The number one problem that new Internet marketers and business owners face is getting traffic (visitors) to their websites. Owning and running a business means that you have to let your potential customers know you are there! Traditional options are familiar to all of us – radio, TV, circulars, coupons, yellow page ads—but what are the new tools to focus customers on your website?
For many new marketers Traffic exchanges can offer a great way to start getting visitors quickly, and could also provide a fast way to test different marketing campaigns.
So, what is a Traffic Exchange?
A traffic exchange is any system that allows users to exchange advertisements with each other. In its broadest sense, a traffic exchange could include anything from a banner exchange, to a system where members exchange full page views with each other.
The focus of this post is manual traffic exchanges (TEs), or surf exchanges. These services are like advertising clubs where members view each other's sites to earn points (advertising credits) to have their site shown to other members of the club.
For the most part, the members of an exchange share a similar interest. Of course they are interested in free or low cost traffic, but they must also be interested in the subject matter of the other sites being shown.
Many of the larger traffic exchange services have a membership that is predominantly interested in marketing (network marketing, multi-level marketing or general Internet marketing). These exchanges may also attract members that are interested in other subjects as well, like trading collectibles, blogging, etc.
How Does a Traffic Exchange Work?
After joining the club (exchange) a member begins viewing other members' websites (ads) in a framed site. The member waits a certain period of time and is then able to click on a link or button to load and view the next page. For each site that is viewed, the member receives points (or credits). Typically one half of a point is given for each site viewed. After accumulating some credits (points), the member then spends the credits to have his or her site shown in the exchange to other members. In this way page views are exchanged.
Most traffic exchanges are free to join, although some require a small payment, adding to their exclusivity. The owner of the exchange sells additional credits or upgraded memberships, to pay for running the service.
Most traffic exchanges have an affiliate system in place that allows a member to earn additional credits for referring new members to the club. Many times these referral systems are multi-level, meaning that you not only earn credits on the new members you recruit, but additional credits on the members that your referrals recruit. This makes these exchanges a form of multi-level advertising.
In addition to exchanging web page traffic, many exchanges offer additional services including banner advertising, text ads, email advertising, classified ads, directories, and more. However, most exchanges do not offer ALL of those features.
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