When it comes to online marketing, make sure that you learn how to drive targeted traffic. What exactly is targeted traffic then?

Targeted traffic refers to web visitors who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer on your website. The higher the level of interest, the more targeted the visitor is. You want targeted traffic because it's easier to convert such visitors into paying customers.

You never want untargeted traffic on your website because it's very hard to get them to buy something from you. Sure, you may be able to get a conversion rate like 0.1% from untargeted traffic. But your time and resources can be better utilized by focusing more on the highly interested visitors.

Now the question is, where do you find targeted visitors?

There are many ways for you to find well qualified prospects. One effective method is to depend on forum traffic. Here is why forum traffic converts so well.

Usually, a forum is a community that is built around a specific interest group. For example, the community may be about mountain biking, gardening or radio control cars. When you visit a forum, you immediately know something about the visitors on that forum.

Realizing that forum traffic can be very valuable, some marketers attempt to spam these forums with links. They start promoting their own sites without participating in the discussions. This is a big mistake. So don't ever do that! Your account may get banned or deleted. Here are some tips on how to drive forum traffic.

Tip 1: Start by being an active member.

In other words, always participate in the discussions. Don't just go there and promote your links. When posting, always try to stay on-topic. Going off-topic is known as thread hijacking. Some forums may penalize you for doing that.

Tip 2: Be polite to everyone.

When you are a new member, you don't want to step on anyone's toes. If you offend a moderator, you risk losing your account. Don't talk down at people, and don't post lies. If you have nothing of value to offer, just don't post anything. It takes time for the community to know you. So be patient.

Tip 3: Offer something of value.

You may even start your own thread and offer something of value. For instance, you can create a new thread, offering to answer any questions about a particular subject. Other members will appreciate your effort because you are helping them out by answering their questions. They also start to see you as an expert, which makes it easier for you to convince them to buy something from them later on. Don't ask for the sale yet. Just offer your expertise.

Tip 4: Leave signature links.

The way to sell on a forum without risking your account is to be subtle. Whenever you participate in discussions that talk about problems, you can offer ready solutions. There is no need to post your own links directly. Just leave them in your signature links. Most forums allow you to create up to 4 links. If the readers are interested in what you have to sell, they will click through the links and visit your site.