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This post was inspired by the traffic on my blog which disappeared. Clues come from songs that will make you conscious (the Grail) about what people need.
It’s been one year since I started that blog. The first 3 months I saw my traffic rise and the interest in that blog grow. The 4th month the traffic decreased but people coming to the blog were still reading the words I wrote. Suddenly, for 4 months, there was a blackout.
In June, I decided to continue and write posts. Some traffic came back with posts about love, justice, and the environment but it seems my readers are not loyal. I don’t know why though; maybe they are just confused about what I’m writing.
Blogging is a conversation or so they say and we need to have ideas about what we will talk about. Now I’ve got ideas about why the traffic on my blog is hesitant and sometimes doesn’t show up.
Your website is not about you or readers but about you and them. Let’s talk about the first reason why traffic can disappear.
1. Take It Easy, The Place Is Hot.
The first reason that comes to mind is that your readers have to face a difficulty. Maybe they’re changing jobs or partners; maybe they have to face a mishap or a failure.
Everybody wants to build a readership with interesting people commenting and buying stuff. The truth is that even music is about problem solving so if you don’t help people in some kind of way, nobody will come to your website.
Most of us struggle to make a living and 80% of the population under 30 lives with 2000€ a month. Most of us are married with children or are in a serious relationship: you can also be jealous of your partner.
The first reason why no traffic comes to your website is because everybody is having a hard time. And you’d better take it easy and relax a bit. Sometimes you feel you don’t have a partner and your only friend is the city. When the traffic comes back, it will be much stronger than before.
Your readers are having a hard time at the moment and need relaxation. Let’s see the 2nd reason that your website traffic could become ridiculously low.
2. Not The Only Souls Accused Of Hit ‘n’ Run.
The second reason that your website traffic is low might be linked that you’re having fun but your readers do not. So you accuse them of hit ‘n’ run. If the police doesn’t take that incident seriously, nothing will happen.
You have to have empathy for your readers or clients. You’re telling them to give you some money but are you giving them some money? Again here money could represent a lot of things like prestige, pride or desire. If you have a members-only area on your website, this is the place to show it means something to participate in that blogging adventure.
Most souls accused of hit ‘n’ run feel guilty; that’s why they won’t say or do a thing. It’s like someone making fun of you because you don’t know to iron a shirt or you play computer games. Don’t make your readers or clients guilty! Make them feel like you’re in a balanced relationship and it’s a win-win situation.
Your readers should feel lucky or proud to know you or be in business with you. Let’s examine the 3rd reason why traffic can drop.
3. You Act Cold, Like You Don’t Care.
The third reason why people go away is the following: clients or readers have to have a genuine interest in what you offer and you have to have conviction about what you do. If you do business as if you were a caricature and a bad imitation of capitalism’s dark side, you will never succeed.
When I started to focus on music and wanted to know a lot more about that subject, I downloaded MP3s. Just before I bought a lot of CDs. I was downloading MP3s and thought this is not good for artists even though it makes my musical culture vast. And then I made sure to buy songs on iTunes or subscribe to Spotify.
Music can solve a lot of problems: with a variety of climate, jazz, blues, soul, funk, rock and electronic music can lift you up in 5 minutes. It’s true it takes a little effort sometimes to appreciate the music.
You may say you lost faith in science and progress and your job. Let’s envision another angle that could turn people off.
4. People Feel Dizzy Whispering In Their Ears.
The fourth reason why people, readers or clients left your business or blog is that it doesn’t integrate harmoniously with their lives. People have a life, a job, a partner and maybe even kids. What you propose has to be like an icing on a cake (or maybe a serene translucent lake).
What you propose should make people feel relaxed or in control. Everybody hates trouble and pressure because in the long run it’s not sustainable. Someone used to sing: “this is how I feel when I’m reverse skydiving”. This means you don’t have to fret about a particular matter.
It can be dangerous to lose your balance. That’s because sounds and music are important for survival. Maybe you’re putting your clients and readers in a place called vertigo: it’s everything they wish they didn’t know like that one time where you almost quit when you needed to be present.
What you propose has to be harmonious with the lives of other. Let’s make a quick recap of the four reasons why your traffic disappeared and talk about the bottom line.
5. You Don’t Fool Your Visitors.
Lately I was talking with a bartender and she said there was no consequences when reading the blog. What could be the consequences exactly? I know a song from Gregory Porter called “Consequences Of Love” and I also know a website called “Consequence Of Sound”.
The consequence when people visit your website should be simple: money transfers. This could be made a little poetic even though we all agree numbers don’t lie. I setup goals in my Google Analytics, and, theoretically, my blog made 38,000 euros in one year. Of course, this is an approximation. The truth is there is almost zero at the bank.
Remember that, at the time of paying something or giving money, people start to shake. If someone is on the verge of transferring money, they will welcome any interruption as a saviour (like a neighbour needing salt or pepper or your favourite TV program that just started).
Don’t kid yourself: decent web traffic might be too good to last. But what’s the real reason people don’t come to a website or blog anymore?
6. They Didn’t Find A Better Life
This reason was inspired by a song by Bon Jovi. I’m not ashamed to cite my sources. They heard about your ability to transform water into wine. And they came on your blog to find a better life.
If your web traffic is gone, this means they don’t feel alive anymore reading your words of love. People need to have a better life with what you do. It’s about problem solving but maybe the problem is ill defined.
For example, you could ask the following: “how can I stay sober on my way back home?” Or maybe another tricky situation like this: “is it true I only got myself to blame?” The truth is one should understand what’s going on around you: jobs are gone, money is gone and oil is gone. And some people won’t hang around your website anymore.
People need to feel alive while visiting your website. That’s why there is a method that one should remember to succeed.
One Blogging Method With Success Guaranteed.
As a conclusion, remember this advice I got by reading about blogging: most people quit when the times are tough which is why they never experience the high. And let’s quickly recap the reasons why your traffic is gone:
- everybody is having a hard time,
- feelings of guilt and shame,
- a lack of conviction,
- people lose their balance,
- it’s too good to last.
Not quitting doesn’t mean not adapting. If your competition is doing something that works, you should study and understand what’s going on. For example, most of the blogs that have a lot of success today started like 10 years ago. For a small business, if you don’t have good results after 2 years, then it’s time to reassess the situation.
Maybe some people want to give you money but there’s something in the payment process that’s not natural or weird. I know some people wanted to donate to that blog when I wrote a post about apathy. I even wanted to donate 25$ to an artist once but didn’t follow through because I forgot my PayPal password.
Here you have it: reasons why your web traffic is gone. You could also try that mantra that works fine: “I’m a talented blogger and it’s natural that I have success”. You can try the opposite: “I’m a failure at writing and it’s natural that nobody buys from me”.
The light at the end of the tunnel? Maybe you. I’m not talking about marketing funnels that make you lose people on the way to stardom and big numbers!
[Verse 1]
Flying, climbing
This is what I feel when I'm reverse skydiving
Neptune, shining
Frying all the elements as they're combining
Rewind, timing
This be the contract for sky I'll be signing
No concern for wining or dining
Wind so blue that it might be blinding
All that I know is I won't be minding
[Chorus]
You don't have to jump to fly with me
You don't have to jump to fly with me
You don't have to jump to fly with me
You don't have to jump to fly with me
[Verse 2]
Flying, climbing
Giving me a smile, that's the inverse of crying
Upwards, mining
My dress seems like a ruby and the stars be aligning
Sky that's shining
Angles that I'm turning on continue refining
No concern for eyes that are prying
Spell my name with lightning and keep rewinding
All that I know is I won't be minding
[Chorus]
You don't have to jump to fly with me
You don't have to jump to fly with me
You don't have to jump to fly with me
You don't have to jump to fly with me
[Verse 3]
Flying, climbing
This is what I feel when I'm reverse skydiving
Neptune, shining
Frying all the elements as they're combining
Rewind, timing
This be the contract for sky I'll be signing
No concern for wining or dining
Wind so blue that it might be blinding
All that I know is I won't be minding
This is what I feel when I'm reverse skydiving
[Chorus]
You don't have to jump to fly with me
You don't have to jump to fly with me
You don't have to jump to fly with me
You don't have to jump to fly with me
