Internet visitors reach websites in three ways.
Direct navigation means visitors typed your URL, used a favorite bookmark or drop-down history or clicked an e-mail link.
Strategic links (also, “referrer”) represent click-throughs from links on other sites such as link partners, directories, banner ads or sponsored search links.
Search engine visitors come from the results page on a search site, such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, AOL, etc.
What Works Best?
Every path works well, but direct navigation works best of all. We’ve been following traffic for years and the overall trend has not fundamentally changed, although figures for individual sites may vary.
Here are four measures of Internet traffic: Our RealEstateRainmaker.com blog, our GooderGroup.com site, a top real estate website in Connecticut and past figures from WebSideStory analytics earlier this decade for perspective.
|
Referral Source |
RER.com Blog 2009 (%) |
GG.com 2009 (%) |
CT Site 2009* (%) |
USA 2004** (%) |
USA 2001** (%) |
|
Direct navigation |
48 |
73 |
45 |
67 |
60 |
|
Strategic links |
33 |
18 |
36 |
16 |
30 |
|
Search engines |
19 |
9 |
19 |
15 |
10 |
|
* Lorraine & Fred Leonard, Keller Williams Realty, Stamford, CT, www.LorraineLeonard.com ** U.S. internet use from 125,000 sites. Source: StatMarket by WebSideStory.com. |
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The Big “Aha!” Is Clear
Every Rainmaker real estate agent needs a three-part strategy in today’s environment to drive the most internet traffic to your site. The primary source is direct navigation from offline advertising and with branding, followed by as many strategic links and referrers as possible. Search marketing is generally least important. Yet search is large enough to be a primary source all by itself, especially if you concentrate on organic placement or pay-per-click advertising online.
What drives the most internet traffic to your website?
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