In order to attract traffic to your website, you have to first ask yourself, what is in it for your visitor. There must be a pull factor - a bait on your website to attract traffic to visit your website.
Generally speaking, the bait must be something that people want. It must be something that people are looking for and it must be something interesting to them.
1. Provide free subscription to your e-zine or a free ebook.
It is very common nowadays to give free e-zine and free ebook. However, some beginners make a mistake by giving a free ebook that is not related to their area of niche. For example, people who visited your dog’s training website are looking for related information on dog’s training and might not be interested in a ebook related to “How to lose weight”. Bottomline, give ebook or e-zine related to your area of niche.
Almost everyone is publishing a e-zine nowadays so it's important to give something extra with the free subscription. You could offer a free gift or advertising when people subscribe.
You could include your own a link back to your website in your ebook and allow other people to give it away. If you don't want to take the time to write one, you could ask other writers permission to use their articles.
2. Provide your visitors with free content.
Your content will be more attractive to your visitors if it's up-to-date or original. You could also offer people the option to reprint the content in their e-zine or web site.
People are surfing the internet for information and if your website contain information related to their area of interest, they are going to love your sites. So make sure that the information on your site is of relevant and good quality content.
Nowadays, blogging has become very popular as it is the best way to provide free content and keep it up to date. By writing a blog, you can build a community around your blog readers and create a trusting relationship to keep them coming back to your blog for fresh content.
3. Hold free online classes or teleseminars.
You could provide free videos training on your websites or you can hold a teleseminars or free 7 days ecourse.
The idea of "live" information will definitely entice people to visit your web site. You will become known as an expert on the topic. This is a very good way to brand your name and get lots of targeted traffic to your website.
Many expert marketers are using this method to brand themselves and sold their products through these free online classes. You can also use these free online classes as a viral tool to attract mass traffic.
4. Provide free software.
Software is a great gift as it is often perceived as higher value than ebook or newsletter.
It could be freeware, shareware, demos etc. You could even turn part of your site into a free software directory.
The free software should be related to your area of niche and is able to assist your visitors in some ways. For example, if your website is about weight loss, you can include a weight loss calculator on your website and allow your visitor free use or free download of the software.
If you know how to create software, you can include your links or banners within the software and allow other people to give it away. It is another great way to create viral marketing for your website.