10 Simple Ways to Promote Your Web Site.

Your web site is a marketing tool that is a powerful addition to the promotion of your business and can be very effective if properly planned. Use some or all of the ten steps to promote your web site as part of your marketing strategy. These steps are easier to initiate than may seem to the novice web site owner.

1. Always remain current in your web content. Relevant and current content helps to attract clients. Allowing your web site to become old and dated is a sure sign of neglect to potential clients. If you sell a product, holiday seasons are a prime opportunity for current content. If you provide a service, community or editorial issues are a great way to leverage your new content.



2. Don't use all the "Bells & Horns" on your web site. In other words don't assume that visitors have the latest versions of software to view your site. The best approach is just to use plain HTML and text. Keep graphics tasteful and to a minimum. Remember, most visitors are looking for information not a Broadway musical.



3. Collect email addresses online. Use them (with permission) to create a newsletter or marketing mailing list. Target the information you send to very specific audience types. If you sell a product, use it to announce upcoming launches. If you provide a service, use it to demonstrate how clients can benefit from the service.



4. Never, ever Spam. Do not send spam messages to all lists you come across. If you are not sure your email is spam - Do not send it. Complaints or questionable email can get you, your domain and hosting service blacklisted. Once this occurs it is almost impossible to have your domain removed from the blacklist.



5. Use "Viral Marketing". In other words, have your clients market your web site for you. Give out t-shirts or baseball caps with your web address on them. Put decals on your vehicle. Have "Forward this article" links in your web content. Sponsor or participate in a community event that will display your web site.



6. Ensure that your current web site loads fast. Visitors (potential clients) expect web pages to load quickly. Do not use bloated graphics (35k+) or excessive text. Statistics have shown that visitors do not wait, they move on. To be successful the information needs to appear quickly.



7. Make sure you market offline! To successfully promote your web site make sure you also advertise, market and help drive people to your site. Include your web link in all printed material for example. After all, you're not online 100% of the time are you? Neither are potential visitors.



8. Simplify your web site. For example if you would like visitors to purchase a product or sign up for your newsletter etc., keep "sign up" or "buy now" questions to a minimum. Statistically it's been realized that each question asked will loose about 10% of potential visitors/clients. For newsletters stick to email addresses and optional names only. For products you must of course include payment information.
   
   
9. Participate in search engine placement. "Google Adwords" can be a beneficial program. Ensure you have effective web content to help attract search engine spiders. List your web site in the appropriate news groups or other such lists.



10. Partner with sites that already have high volume. For example if you provide a service, become a contributor and write articles for those sites, making sure that each article links to your web site. If you sell a product, write reviews for the manufacturers of those products, making sure that each review has a link to your site.

Roger Wheatley often provides public seminars and presentations for businesses and organizations. If you would like to book a seminar for your business or organization, or are interested in learning more, please contact us.