In a previous article, I discussed 5 free ways to increase traffic to your online store. If you have not read it, you can see it here:

http://www.onlinestoreexchange.com/5freeways.html

If you're like most new website owners, you wonder how to bring potential customers to your site without spending lots of money on expensive advertising. In order to help you, I've compiled another list of five methods that I have used to drastically increase traffic to my own site. In addition, there are two websites listed under each tip that will help you get started implementing these suggestions.

1.Win a web award: A number of webmasters give out awards to sites that go the "extra mile" when designing their store. In addition to prestige, winning an award can generate interest and traffic from the giving site. If you have a unique looking site, then you can be assured that a web award will bring a good deal of traffic. The two sites listed here are large directories of websites that give out awards: http://www.awardsites.com and http://www.uwsag.com

2.Become part of a webring: Many webmasters join up with similar websites and create what is called a webring. By combining forces with other complementary sites, receive traffic from people who are already interested in your product or service. Each participating site is given a code that they place at the bottom of their webpage. Visitors navigate through the sites by following the buttons that are placed in the webring code. To find out more about webrings, check out the following sites: http://webring.com and http://ringsurf.com/

3.Write a press release: Writing a press release is an incredible way to boost your web traffic. Once written, press releases are sent to key contacts in the media business. By describing the unique aspect of your business, product, or service, you allow reporters or writers to give you free publicity that can bring in tons of traffic. To write a proper press release, check out this site: http://www.press-release-writing.com. In addition, the following sites have a large database of contact information for all forms of media: http://www.mediapost.com and http://www.mediauk.com.

4.Banner Exchange: A good number of websites use banner exchanges as a way to get visible exposure on other sites. By exchanging banners with other websites, people see your unique banner without much competition from other businesses. In exchange, all you have to do is post the other webmaster's banner on your own site. Many services even allow you to rotate banners on multiple sites. Check out the following sites for a good starting point: http://free-banners.com/ and http://www.bannerswap.com .

5.Directory Listing: When the Internet first gained popularity, Yahoo became famous for having a well-organized directory. Although they now charge money for inclusion into their directory, it is still possible to find plenty of other highly visited directories. By having a listing on these sites, you can generate a steady amount of highly targeted traffic. The following are two of the more popular directories that offer free listings: http://www.webworldindex.com and http://www.dmoz.org .

By following these steps, you should see a dramatic increase in your web traffic. The key is to always think about website promotion--if you spend a little time each day following one of these steps, you will be rewarded with more visitors and hopefully more customers. Good luck, and happy advertising!

P.S. Stay tuned for more free ways to increase traffic to your website!

About the author: Scott Patterson is the owner and webmaster of http://www.mizambar.com, and http://www.onlinestoreexchange.com. To sign up for our 30 day course on how to promote your site for free, send a blank email to the following address: [email protected] .