Judging the success of your Website by the number of hits it receives is like judging the success of a shop by how many people visit it. It isn't the visit which is important, but whether the visitor makes a purchase, and whether they come back.

Attracting people to your Website

To attract people to your Website you can add a news page, a blog, or send out regular email newsletters. If your site is regularly updated with information you are likely to retain the interest of your visitors, and hopefully relate to them on a more personal level.

A Web design company, for example, should obviously provide information for people interested in having a Website designed for them; however, many Web design companies offer advice on Web design itself - because it's something they know a lot about. While this information might attract a large number of visitors to the site, they will be competitors looking to increase their knowledge rather than potential clients.

Don't waste time helping companies competing against you, use the opportunity to sell your products or services, attracting potential customers to your site by focusing on their needs.

Having a high position in the search engines

Having a large number of sites linking to yours can increase its position in the search engines: this is the main reason why people add content that brings no direct financial benefit or which isn't directly related.

Having the top position in Google does not signify that a company's products or services are better than others with a lesser position - the opposite is quite often true. Very few people find exactly what they're looking for in the first result the search engine presents them with, and most people will visit several sites in order to compare quality and prices.

Even if your site is listed first in Google for a particular key phrase it doesn't mean that you will receive many hits. To receive a high number of visitors you have to use key words and phrases that are popular.

Being listed high in the search engines for a popular key phrase doesn't always bring in a large volume of visitors. It's really all down to the quality of service you provide. Word of mouth is the best form of advertising available: if you provide a good service then people will spread the word free of charge.