I just wanted to make a quick strategy update:
Design changes to the main content area and sidebar
- Adding Top Commentators to the sidebar
This is still to do. Will probably get done this week.
Adding MyBlogLog to the sidebar Done
- Adding a rating system for posts
The rating system code I’m using doesn’t seem to work with this version of WordPress. So, now there is another thing on the list.
Adding a view count for posts Done
Removing nofollow from comments Done!
So now you can comment and have a full link to your site!! I know this site has no page rank right now but you never know how high it will get.
Condensing the sidebar to be 300px wide, and rearranging items Done
Dropping categories for a tag system (I think this will be the final decision 
) Done, but I decided to leave the categories in the sidebar - I like how it displays how many posts there are.
- And adding a top secret thing I can’t talk about to the sidebar that will drive massive traffic to the site
- Update WordPress
New traffic builders:
- A development in my overall strategy for new traffic has been to develop more snippets for the MODx CMS. While this is something that I really like to do, it does impact my strategy because at the moment, the modxcms.com is the top referrer of traffic to this site.
- Someone has been submitting my posts to Digg, Del.ic.ious, and StumbleUpon, and that has helped with traffic.
- Posting and commenting on blogs and forums has helped my traffic grow. I use a footer that links back to this blog in all my forum posts.
New Ads
- After being rejected for Text Link Ads, I decided to sign up for Kontera through John Chow, and I got in! Thanks to John for making this deal so that growing blogs can get the same benefits as popular ones
What does this mean for you? 5 things you can do to increase traffic.
All of these things are my own strategies. You should be seeking out strategies that work with your site/blog. Hear are some tips:
- Keep your blogging/cms software updated. This will help to keep your blog as secure as it can be from hackers. It also keeps you up to date with new features.
- Monetize in more than one way. This is the advice I read over and over again on blogs that make big $$
- Create something others want, and give it away for free. This is a cornerstone of high traffic. The better quality the free stuff the more traffic it will generate. The idea here is to gain ad revenue from increased traffic.
- Use community building plugins and sites. Using sites like Digg, StumbleUpon, MyBlogLog, etc, and doing things like removing nofollow on links, are things that help build community.
- Be Unique. This has got to be the hardest of them all and relates to the overall strategy of your site. Simply put - if want a chance at getting a lot of traffic you need to separate yourself from the pack. Be a leader, be opinionated, be first, be unique.
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