Everyone loves a chance to win something for nothing.That's just human nature. For this very reason hosting a contest on your website can be a powerful traffic generator. If you think I'm off base on this assumption, think of all the people everyday who purchase lottery tickets in hopes of being the winner.

If you decide to host a contest you first need to comeup with prizes you can give away. If you sell a product or service, this is a no brainer. By using your own products/services the cost to you is kept to a minimum and helps to promote whatever you are selling. Also decide if you will have just one winner or will there be a 2nd and 3rd place winner as well.

Once the prizes are decided upon you need to add the information to your site so folks can enter. It's best to make entering as easy as possible, if you make people jump through too many hoops, they'll lose interest fast.

Set up a separate page devoted to the contest that explains the rules for entering, and the prizes that will be awarded. Make sure you place a link off of your main page that draws attention to the entry link. This helps to peak curiosity and most people will click just to see what it is you're giving away. As long as you're not charging an entry fee you don't have to worry about breaking any Federal or state laws.

Some Web site owners use contests as a way to gain more newsletter subscribers. For instance, to be entered in the contest they first need to subscribe to your newsletter,or recommend it to two or more of their associates.

Once your prizes are selected, and the Web page is in place, you need to launch a mini-promotional campaign to make the public aware of your contest. No one will enter if they don't know it exists. There are many directories online that are solely for listing contests and sweepstakes. Do a search on any search engine to get a large list of possibilities where you can list your contest. A few to get you started are:

http://www.contestworld.com/
http://www.prizeclub.com
http://www.cyberprizes.com
http://www.contestguide.com

To make entering your contest information easier type all of it into notepad first, then you can cut and paste the info into the various directories.

If you have networked with other ezine owners in the past, perhaps you could get them to mention your contest in their newsletters. You could offer to run an as of their choosing in your ezine in exchange for their help. Also, think about contacting Web site owners about including a sign up box for your contest on their site.

Running a contest isn't difficult or expensive, and offering them can draw a significant increase in trafficto your site. Remember contests aren't a cure all to your traffic blues, but by using them you're adding another proven tool to your marketing mix. A good marketing plan uses a variety of techniques to keep things moving.