This has been proven over and over with websites that have failed to attract traffic. Be prepared to invest in your website it takes money to make money.

Before you panic, it doesn't necessarily cost a lot to help generate traffic to your site.

Have you ever stopped to wonder what the big sites do to get traffic? The answer is most are spending a lot of money to attract that traffic, spreading it among various advertising campaigns and gimmicks. This is worth their while, because now they have websites that get a lot of traffic and they earn a lot of money.

But, not everyone has the same resources. There are many methods to generate low cost website traffic without having to mortgage your house. A lot of people have gambled on high cost methods and lost.

Here are the top five ways to generate low cost website traffic that have been proven to work. Even if you only increase your sales by a small amount, it still works if your traffic continues to grow.

Exchange Links

This is a time-proven method to increase your traffic. It is rare to see a site where you have no links to other sites. Lots of webmasters are willing to exchange links because everyone benefits. Once you have link exchanges going on, you should notice an increase in your traffic.

Link exchanges should be with sites that are in the same niche you are. Since you have a common subject, your visitors are more likely to click through and explore the other site. This gives a continuity of service to the customers.

You'll get a boost in the search engine results for sharing links too. If you have a lot of inbound and outbound related links, it helps your rankings. Ranking high in the search engine results will help generate more traffic without costing you a bunch of money.

Traffic Exchange

Similar to exchanging links, a traffic exchange works on a higher level. It may cost a bit more, but you earn credits, so it could become cheaper. You can use your credits when viewing the traffic of others, while you earn credits with others view your site.

Traffic exchange services are the viewing of someone else's site. When you set up a traffic exchange, when someone is viewing your site, a similar site is popping up beneath yours that your visitor will see when they close your page. When they visit someone else's site, yours pops up beneath the top window. This increases the awareness of your site.

Write and Submit Articles

Many online encyclopedias and e-zines provide space for articles to be submitted on any topic. To save on costs, do the articles yourself. If you have the cash, there are many freelance writers or writing services available that can provide your articles for a fee. Which way you go depends on your budget and your writing skills.

Keep your articles to the niche of your site. Write about something you have expertise in, so when it is read, the reader can feel they can trust your knowledge and want to check out your site. Be sure to use a spell checker. Write articles that will give tips and guidelines pertaining to your niche market.

Don't forget your resource box at the end of the article. Tell them a little about yourself and your site. Don't forget the link. If they like your article, there is a good chance they will check out your site.

Make a Newsletter.

This may sound like a lot of work because of the number of articles it takes to build a newsletter, but in reality this is not true. Lots of writers and sites are willing to provide free articles for full credit. They get free advertising as well. As your newsletter grows, you can get more awareness of your site and build a list of potential customers at the same time.

Join Online Communities and Forums

This costs only in time. Share your expertise on online communities. You'll get free advertising by taking part in communities that fit your niche. Share your opinions and they will begin to see you as a reputable person they can trust. They won't hesitate to buy from you in the future because they know and trust you.