What makes you visit a site and when?

SwK

I am new at having a web-site which is non commercial and looking to understand viewing patterns, can members update me to their Forum or Site visiting habits?

Are there times of the year when your hobby “coin collecting” are not or less interesting for u to follow?
Just prior to holidays, which holidays?
2-3 weeks prior to a holiday, which holidays
During a holiday for how long and usually when
Family commitments
Coin Fairs
Would u down load on Blackberry even on holiday

In fact anything that can give me a clue to the modern habits of a coin collector

I am watching the statistics of visitors and trying to build a correlation to the yearly habits of a collector during a year.

Thanks

SwK

TokenTinker

As a graphic production artist, numismatic photographer and novice collector I'm very interested in the images displayed on a site, then the information connected to the subject of interest and then the price range of that and related pieces. If I want information I reference trusted sites or do a google Advanced Search with specific search phrases and terms. If I want to locate an example of a coin or conder that I can examine then I do a Google Advanced Image Search and specify resolution depending on the type of detail I'm looking for. It's important that the image's associated text be as descriptive as possible about the piece and that the ALT TEXT referenced by search Engines identify the subject as specifically as possible. The image should be in excess of 800 pixels wide if the obverse and reverse are shown side by side and in excess of 600 pixels wide if shown individually or in a top-down arrangement. If you can code your thumbnails to be generated directly from the larger image rather than as stand-alones then the larger image's dimensions will more readily be referenced than the thumbnail's. If you need to display a smaller than 800 or 600 pixel wide image then that too can be coded to be generated as a representation of the larger image stored on your server. The title and ALT TEXT of the larger image should also be tied to any smaller or partial rendering. For coins be sure to include the legend on the coin and the KM number and/or information that distinguishes the specific strike in the title or description and, importantly, in the ALT TEXT.

• Note: Most people don't search this way but by connecting all the information back to the most specific page and image you'll tag your entry as highly relevant by google to other search methods that access the same information (it all counts). The ALT IMAGE assignments are important for tagging the image with the preferred text for Google and other search engines and the existence of the ALT TEXT for the image will generate an additional field of relevance that does carry over to how and where your site's pages appear in search results.

If it all works out then when I enter say - 1799 "GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA REX" BRITANNIA Halfpenny "9 gunports" - I'll find exactly what I'm looking for with the associated image up front. It's totally fine if the image Google shows isn't immediately shown on the page itself once I go to the site so long as the page is organized in a way that I can quickly find the link to the coin and image I want. A database-like appearance doesn't dissuade me at all but rather tells me that there's a whole lot more there to explore. If you have an "Ask a question" field on every page (a good idea is to have the page title or url automatically attached your side so you have the ability to reference what was being viewed by the visitor) and if you respond to submitted questions quickly and with accurate information then I'm more likely to feel a greater commitment to your site. At the very least I'll bookmark it and return there again.

Big turn-off: I leave a site immediately when the search result turns up adds or totally unrelated bric-a-brac. If the first thing I see is "We'll buy your gold and silver" then I'm out of there. If I see a string of mish-mashed terms related and unrelated all caravaned up like a some phished bit of doggerel then I'm pretty likely to not go that way again.

Hope that helps - lengthy as it is. Best of luck

- Clark aka TokenTinker

SwK

Thanks Tokon Tinker for your reply

Why nobody else responded, PLEASE more information please, I thank u in anticipation and even say loudley that I
appreciate this forum comments and consider them of the highest regard. The knowledge that you all have when
you wish to put it to print is great.

SwK
www.petitioncrown.com

covers

SwK - I think all site traffic is driven by content. The more content, and the fresher the content, the more traffic (both repeat and new). Also, content that is not found elsewhere will give you higher rankings in google search results. You might try buying keywords, etc. but costly for a non-commercial site.

I have not found that approach necessary. My site get 23,000 hits a day at last check. I added a chatboard to the site which accounts for maybe 95% of the traffic and provides much needed fresh content. It also boosts the google rankings with the hits.

SwK

Thanks "covers" - looked at the site and I can see your ideas. Thanks for the assistance your site very prossesional

SwK
www.petitioncrown.com