If you've ever tried to advertise on the internet you're well aware of how it can be a pain in the butt. Free-For- All links don't work, classifieds are getting less and less effective, search engine optimization is risky, buying from websites that sell traffic is a waste, and Pay Per Click campaigns are costly.

But what if I told you that there is a way that you can generate thousands upon thousands of visitors to your site for free? Well you're in luck because there is a way.

Writing quality articles can drive thousands of targeted customers to your website, all for free.

Let's start with the facts: if you want to sell anything to anybody you have to get behind their guard and connect with them on a deeper level than your competitors. Everyone, especially people online, has a set of defenses set up against anything that even resembles an offer or sales pitch.

With that being said you must establish credibility for yourself and your company as a trusted expert, and at the same time reduce any fears. This is indeed the fastest way to get behind their defense and convince them to buy from you.

So how do you gain this trust?

It's simple. Let's use a magazine as an example. Which information would you trust more - the articles or the advertisements?

Articles get an overpowering vote of confidence because the readers are thinking that nobody's trying to sell them anything. In short, you have their trust.

Writing, publishing, and promoting your business with articles is by far the most cost-effective strategy when it comes to getting people over to your site.

So now you're probably asking: How is writing an article going to get traffic to my website? Your article's content will prove you have the information and expertise readers want and the resource box is the part that generates traffic, drives customers, and builds your business. Placed at the end of your article (usually no longer than 5 lines), it gives readers more information about you and your products or services.

A compelling resource box rates just as important as the article itself because you take them from being a "reader" to a "customer." It's basically a platform that enables you to get paid for providing the quality content. Keep in mind that the quality of your resource box determines how well you'll do at getting people into your sales cycle.

An effective resource box includes 3 things:

1. A headline or opening sentence that grabs attention.

2. A body that generates interest once you've gotten their attention

3. A link to your website or email address.

There are many ways in which you can get your article published. The most popular is submission to an article announcement site. Ezine editors and website owners go to these sites to get free content for their website or publication. The next best option is to promote directly to the ezine editors to get them to run your article.

So there you have it, the secret to getting targeted traffic to your website for free. In time you will see that this information has saved you valuable time and effort when it comes to advertising your business. Thank you for your time and have fun writing.