Question about attracting and keeping regular visitors.

What attracts visitors to a site when

• You're original
• The few people that DO go there love the site, can't find anything wrong with it
• You have a decent number of affilates
• And you update often enough?

I feel like people don't notice my site exists, although multiple people advertise at forum after forum after forum (continue echoing this.) Eventually, because nobody new shows up, older members leave. When they're asked why they left, they tell you "because nothing interesting happens" or "because I got bored." However, when I ask if they'd refer their friends, they either don't bother, or say they have none.

What do I do to appeal to these people?

Create something that appeals to a broad audience. I could create a totally original site about about... I don't know, cow anatomy... and while there would be a small group of people who would appreciate it, I still wouldn't get a lot of visitors/regulars, simply because it's so niche. Similarly, all the advertising in the world won't help you if it isn't done right or, perhaps more importantly, isn't put in a place where the people you're likely to attract can see it.

You'd also better be sure that you're positive that you have all four of those bullet points, too.

Gotta admit that I didn't understand this part:

When they're asked why they left, they tell you "because nothing interesting happens" or "because I got bored." However, when I ask if they'd refer their friends, they either don't bother, or say they have none.

Click to expand...

You're asking people who found the site boring to refer their friends, and you're surprised that they don't?

To keep regular visitors, you first have to hook them in and then keep them coming.

Although it's been done thousands of times, why not make a comic or something and update it every week. If it is interesting enough, people will want to come back.

Interactive content is very useful to make your webpage less static -- active forums or oekakis are a good example. That way there is always something new.

Originality is also the most difficult thing to attain, but will certainly keep visitors coming. What does your site have to offer that no other site does?

A clean, professional layout is important so as not to deter visitors.

Furthermore, it is important to concentrate on a specific area so as to have a particular target audience in mind. E.g. on my website, I center it around Pokemon graphics and drawing, and so I attract a mainly artistic community.