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PopularityOne of the questions I get asked the most is, how did you get your site popular? There are a few different aspects to this. Firstly, your site needs to be neat, tidy and accessible. It helps if you have as few ads as possible and you use websafe colours that appeal to everyone.Secondly (and most importantly), you need content which will bring the visitor back time and time again. As people love to get something for nothing, it's always good to put up 'freebies'. These can be in the form of things you've made yourself such as blank buttons, cursors or wallpapers, or freeware from the Internet e.g. fonts. Forms of visitor interaction such as games and dollmakers are particularly popular as people will usually come back for more. However, probably the most popular type of content is tutorials. These aren't just limited to graphics programs but can be about anything from computer care to bathing the cat. Be original as possible and take your time building up a good amount of content. Too little and your visitors won't return. Too much and you'll run out of inspiration and your visitors will have a hard time finding the pages they want. Dedication is another important aspect. I'm not saying you have to spend ten hours on the Internet updating your site religiously every day. I don't do that, although I respect the people who have the patience to. However, a list of updates on a fairly regular basis will keep your visitors happy and entertained. And coming back, of course. Advertising is the final component. There are several different ways to go about this. On their own, each is quite effective, but put them all together and you will get hundreds of hits, as long as your site is up to scratch. 1. Banner Advertisements. Some sites offer banner advertising for a small amount each month. If you are interested in buying it from me, please click here. 2. Word of Mouth. This takes the longest, but once you get people starting to like your site, they will tell their friends, and they'll tell their friends, etc. This is the best way of getting popularity, but is almost impossible unless your site is really addictive and exceptional. 3. Signing guestbooks and commenting. This takes dedication. Keep a list of sites you visit regularly and be sure to comment/tag/sign there. The site owner soon gets to know their regular commenters, and people who are bored may click your link anyway. It's a good way to get noticed by 'popular' site owners. 4. Two-Seconds. Two second jobs like plugging your site on plugboards or joining topsite lists can get you noticed quickly and for free. 5. Joining message boards is a great way to make friends as well as get hits. You can also ask people to give you feedback on your site, and do link exchanges. 6. Joining cliques and swapping links can get you visitors too. Then just sit back and be patient. Continue to do the steps above, and then it's just literally a matter of time before your visitors start increasing. Back | Forward Advertised |