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A Baker’s Dozen Quick Hits to Increase Web Traffic in 1999

By Jim Bruene on August 7, 1999 9:24 AM

Build Web traffic before your competitors implement their 2000 plan

Many of the ideas in this issue require executive approval, capital budgeting, I/S negotiations, and so on. If you are looking for ways to boost traffic in 1999, within your existing budgets, here are some low-cost ideas we’ve dubbed “50/50 projects,” ones that can be completed within 50 days for less than $50,000.

 

Project

Comments

Who Can Build It

Supports

OBR

1. Community calendar/database This can range from a simple calendar listing of major events in town to a detailed and searchable database. any Web programmer PR, Web traffic Feb. 98
2. Do a deal Find a promising Web site that appeals to your user base and develop a joint promotional campaign complete with the usual PR barrage. your partner brand various
3. Periodic emailed information alerts Create a useful email list that customers and non-customers can sign up for to receive SHORT periodic alerts. any Web developer; in-house brand; traffic building various
4. Financial datebook with bill pay reminders User enters billing due dates to trigger reminders; generates Web traffic and positions you well for bill presentment. calendar.com, when.com, etc. bill payment, traffic building July 98

 
5. Instant credit approval If your systems can’t support this short-term, consider outsourcing temporarily; you don’t want to be left behind in the critical area of selling loans online. Anytime Access, Lending Solutions, Servus Financial loans, profits Dec 97

Nov. 98

6. Local merchant directory List all local merchants, especially those sending billing statements; include customer service telephone numbers, hours, email addresses, Web links, and payment options; it’s excellent positioning for electronic bill presentment. intern or contractor;
Q-UP clients should inquire about its new ecom program
(6/99 )
bill payment, small business banking Jul 98

 
7. Personal ebankers for your best online customers Assign e-reps to your best customers; equip the reps with email, after-hours capability from home, personal Web pages, and so on. in-house retention, cross sales Sep/Oct 1999
8. Rate comparisons If you pay rates higher than national averages, let users see how much they can earn/save with your products by showing how they compare with national averages. Bank Rate Monitor; BanxQuote deposit products Jul 98

 
9. Rate updates via email Send users periodic emails informing them of latest mortgage rates. in-house mortgage sales May 98

 
10. Relocation database Build a database for newcomers to your area with school listings, rental agencies, Realtors, etc.; make sure your meta-tags are recognized in searches of “yourtown” plus “moving.” intern or contractor new business development March 98

 
11. Scan-and-pay bill presentment Users change billing addresses to yourbank (or vendor); you scan them into a Web site and pay the bills according to standing user instructions. Cyberbills, PayTrust, PayMyBills.com checking accounts; new households June 99

 
12. Time and weather Easy to build, useful, and cheap. (Need we say more?) weather.com
intellicast.com
traffic building Feb 98,
13. Usage-based sweepstakes Enter users into a sweeps each time they conduct specific transactions: pay a bill, check rates, transfer funds, refer a friend, and so on. in-house; sweepstakes vendors any target product various
Source: Online Banking Report, 8/98

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