Title: Five Inexpensive Ways to Generate Targeted Website Traffic Word Count: 855 Summary: When most people think of targeted website traffic, what comes to mind is usually paying for banners and text links. Let's look at some ways to drive free or inexpensive targeted website traffic. Keywords: website traffic, webmasters, marketing, web hosting Article Body: When most people think of traffic, what comes to mind is usually paying for banners and text links. Let's look at some ways to drive free or inexpensive targeted website traffic. There is one essential ingredient for generating income for any website: A steady flow of targeted website traffic. If no one goes to your site, it won't stand a chance of generating an income. It usually takes some money to maintain an income generating site; and the old saying is also true - takes money to make money. Have you wondered how the huge portals drive traffic to their site? Most of them are spending tons of money to drive the traffic to their sites, investing in many advertising campaigns and different forms of marketing schemes and strategies. BUT, it doesn’t need to take a whole lot of cash to generate website traffic for your site. Fortunately there are many ways to generate low cost website traffic without having to spend what you don’t have or can’t afford. Here you'll find five killer ways to generate low cost but targeted website traffic. 1. Exchange Links Many webmasters are willing to exchange links with one another so that they could produce more exposure for their sites. You’ll soon see and feel the sudden upsurge of the traffic coming in to your site from other sites. A major prerequisite in exchanging links with other sites is having the same niche or content as the other site. They should share a common subject so that there is continuity in the providing of service and information to what interests your target traffic. Exchanging links can also boost your chancs of getting a high ranking in some search engine results. It is common knowledge that some search engines ranks high sites that have inbound and outbound theme-related links. With a good ranking position in the search engines, you will generate more traffic in your website without the high costs. 2. Participate in Traffic Exchanges This is like exchanging links but on a different higher level. This may cost a bit more than exchanging or trading links but could be made cheaper because you get to earn credits. You can use those credits when viewing others traffic, while you earn credits when someone views yours. Traffic exchange services are the viewing of another’s site or page. This is done vice versa where a site can use your sites contents and so can you to his or her site. You both benefit from each others efforts to generate traffic. The other sites visitors can go to your pages and know more about your site as well as theirs. Once again the public awareness of your sites existence is boosted. 3. Write and Submit Informative Articles There are many e-zines and online encyclopedias in the internet which provides free space for articles to be submitted. If you want to save costs, you can do the articles yourself. There are many freelance writers who are willing to write for you for a small fee, but to save money, it is wise to do those articles yourself. Write articles that are themed along with the niche of your site. Write something that you have expertise on so that when they read it, they can feel your knowledge about the subject and will be eager to go to your site. Write articles that produce tips and guidelines to the subject or niche your site has. Include a resource box at the end of your article that can link them to your site. Write a little about yourself and your site. If you provide a light, information-laden and interesting article, they will go to your site for more. 4. Start Your Own Newsletter. This may sound like hard work because of all the articles you may need to use to build a newsletter but on the contrary, this is not so. There are many writers and sites that are willing to provide free articles as long as they can get their name in on your newsletter. This will also provide free advertising for them as well. As your newsletter grows in popularity, you can profit again and again form repeat loyal visitors. 5. Join Online Communities and Forums This only requires your time and nothing else. You can share your knowledge and expertise with many online communities as well as your website. You can get free advertising when you go to forums that have the same subject or niche with your site. Share your opinions and let them see how knowledgeable you are with the subject. As you build your reputation, you also build the reputation of your site, making it a reputable and honest business that could be frequented and trusted by many people. As you can see targeted website traffic does not need to expensive to be effective. Using the above methods steadily and consistently will have a great effect on your sites profits over time. Now you can understand why there's a growing interest in traffic. When people start looking for more information about traffic, you'll be in a position to meet their needs.