Here are a few website marketing tips to get you started.
- Try speaking to the press and bloggers about your product. They can be a great source of referral traffic when they publish a post or article with a link.
- Ask your fans, clients, or business partners to put a link to your site on theirs.
- Register your website in relevant directories and listings.
- Look at the main referrals of your competitors to get some ideas of websites you could be engaging with. To do this, add parentheses on either side of your competitor's domain in Google, so "competitor.com" will show who is linking to their site.
SEO:
- Make your site SEO-friendly to make sure it's indexed by search engines. Keep your website structure simple, clean, and coherent for crawlers to index and rank pages.
- Find out which are the Top 100 Search Engines on the internet and submit to them.
- Think about the keywords you would like to rank for, then use those throughout your site, including content, titles, and META tags.
- To choose the right keywords, simply put yourself in the shoes of your customer and think of what you would type if you were looking for your product.
- Read more on doing SEO yourself here: SEO Help
- Read more on paid SEO services here: SEO Services
Social:
1 There are many Social Networks to add your business to, the more, the better.
2 Facebook and Twitter are very popular networks but if you can look for alternatives that might be more relevant to your content (e.g. LinkedIn might be more effective for professional services).
3 If you don’t have your social pages, you can still make sure your site content is shared across social networks by adding social buttons on your site.
4 Work hard and be patient: unless you are a celebrity, it will take time for your social networks to grow. Make sure you invest time and effort in keeping it up to date with exciting news and content.
5 Add your header tags for each page that connect to the main social networks: Adding Social Media Header Tags
More places to market your site at:
- Forums
- Videos
- Want ads
- Document sharing
- Billboard /Posters
- Brochure
- Church
- Events
- Flyers
- Friends
- Mobile ad
- Newspapers
- News
- Magazines
- Radio
- Signs in stores
- TV
- Pay Per Click
- Word to mouth
- Trade shows
- Telemarketing
- Referral programs
- Professional associations
- BBB
- Chamber of Commerce
- Event calendars
- Business publications
- Government agencies
- Direct mail
- Start-up sites like Techcrunch and Killer Start-ups.
- Schools (You can pay students to pin flyers for you)
- Partnerships
Popular Business Directories to add your business to.
- Biz Faves
- Google Places
- Bing Places
- Yellow Pages
- Manta
- Super pages
- Merchant Circle
- Show me local
- Map quest
- Yelp
Other helpful websites:
Quick tips:
Define Your Target Audience: Identify the specific group of people you want to target with your website. Understand their needs, preferences, and behaviors to tailor your marketing efforts effectively.
Create Compelling Content: Develop high-quality and valuable content that resonates with your target audience. This could include blog posts, articles, videos, infographics, or any other format that suits your niche.
Optimize for Search Engines (SEO): Optimize your website for search engines so that it ranks higher in search results. Conduct keyword research and include relevant keywords in your content, meta tags, and URLs.
Utilize Social Media: Set up profiles on relevant social media platforms and share your content regularly. Engage with your audience, respond to comments, and participate in discussions to build a community around your brand.
Email Marketing: Start building an email list by offering valuable content or incentives in exchange for email sign-ups. Use email marketing campaigns to nurture leads, promote your content, and announce new products or services.
Paid Advertising: Consider investing in paid advertising, such as Google Ads or social media ads, to drive targeted traffic to your website. Make sure to set a budget and monitor the performance of your ads.
Influencer Marketing: Collaborate with influencers or industry experts who have a significant following in your niche. Their endorsements and mentions can help increase your website's visibility and credibility.
Guest Blogging: Contribute guest posts to reputable websites in your industry. This can help you gain exposure to a broader audience and establish yourself as an authority in your field.
Social Proof: Showcase customer testimonials, reviews, case studies, or success stories on your website. Positive social proof can boost trust and encourage others to engage with your brand.
Monitor Analytics: Set up web analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics) to track website traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates. Analyzing data will help you identify strengths and weaknesses in your marketing strategy and make data-driven improvements.
Engage in Online Communities: Participate in relevant online forums, groups, and communities where your target audience hangs out. Provide value, answer questions, and build relationships that can lead to more website visits.
Cross-Promotion: Collaborate with other businesses or website owners in complementary niches to cross-promote each other's content or products/services.
Local SEO (if applicable): If your website serves a local audience, optimize it for local search results by including location-specific keywords, creating a Google My Business profile, and getting listed in local directories.
Remember that effective marketing takes time and effort. Consistency is key, and it's essential to monitor your progress, adapt your strategies, and refine your approach as you learn what works best for your website and target audience.
