When trying to generate traffic, always remember that you want to drive targeted traffic. Targeted traffic means that the visitors who come to your site are your target audience. Here is a quick example.

If you go to an Ezine about gardening to post an ad about web hosting, you may be receiving untargeted traffic. A small percentage of the visitor may still convert to sales. But it is very difficult to convert untargeted traffic into paying customers. You are looking at a conversion rate of about 0.03%. If you are looking to make more money, you must learn how to drive targeted traffic. When done right, you will experience conversion rates of between 3% to 5%.

There are may ways to drive targeted traffic on the Internet. One of the easiest ways to do so is through forum posting. Forums are Internet communities that are made up of members who share similar interest. For example, if you are promoting an Internet application, you can getting free traffic from active webmaster forums.

Usually, traffic from forums convert unusually well. If you are patient enough, you can get conversion rates of 10% or higher. That is because most forum members are already interested in what you have to sell. All you have to do is to build a relationship with them. Here is how you get drive traffic without getting yourself banned.

First of all, don't go into a forum thinking that you can spam the forums and get away with it. Spamming just doesn't work. It's a short term traffic generation strategy. Sooner or later, your account will get banned.

Instead, try to offer something of value first. You can post a new report on the forum, or a new article. You can try to answer questions that are posted by other forum members. In other words, make yourself useful. Be a contributor instead of a spammer. If you are new to the forum, don't expect anything in return for your time. Learn to give first before taking.

On most forums, you are allowed to promote your own sites using forum signatures. Forum signatures are links that you can tag to every post that you make on the forum. This is an indirect form of advertising. When you participate in related threads, readers who are interested in what you have to offer will click through the links and visit your website.

You get higher conversion rates when others see you as an expert in your field. That is why it is important that you contribute right from the very beginning. Earn the respect of other forum members. They are more likely to buy from you if you have something useful that can help them.

Remember to use your target keyword phrases in your signature links for SEO purposes.