WisTex

Ideally, you need something unique, and the widely used out of the box traffic exchange (TE) software lacks that. In fact, most were written years and years ago with few meaningful updates. And the few updates you do get are usually in the form of paid mods, which is a revenue source for the original script creator. My impression is that you need one or more of the following: Gamify your traffic exchange where it turns into a fun game. Create something unique, use popular mods, or use a third party system. Become part of a bigger network of sites where your site gets cross-promoted (or create your own network of sites). Generous Affiliate Program that encourages people to promote your offer. Figure out a way to make sure surfers are actually viewing the pages (giving a bonus to those who notice it, forcing people to verify they remember what they just viewed, robot checks, etc.) Do something unique that sets you a part, perhaps in the way the exchange works, or its design. Figure out some way to get people to form a community. Chat and user profiles are common ways to do that, but there are other ways that may actually be more effective.And either money and/or a lot of time to promote it is important too.