These days, if you want to make sure that your getting,
holding, and retaining website visitors that are hungry for
whatever it is that you might have to offer then you will
want to make sure that you keep up with the new trend of
social networking.

Having the best computer systems or the new how to book
that will revolutionize some industry or an awesome recipe
that makes spam into a tasty treat is just not enough to
entice internet shoppers to purchase your product anymore.

With all of the research tools such as the amazons, and
google search enabled, price comparing websites, shoppers
are only going to become returning loyal shoppers when they
feel that they know you and can trust you and that you
offer some distinct content that they can identify with.

Net savvy consumers are not going to trust strangers with
their money anymore regardless how good a product or
service might actually be.

Social networking sites are seeing strong growth and have
developed a unique online presence that is continually
refreshed by user generated content, and this promotes
ongoing consumer interest and visitor loyalty.

So where are the visitors that you want and need at your
web- site gathering and more importantly, returning and
staying?

According to Nielsen//NetRatings,

MySpace.com heads the list with with 38.4 million unique
visitors and a year over year growth rate of 367 percent.
Blogger takes the Next position at number 2, garnering 18.5
million unique visitors and growing 80 percent year over
year, followed by Classmates Online with 12.9 million
unique visitors and a 10 percent year-over-year increase.
Rounding out the top five social networks is the New on the
scene “YouTube” and the old guard and standby “MSN Groups”
with 12.5 million and 10.6 million unique visitors,
respectively.

Although it’s not certain yet how strong these social sites
will become given the youthful nature of most of their
clientele, it is certain that they will not be going
anywhere soon.

Those youthful members of such online communities Buy, and
when they do, they also tell their friends, “a lot of
friends” about that cool new widget that they just bought
from a great website that they found from their network.

Repeat visitors are up to 8 times more likely to make a
purchase than a new visitor according to a study by ” study
by WebSideStory”.

The normal conversion rate of between 1.5% and 3% for new
visitors has never been much to get excited about, but with
an estimated 45% of all internet users spending more and
more of their time at MySpace, MSN Groups, and elsewhere,
website trade is also growing at a tremendous pace with up
to 23% conversion rates not uncommon.

In my book, those figures are enough to convince this old
grand-paw that it’s time to pay attention to the youth of
our society and to follow their lead.

Have you hugged your teenager today?

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.