Traffic Exchange Tips

As some of you may know, I make my living as a writer. Though I’ve been writing books of late, my first jobs were with newspapers. Do you know the very best thing that could happen to a freelancer?

Let me tell you.

I used to dance the hula when my article made it “above the fold”! That meant that my incredibly vibrant words (well, okay… interesting words, maybe?) were on the front page, and that my article would be one of the first things anyone who picked up that newspaper saw. Readers bring fame. Fame brings more work. Trust me. Above the fold is a very good place to be.

So, why am I telling you this?

Because you should want your best stuff “above the fold,” too. It’s a little different with web pages, of course, but you can see what I mean, no doubt. You want your most important information to show up immediately when the page opens. People shouldn’t have to scroll down to find the information, it should be right there, in their faces!

This is especially important in traffic exchanges. Some timers are only 10 seconds long. If someone has to scroll down the page to find what you want them to know, odds are, they never will. Hence, the splash page.

The best splash page is, of course, the squeeze or lead capture page, where you give something away in return for the person’s name and email address. But splash pages don’t have to be squeeze pages. A funny picture or illustration will get someone to click on your link. Or, a shocking statement might do the job.

Whatever you use, be sure that the important part (what people see) of your splash page is about 650 pixels wide. People seem to read narrower text more easily. And be sure to end your page before you hit the bottom of the screen. That gives you about a 468 X 650 pixel box or so to work with. You can optimize the space by using a table, divided into two columns. However, more than that is just asking to be ignored.

Stand out and sell your product or program! Use splash pages that sit “above the fold,” and watch your sales stats rise.

Pat Marcello is a freelance writer and editor. Join her free newsletter with one great tip each month at OVMarketing (http://ovweb.net).

Every week, I wonder what I’m going to write that you don’t already know about traffic exchanges and using them effectively. This week? Hmm… I’ve decided…

That this is the first Pat Marcello AWARDS for Excellence and Not-Much Excellence Week . I may do it again. Then, I may not, but I’ve been noticing quality AND poor performance all over the place this week as I was surfing and it occurred to me that some exchanges really need a commendation, while others need a kick in the bum.
Here goes:

• The award for smooth surfing and non-aggravation goes to (envelope, please)…

Stephen and Bobby have made surfing there fun and a total breeze. No framebreakers, no viruses, no problems. Kudos to you, guys.

• The award for the best game goes to…

If Simon knew how many times I’ve cussed him out for giving me a question I have no clue about, just when I’m at the 250 or 500 credit line, well… good job! You always make it interesting and intelligent. Bravo for intelligent fun! I now know that the flag of New Zealand has 4 stars and that Long John Silver’s parrot was named Captain Flint and a whole bunch of other stuff that I missed in school. I was probably off writing in a corner at history (and geography) time, you realize.

• The award for the best new toolbar and best clean-up of aggravating sites in rotation goes to

This was really getting on my nerves, guys. Good job cleaning things up! Thanks!

• The award for the most innovative site goes to…

Tim has made some great changes and put in an active forum, where I’ve met some pretty cool people. He just keeps trying to make things better for his members all the time (even with that carpal tunnel problem). You go, Tim!

• The award for the “What Are You Thinking” program goes to…

Paula is a great site owner and Hit Safari rocks, but didn’t she have enough trouble with the autosurf crash of 2006?

• The award for the best customer service goes to

Jon is very responsive when it comes to his members, and now Cat Heiter is managing Customer Service. Wow! She’s a gem. (And no, they didn’t pay me to write this.) But they are always happy to answer questions and fix problems, no matter what else he’s doing. Nobody does it better.

• The award for the most underrated traffic exchange goes to …

I don’t know about you, but I’ve gotten some of my best results there. Robert has a diamond and nobody seems to realize the power of the system as a whole. You can surf, build a list, publish articles, and more. Great exchange, and it should be rated in the big lists.

• The award for the site owners most full of the bull puckey goes to

I couldn’t decide whether it was Matt or Stan who promised that their “best” offer was going away more times, when it never did. Come on, guys. We ain’t that dumb.

• The award for the busiest webmasters goes to

New owners of the Doug Williams Empire and 10Khits4Unow. I can’t imagine how you’re handling all of that (I never understood how Doug could do it, either), but you are, and my hat is off to you!

And that’s it for this time, folks. Just remember, I’m out there watchin’. Bwahahaha!!! You never know what I might type. Hmm… I think you should just upgrade me in every exchange that I mentioned free. Isn’t that a great idea? Huh? I tried.