There is more to the web than SEM

[GregK]

Reading through these forums, I see a lot of topics about SEM. There is a simple truth though that new visits does not equal conversions. If you rank high on search terms and get 10,000 clicks but 99% of people leave immediately, you achieved 100 visitors. If you rank lower and get 500 views and 20% stick around, that is also 100 visitors. It is an age old adage that it costs more to get a new customer than to keep an old one. Maybe people should put less focus on getting people to their site for the first time and more focus on providing them something worthwhile so they stay.

I would love to hear about a site that focused 95% of their effort on development and retention strategy and just let the search engines do whatever. I bet in the end they are a better resource.

[Sandis]

I guess this is typical model for list marketers. Once they got you int - they market to you, and market to you and market to you. Moving from a $17 ebook, to $97 mini-course, to $499 master course, to $5000 offline-seminar and $1000/hour coaching programs

[WestEagle]

That seems less like retention and more like escalating commitment.