The fact is that nobody is going to find your website if you don’t promote it. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to accomplish this task and generate traffic to your site. If you already have a website, try using these tactics.
- Get a memorable domain name. If people can remember the name of your site without having to look it up, the chances of them passing it on to others is greater.
- Make the site easy to load. This is especially important if you plan on marketing to segments of consumers who still get by with dialup services.
- Buy alternate domain names and point them to your home page. The different domain names will increase the chances of someone doing a search and having the domain show up on search engines.
- Optimize your content. Search out keywords that are used to search for the type of products you have to offer and work them into the text on your site. This can help your standing on various search engines.
- Pick good meta tags for your content. You can get some good ideas for metatags as you look for keywords and keyword phrases to work into your text.
- Use Alt Tags for Images. This is just as important as tagging the text if you want search engines to notice you.
- Put some thought into how you title your pages. As with the domain name itself, make these as relevant and easy to remember as you possibly can.
- Change up your web content now and then. Adding a little something here and there, tweaking the color scheme of the text, and adding or exchanging images will keep your site looking fresh and generate additional interest.
- Watch your spelling and grammar. Nobody likes to see words that are spelled incorrectly, or deal with sentences that are hard to understand.
- Submit to search engine directories. Don’t overlook the smaller search engines; they may reach a niche market that is ideal for what your site has to offer.
- Set up a blog. Include a link or two in your blog text, making it easy for readers to link to your site and possibly purchase something in your product line. Just make sure your blog entry has some relevance to the links, or you will lose your audience quickly.
- Participate on message boards that allow links in your signature. This is a subtle way of reaching audiences that may be interested in your products without directly pitching them.
- Include those links in any online profiles you have. Just make sure that the site hosting those profiles has no problem with the inclusion of business links.
- Use article directories to promote your website. Anyone reading the article will see the links you insert and possibly follow them to your site, leading to a sale.
- Involve others in your site content. The fact is that when people feel included, they come back again and again, often bringing people with them. Even a simple page where questions and comments can be posted will make a big difference.
- Offer a mini-course related to your products. It can be offered free of charge. Use the mini-course to make it easy for people to get to a page where they can order one or more of your products.
- Put a link to your home page in your email signature. Another subtle way of keeping your web site in front of everyone you correspond with.
- Do regular maintenance on your links. Nothing drives traffic away like a broken link, as it tells consumers you are no longer in business, and they forget about you quickly.
- Use a reliable hosting company. It may cost a little more, but use a host who is up for as close to a hundred percent of the time as you can manage.
- Make sure your host provides ample bandwidth. When a customer experiences a time out when trying to load your page, there is very little chance of them coming back for a second try.
- Add a forum to your site. A forum will build up a nice social community that will draw in a lot of support in terms of word of mouth.
- Print business cards with your web address included. Business cards today are cheap. They are also portable; people can stick them in their pockets for use later and pass them on to someone who might be interested.
- Use flyers. Many supermarkets and other stores have community bulletin boards where customers can hang up information about product offers. Most of the time, it’s free.
- Go with low cost print advertising. Like the business cards and flyers, it gets your web site in front of all sorts of people.
- Get interviewed. A short interview in a local newspaper can generate interest that can turn into sales.
- Issue press releases. If they get picked up and mentioned in sales blogs or print publications, the publicity can lead to wider recognition of your web site.
- Participate at Yahoo Answers. Look for questions that are related to the subject matter of your information product and respond; be sure to include a link to your home page.
- Create a video and publish it online. Even a simple five-minute video in the form of a newscast will generate interest. Post it on sites like YouTube.
- Set up profiles at auction site. You can also direct sell your product there, as well as include your site’s URL in your profile.
- Distribute a free ebook. Just like the free mini-course, make sure the content includes links back to your products.
- Have a contest. People love them, and will spread the word to other people they know.
- Use social bookmarking sites. Post links to your blog and your web site, so people can follow them and buy your product.
- Sign up for Twitter. You can follow and be followed, and posting an entry takes no time. You can also include links.
- Don’t forget social networking sites. Places like FaceBook, and MySpace are great ways to connect with people and generate some business.
- Sign up with business networking sites. Sites like LinkedIn can put you in front of people who would be interested in your product.
- Set up some link exchanges with sites offering products that complement but do not compete with your products. The cross promotion will help everyone.
- Add an RSS feed to your home page. When you add more copy, people who subscribe to the feed will know immediately.
- Sell on Amazon.com. Just like the auction sites, you can move product and direct people to your web site.
- Set up a reference system on your site. Consumers can register and get credit for any referrals to the site that lead to a sale.
- Buy email lists and launch a marketing campaign. Make sure the list is qualified, and keep your copy for the email slick, clean, and with at least two links back to your home page.
- Add a translation button to your home page. This will make it possible to broaden your potential client base, since your site is user friendly to a wider range of people.
- Use online classifieds. Many of them cost absolutely nothing.
- Set up splash pages. These simple one page web sites are great for directing traffic back to your main web site.
- Consider a snail mail campaign. These are still effective and can generate interest. Include specific instructions on how to get to your web site.
- Partner with another entrepreneur. By combining resources, both of you can cover more ground and market both your sites to better advantage.
- Write an eHow article. Make the subject matter something to do with your ebook and then include links back to your page. You’ll also earn a little money from ads as a bonus.
- Join online entrepreneurial groups. You can pick up some good tips on how to present yourself and your product while also increasing your visibility.
- Join a local chamber of commerce. Have your web site address appear in the chamber directory.
- Add an “About Us” page to your site. Search engines love these and index them fairly quickly.
- Keep your site free of popups. People don’t like them and will leave your site and never come back. Instead, use links to help people navigate around your site.