How to Turn Free Traffic into Internet Income

This is a guest post from Steve Scott. Before I let him take control, allow me to introduce him to you, if you do not already know.

Steve is the real deal, a blogger making a fulltime income online and sharing what he knows and what he learns with his readers. He knows what he is talking about and he is a bloody nice guy too. If you are not already a regular reader of his blog then I suggest you read this post and then hustle on over and subscribe. Anyway, back to you Steve, I mean Scott, no – I mean…!?!?!

Free traffic is the holy grail of all websites.  It’s great to get hundreds (even thousands) of daily visitors without paying a cent.

Unfortunately I’ve seen some Internet entrepreneurs waste this valuable resource.  They have the attitude that since it’s free; it doesn’t have value.

It’s been my experience that free traffic is an asset.  Done correctly, you can build a profitable niche site by leveraging this resource.  The trick is to have a system; one that turns freebie seekers into paying customers.

Today I’d like to talk about how to turn this traffic into Internet income.

To start, I recommend reading Alex’s post on 3 Ways to Make Money Quickly with Niche Websites.  I follow the third strategy with my niche websites – Find an embarrassing problem where people use the Internet to find a solution.  I’ve done this with a single niche which produces a full-time income.

My advice is to find a market with different problems. Then build an entire business around helping folks overcome these obstacles.  Some solutions will be free content you create.  Others will be premium products you promote.  Ultimately this is THE way to turn free traffic into income.

So let’s review the three steps to do this:

#1 – How to Find a Platform and Build an Audience

Free traffic can come from a variety of sources.  I use two techniques:

1)      Target high-volume keywords by creating content that ranks high in Google

2) Use a platform to find and engage an audience

You need a platform to build a successful niche site.  What’s a platform?  It’s your personal soapbox where you communicate with an audience.  It’s this content that builds interest for the free report you’ll offer in step #2.

An example of a platform is this blog.  Alex uses this site to help folks build profitable niche sites.  It’s the way he communicates with the world.

But a platform doesn’t have to be a blog.  In fact, there are additional ways to engage an audience.  Some of the more popular platforms are podcasting, video marketing, article marketing; and social media.  All of these have been used to build a solid niche business.

Another thing about platforms is they change over time.  At first you could be a blogger.  Then you might focus on video because it gets better results.  Be prepared to change (or add) platforms when find something that really works.

Example: I’ve changed platforms three times for my niche site:

In 2006, I leveraged the Bum Marketing method to rank well for competitive keywords.

From 2007 to 2008, I created videos that also rank well in Google.

In 2011, I use a combination of search engine optimization and backlinking to build a successful niche blog.

#2 – How to Turn Free Traffic into Subscribers

Where do you send free traffic?  This is something people have debated for more than a decade.  My opinion is to direct this traffic to an opt-in form.

I use what’s called a lead magnet.  This is a free offer that provides value to a prospect.  To get it, a prospect has to enter their email address.

Why do you offer a free report?  Because this is THE best way to build a list.  With email marketing you can communicate with a target audience and promote products that put money in your pocket.

Example: Take a look at Alex’s Build Rank Profit system.  {BTW, excellent title Alex!}

On this page, you’ll see an example of his lead magnet.  Alex builds trust by introducing the product and offering additional information.  This is an excellent way to “sell” the value of a free product.

Anyone can build a site like this.  All you need is a Word Press blog and a theme like Thesis (in this example)  With a few tweaks, you can create a blog that becomes a subscriber magnet.

Alex’s Edit: I am now a huge fan of the Profits Theme for anyone looking to build niche sites and as such I highly recommend you check it out.

#3 – How to Turn Subscribers into Paying Customers

How do you make money from subscribers?  It’s simple.  Present them with a mix of quality content and offers that produce income.

This doesn’t mean you beat subscribers over the head with product pitches.  Instead, you’ll start by talking about their problems.  Then you recommend a few free techniques/tools.  And finally you’ll recommend a premium product as an advanced solution.

It’s really that simple.  Talk to an audience and build trust.  Then present an offer that helps people overcome their problems.

Without a doubt, email marketing is THE way to make money online.

Example: For over a month, one of my Clickbank accounts hasn’t generated much income.  So what did I do?  I reviewed a product in my niche (this took about an hour.)  Then I whipped up a few emails (this took another hour) and sent them to my list.

The result?  In the last few days, I’ve generated over a $1000 in income.  This isn’t a whole lot of money.  But it’s not a bad payout for two hours of work.  And this is especially true since my list was generated using 100% free traffic.

How YOU Can Make Money with Free Traffic

I believe in simplicity.  You don’t need a complicated process to make money online.  All you have to do is follow these three-steps:

1)      Generate free traffic

2)      Turn traffic into subscribers

3)      Offer income-producing solutions to subscribers

My advice is to take action on this post.

Get started by building a site that targets a specific niche.  Make sure it has a few problems. Then communicate with an audience by providing great content and helpful premium solutions.

It’s not that hard to generate income from free traffic.  All you need is a simple system; which you’ve just learned.   Now it’s up to you to take action!