The more the merrier. How many times have you heard that saying? I really can't blame you for thinking that if you want to make money online, you need to pump as much traffic to your website as possible. After all, it really all boils down to conversions.
A certain percentage of the people reading your content would click on your ads. A certain percentage of those people will actually go all the way through and buy something. Sounds good so far, right? Well, the problem is, online conversions and making money off the internet goes beyond conversion percentages.
Now, don't get me wrong. Conversion ratios and percentages do play a major role in affiliate marketing success, but it forms just one part of the puzzle. You have to look at the big picture.
In many cases, depending on the niche you are targeting, it makes a lot more sense to drive less traffic to your content. I know that sounds crazy. Let me explain.
Less is More: This is Not Just a Zen Buddhist Mantra
Zen Buddhists from Japan are quite popular for their mind blowing sayings. They say things that are supposed to stop you in your tracks. These sayings are supposed to stop your logical and rational thinking faculties long enough for you to experience some sort of deep and profound revelation.
"Less is more" is one of these sayings. "Hear the sound of one hand clapping" is another one of these. These are supposed to push people to stop thinking in normal ways and start perceiving using their whole mental faculty instead of just thinking habitually.
Let's face it, even the very best of us gets stuck sometimes. We tend to think in habitual terms. It's as if we develop a one-track mind when it comes to our decisions.
In fact, a lot of people actually decide impulsively based on their moods or their emotional states. Later on, when asked about their decision would they come up with something that sounds vaguely rational and logical. That's just how people are.
And there's a lot to be said about these Zen Buddhist sayings. Because if we want to really take our performance to the next level, we have to go beyond the routine. We can't just go through the motions and expect the same results. That's just not going to cut it.
"Less is more" is a very powerful strategy for affiliate marketers. Instead of beating yourself up and risk burning out trying to pump a huge chunk of traffic to your conversion tools, you'd be better off maximizing the conversion capabilities of your tools.
You would probably make more money qualifying your traffic sources so as to ensure that only people who are more likely to convert will show up on your website. You probably would have a better chance of achieving the kind of financial freedom you desire for yourself if you were more efficient in qualifying your traffic.
The Bottom Line
Instead of focusing on massive traffic volume, focus instead on qualifying your conversion tools on two levels.
First, qualify your traffic. Come up with content or buy specific traffic that is more likely to convert. This means you buy from the right sources. This means you send the right signals so people who are not interested would not click your link.
Second, you need to turbocharge the conversion power of your content, your landing pages, or your emails. By paying attention to these conversion tools, you increase the likelihood that you will work less, yet make more money. Less can definitely produce more.