’s accepted everywhere, just about.), and HyperTracker is another. Both are paid services, but you must realize that a tracking system is part of your ‘Marketer’s Toolbox.’ And if you don’t like to pay monthly fees, the solution is simple… do what I did. But a good tracking program for a one-time outlay of cash and you’re set forever.

Tracking is an important element of your marketing career. Embrace it with gusto!

I wonder if anyone has ever counted all the traffic exchanges online today. The number seems to ebb and flow, and hopefully, we’re left with the best of the bunch. The number you can belong to is limitless. The number you can use regularly is limited. So, how do you pick and choose? And when you’ve done that, how do you decide which exchanges are worth paying to upgrade?

Everything online comes down to testing and tracking. If you blindly surf, day after day, with no way to tell which exchanges are effective, you’re wasting your time and you may be wasting money. Tracking, which we’ve discussed here before, is essential. Every link that you put into a traffic exchange should be a tracking link. If you don’t have your own tracking program, there are alternatives.

Link Brander is one way that you can track links for free, but for a very sophisticated way of tracking links, Hits Connect can’t be beat. I used Hits Connect myself, until I bought a script of my own from Linden Software. But whatever you do, be sure to use something! You must measure your success and you need to see which traffic exchanges provide the best results.

Upgrade in the best performing exchanges. Obviously, if you tried to do that at just 10 of them, your upgrade bill would be over $50 a month. Many folks can’t afford a huge outlay immediately, so set a budget and then, choose as many of your best exchanges as you can afford to support.

Ugrading is a good idea for several reasons. Usually, you’ll get some credits, text link exposures, and banner exposures. You’ll also get random referrals in most exchanges, which will boost your credit balance. The whole idea is to boost your exposure in exchanges that provide the best results. Ugrading just provides more exposure for you.

But you don’t have to remain an upgraded customer forever, either. If you find that your budget tightens, you may want to unsubscribe and then, subscribe again when your financial picture improves. But you could find that a traffic exchange that once worked well for you doesn’t work anymore. This can happen for any number of reasons from saturation to declining member base, but when it does, then, you need to rethink your surfing plan.

Testing and tracking, testing and tracking, I can’t stress that enough. If you don’t do those two things, you won’t know where to advertise, how much to pay for advertising, or even if your product is something people want to buy. Proceed with your online business like a professional. Collect and evaluate your statistics and you’re bound to come out a winner.

Pat Marcello tests and tracks until her eyes bug out. Find more information about traffic exchanges in her weekly column at Jon Olson’s HitExchangeNews.