What is Involved in a Website Launch, Part 4 – Promotion

18 Ways to Promote Your Website

by Beth Cole

This is the fourth article in our Website Launch series, here are links to previous articles about laying the groundwork for your site, figuring out your content, and communicating through design.

There are lots of ways to generate traffic to your website. To put these tools in perspective, try visualizing your website as the hub and your marketing tools as spokes in a wheel leading toward the hub.

The marketing tools you use will depend on what works with your target market and your personal preferences. Any tools you choose should be in addition to rich keyword phrases you have already incorporated into your site to gain traffic from keyword searches.

Here are eighteen ideas to help generate traffic to your website:

• Article marketing. In addition to articles you post on your own blog, you can also write articles for articles directories such as Go Articles or Ezine Articles. You will need to be approved as an author prior to posting, but you can place a short bio and link to your website at the end of every article. Your article dashboard will show you popularity and reading trends about every article you write.
• Guest posting. This is becoming more popular and effective, especially if you can forge a relationship with a leader in your industry that will allow you to post occasionally, great visibility!
• Email newsletters. Most professionals include email newsletters along with regular blog posts as standard ways to communicate with clients and prospects. Include a special offer each month to ensure visits to your site.
• Classes and Webinars. All you need is a bridge line to make this work. At the end of the call, give your special offer which can be found on your website.
• Videoconferencing. Tools like dimdim.com or gotomeeting.com make it easy to visually connect and share your desktop or powerpoint presentation, include a special offer so people will visit your website after the meeting is over.
• Email signature. Make sure you are publicizing your website URL at the end of every email that goes out.
• Pay-per-click ads. Google, Bing and Yahoo! all offer pay-per-click advertising opportunities. This works best with a specific offer that you are making to prospects, for example, promoting a class, or a conference, or a FREE webinar or product download.
• Facebook ads. If your prospects are on Facebook, consider advertising there. Like PPC ads, you can set a budget and promote a special offer to prospects.
• Local profile. Google allows you to set up a business profile that is extremely important if you are offering services within a geographic area. Go to google.com/lbc
• Google profile. Your Google personal profile can also help you be found and can send more traffic to your site, set this up at google.com/profiles.
• Social media profiles. All the major social networking hubs i.e. LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, ask for your company website. If you are not using these tools, now is a great time to give it a try. Twitter is the second busiest incoming link to my site.
• Business cards. This goes without saying, your website URL should always be on your business cards. Many people keep cards simple these days with just phone number and website, the rest of the info can be found online.
• Speaking. Whenever you speak, whether it is for an in-person or online event, offer a handout with a special offer from your website. This is a great way to build relationships and your mailing list. (By the way, I am available if you need a speaker, here are some of my speaking topics.)
• Print articles. People still read magazines! If you like to write, magazine articles are a great way to build visibility, credibility, and traffic to your website.
• Print newsletters. You can still send a newsletter in the mail, and you are more likely to stand out if it is exceptionally well done. Include your website address for sure.
• Direct mail. I picked up a great tip from teamdavid.com last week, create a special offer that doesn’t expire and print 5,000 of the jumbo postcards to get the best printing rate. Then send 100 a week to your target market. This way you are always doing something to promote your business.
• Tradeshows. This method will cost more, but might yield greater results if your target audience doesn’t spend much time online.
• Networking. This is not about selling, but about giving. Remember the rule of 3: Find 1 person you want to remember, 1 person to remember you, and 1 person to help. Givers gain and website visits will happen as a result.

In addition to using Google Analytics on your website to track your visitor statistics, be sure to ask every new prospect how they found your website so you can track what marketing techniques are working.

So let me ask you this, what are your favorite ways to promote your website?

This concludes the four part series on launching your website.  I will post a Website Launch Checklist next week that will hopefully be a great resource to help you hit the ground running on your next new website project. Tally ho!