Just in case you are new to traffic exchanges, and found yourself lost in my last articles about specific use
of them, I want to talk to you about some basics that are important for you to know.
Lets discuss the basic premise of a traffic exchange and how this system works.
This is a basic explanation on what you can do in a traffic-exchange and may be skipped by people
who have been advertising using traffic exchanges for a while. However, I may put a few nuggets
of information in here that you may find useful even if you are more advanced.
What is a Traffic-Exchange?
In its simplest form a traffic-exchange is a way of driving traffic to your website in exchange for
giving traffic to another user’s website.
Traffic exchanges are membership sites, you join the site and opt-in to the sites list, so that the owner
can send you news and updates on the program. In return you can find out more information about what is
going on with the site and may even find a few good deals, offering credits, surfing contests or co-ops and more.
Websites are viewed inside what is known as a “surfbar”.
There are also other common ways that your site can get traffic from TE besides using the surfbar,
they are text links, banner ads, and sometimes email ads.
The surfbar typically is a frame around the websites that members want to advertise that are placed
in rotation. This frame generally has a timer, an area for statistics such as credits earned, websites viewed,
and links to content within the traffic exchanges, such as the main members area, Team surf, Inbox,
and purchase more credits section.
There are two types of surfbars – auto-surfing and manual-surfing.
Auto-surfing surfbars are just what they sound like, the surfbar advances automatically at the end of each timer.
I HIGHLY recommend that you do NOT use auto-surfing traffic exchanges.
The main reason is that with an auto-surfing exchange you can collect credits to your website
but there is no guarantee whatsoever that ANYONE will even see your website that you are advertising
let alone take action on it.
Your goal isn’t just to get traffic to you website, but visitors to it also.
A visitor is a living, breathing human being that can actually see your website, not some program that trades
information with another computer and says that traffic occurred to your website.
Manual surfbars, on the other hand, require that a human take action to advance the program to the next
available website to be seen after the timer has elapsed.
A typical “surf session” may go like this:
- The member logs into their account to begin surfing.
- They may check the sites they currently have in rotation to see if any hits are available that need
to be assigned to their sites. - The member launches the surfbar from the surfing link on the TE’s menu.
- The timer for the first site begins counting down from a pre-determined amount of time as the website
is viewed. - The timer reaches the end and then a selection of icons or one image needs to be clicked or hovered
upon to receive credit and advance to the next website. - A number of credits (or fraction of them) are given and the surfbar selects another website available
in rotation.
When the member is done surfing they can assign any credits they have available to their websites in the members area.
About tabbed browsing
A powerful way to get more traffic that has recently come about in the past few years with tabbed browsers
is surfing multiple exchanges at one time. Tabbed browsing allows you to surf several exchanges at one time
in multiple tabs on the same browser making this a very viable option to generate a lot of hits.
While this is a great option I would advise against surfing more than about 4 or 5 exchanges at once
for the following reasons:
- Surfing more than this with a 10 second timer the surfbar will probably be waiting on you to come back
to the exchange since the timer has already timed out. - Surfing multiple sites like this can slow your computer and processors down depending upon how graphic
intensive the sites are and your connection speed. - Remember, traffic exchanges work on a view for view basis. It is a cooperative advertising medium.
If you aren’t viewing other people’s sites what makes you think they should pay you the courtesy of viewing yours.
This is just a brief introduction about what traffic exchanges are.
Want my opinion on the best traffic exchanges?
You can find them here at these links:
TE Co-Ops + Best TE for Free Surfers
A little advice on How To Beat The Traffic
Do you Click or Hover for traffic?
EasyHits4U.com – Your Free Traffic Exchange – 1:1 Exchange Ratio, 5-Tier Referral Program.
FREE Advertising!
Tags: Advertising, Banner Ads, Co Ops, Contests, Email, Email Ads, Free Targeted Traffic, Good Deals, Hover Traffic, Inbox, Members Area, Nuggets, Premise, Simplest Form, Site Traffic, Statistics, Surfbar, Team Surf, Timer, Traffic Booster, Traffic Exchange, Traffic Exchanges, Traffic Generation, Traffic Website, Website Traffic
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