| How to Promote your Website... Smartly |
One of the smartest traffic attracting moves starts with the site itself, it has to do with the registration of your site with the main Web search engines and the design of your web pages for optimal indexing.
Start with the site design. Make sure that you write a descriptive page title for each page of 5 to 8 words. Remove as many "filler" words from the title, such as "the," "and," etc. This page title appears on the Web search engines when your page is found. Entice surfers to click on the title by making it a bit provocative. The more people see in the blue highlighted portion of the search engine that interests them, the more likely they are to click on the site. Then list Keywords. Brainstorm a list of 50 to 100 keywords or key phrases -- the kind of words or phrases someone might search on to find a business or site like yours. Then refine the list to the most important 20 or so. Place those words at the top of the Web page, between the <HEADER></HEADER> tags. Consider using both lowercase and capitalized forms of your very most important words, since some search engines are capitalization-specific. Make sure that you don't repeat any word more than three times so you're not penalized for "keyword spamming.". Also ask Visitors to Bookmark Your Site. It seems so simple, but make sure you ask visitors to bookmark your site.
Then comes the all important task of submitting the pages to the search engine. Submit your page to the important Web search engines and directories. The most important search engines that robotically "spider" or index your site are: AltaVista, Excite, HotBot, Lycos, Infoseek, WebCrawler, and Northern Light. Yahoo is the most important listing of all -- though it's technically a directory, rather than a search engine. Don’t give in to the temptation of submitting to 300 different search engines. These don't help much, except to increase the perceived "popularity" of your site by some of the major search engines. The most important 25 directories are probably enough, unless you find some specific to your industry.
The links are the next most important step in this exercise. You probably belong to various trade associations that feature member sites. Ask for a link. Even if you have to pay something for a link, it may bring you the kind of targeted traffic you crave. Find complementary websites and request a reciprocal link to your site (especially to your free service, if you offer one). Develop an out-of-the way page where you put links to other sites -- so you don't send people out the back door as fast as you bring them in the front door. Request Links from Business Link Sites. Especially if you offer a free service, you can request links from many of the small business linking pages on the Web. When you have something free to offer, many doors open to you. Surf the Net looking for places that might link to your site. Then e-mail the site owner or webmaster with your site name, URL, and a brief 200-word description of what you offer there.
The peripherals are very eye catching and are constant reminders. Include URL on Stationery, Cards, and Literature. Every company has business cards and official letterhead; most have invoices, envelopes and brochures; some have all sorts of pre-printed promotional material for salespeople to hand out. Everything should have your URL. Every letter, every information packet, every postcard and business card should have your website address. If you have pre-printed pens, mugs, caps or tote bags it should be on those items as well. If you have space, tell the recipient of your promotional material a benefit of visiting your website. If you have room on the back of your business card, put it there.
Don’t give up using traditional media. In case you find print media effective be sure to include your URL in any display or classified ads you purchase in trade journals, newspapers, etc. View your website as an information adjunct to the ad. Catch readers' attention with the ad, and then refer them to a Web page where they can obtain more information or perhaps place an order. Sometimes these ads are more targeted, more effective, and less expensive than online advertising. Consider other traditional media to drive people to your site, such as direct mail, classifieds, post cards, etc. Purchase Banner Ads on Appropriate Sites. You may need to spend money to boost traffic by purchasing banner advertising. Choose sites that seem to attract the kinds of people who would be good prospects for your business or product. Buy a Text Ad in an E-Mail Newsletter. Businesses are finding that some of the best advertising buys are for small 4 to 12 line ads in established e-mail newsletters. Ads can both inform and motivate readers to click on the URL, and tend to bring much more targeted visitors. Use viral marketing techniques like the communication networks (and preferably the resources) of your site visitors or customers to spread the word about your site exponentially. Word-of-mouth, PR, and network marketing are offline models. The classic example is the free e-mail service hotmail.com that includes a tagline about their service at the end of every message sent out, so friends tell friends, who tell friends.. Another example is the Recommend-It.com service to tell friends. Why don't you recommend this site right now to see how it works, and enter to win a prize.
The freebies - Develop a Free Service. It's one thing to say, "Come to our site and learn about our business." It's quite another to say "Use the free kitchen remodeling calculator available exclusively on our site." Make no mistake, it's expensive in time and energy to develop free resources, but it is very rewarding in increased traffic to your site. Make sure that your free service is closely related to what you are selling so the visitors you attract will be good prospects for your business. Give visitors multiple opportunities and links to cross over to the sales part of your site
Install a "Signature" in your E-Mail Program. Most e-mail programs such as Eudora, Netscape, or Outlook allow you to designate a "signature" to appear at the end of each message you send. Limit it to 6 to 8 lines: Company name, address, phone number, URL, e-mail address, and a one-phrase description of your unique business offerings.
Announce a Contest. People like getting something free. If you publicize a contest or drawing available on your site, you'll generate more traffic than normal.
Reach out and stay in touch - Capture Visitor E-mail Addresses and Request Permission to Send Updates. On your website's response form, include a checkbox where the visitor can give you permission to e-mail updates about products or services. Now your e-mails to visitors are not "spam." Publish an E-Mail Newsletter. While it's a big commitment in time, publishing a weekly, monthly, or quarterly newsletter is one of the very best ways to keep in touch with your prospects, generate trust, develop brand awareness, and build future business. You can distribute your newsletter using your e-mail program, or have people subscribe on your website directly to a listserver program offered by your Internet Service Provider. Promote Your Site in Mailing Lists and News Groups. The Internet offers thousands of very targeted mailing lists and news groups made up of people with very specialized interests. Don't use aggressive marketing and overtly plug your product or service. Rather, add to the discussion in a helpful way and let the "signature" at the end of your e-mail message do your marketing for you. People will gradually get to know and trust you, visit your site, and do business with you. Rent targeted e-mail lists. If you "spam," bulk untargeted, unsolicited e-mail, you'll pay a very stiff price in reputation and cancelled services. But the direct marketing industry has developed targeted e-mail lists you can rent consisting of people who have agreed to receive commercial e-mail messages. Do a smaller test first to determine the quality of the list.
Use the net to get them into the site. Join a Banner Exchange Program. Essentially, you agree to show a rotating banner on your site for other members of the program, and they do the same for you, and there's a possibility you'll earn something through paid banner ads, too. Begin an Affiliate Program. Essentially, a retailer's affiliate program pays a commission to other sites whose links to the retailer result in an actual sale. The goal is to build a network of affiliates who have a financial stake in promoting your site. If you're a merchant you need to (1) determine the commission you are willing to pay (consider it your advertising cost), (2) select a company to set up the technical details of your program, and (3) promote your program to get the right kind of affiliates who will link to your site.
Of course there are many more ways to go about promoting your site, but a thinking process such as that laid out above, will get you started. To effectively market your site you need to spend some time adapting these strategies to your own market and capacity. And remember always "2/3 of promotion is always motion", so go get going!
Aru Srivastava
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