Get More Visitors to Your Blog Or Website

You've picked the domain, decided on the design and started posting great content that showcases your expertise. The hard work is over, right?

Not exactly-after all, you need people to actually read that useful content that you're diligently cranking out. So how do you get those eyeballs to your site? There are literally hundreds of ways to drive traffic to your blog or website, but here I will highlight just a few of the ways to drive traffic and generate interest in what it is you have to offer.

Write articles: Most of the article directories online are free to submit your articles to. They usually allow you to add a resource box at the end, which can include a blurb about you and your business and a link back to your site. Some of the directories I like to use include EZine Articles, Go Articles, Idea Marketers and Articles Base.

Comment on other blogs: When you comment on other high-traffic blogs in your niche you not only get a link back to your own site, you're also boosting your site's visibility in front of the blog owner and the others leaving comments.

Social media: Provide links to your latest posts on sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and invite your friends and followers to leave their thoughts on the particular topic in the comments. You don't want to do this for every post as it might be viewed as spamming--but it's perfectly acceptable to occasionally encourage others to click through and read a post you feel particularly proud of. Also, be sure to include your site's URL in all of your profiles.

Hold a contest: A great way to generate interest in your site is to hold a contest where the entries are comments left on your post. For example, you could give away someone else's product in exchange for writing a post about it and then publicize the contest through your social networks.

Email signature: Most of us send numerous emails in any given day-capitalize on this by adding a link to your site in your signature line.

Basic SEO: You don't need to be super-knowledgeable about search engine optimization to benefit from it. If you use the Wordpress blog platform, install the All in One SEO Pack plugin. This post gives some simple and easy to understand tips on SEO in general.

Post in forums: Many online forums and message boards will allow you to use a short signature line at the end of your posts. You can include a link to your site here.

Blog directories: A simple Google search will reveal that there are many blog directories online where you can list your site for free. These sites are important because they provide a way to get links to your site--which boosts your ranking in the search engines.

Guest post: Reach out to fellow bloggers in your niche and offer to guest post for them. Make sure you find out specifically what kind of topics they are looking for and that your audiences both compliment each other. Offer them a spot guest posting on your blog as well.

Link to other blogs: It's a good idea to give "link love" to other bloggers by mentioning them in post once in awhile and providing a link to their site. Think of it as good blogging "karma."

Post valuable content regularly: I've saved what is probably the most important strategy for last. Many times, this is what makes the difference between blogs that succeed and those that fail. The above tips are effective for sure, but in the long run this is what will keep people coming back for more as well as draw new readers in.