Marketing your website

Many companies go online and think by doing so they will make money over night and there business will become successful. Well unfortunately this just isn't true and many simply get lost in cyberspace!

Just like a normal high street business you need to market your site and work hard at turning your online venture into a successful enterprise making thousands rather than hundreds of pounds per month

Because of this we have put together a rough guide to marketing your web site

There are allot of different marketing companies all giving advice. Some cost some don't. We have simply got some of the best ideas and put them on this site. If you would like to do a search for yourself simply click here and one of the main search engines, Google, will do a search for you!

So, in no specific order, here are the top ten marketing ideas...

1. Include Your URL on Stationery, Cards and adverts
This is a no-brainer that's sometimes overlooked. Make sure that all business cards, stationery, brochures, and literature contain your company's URL. We recommend leaving off the http:// part and including only the www.domain.com portion. This also includes adding the web address on the side of company vehicles

2. Submit Your Site to Industry Sites and Specialised Directories
You may find some directories focused on particular industries, such as education or finance. Be sure to register with these. 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 from an info hub that you need.

3. Request Reciprocal Links
Find complementary websites and request a reciprocal link to your site. 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. Your best results will be from sites that get a similar amount of traffic to your site. High-traffic site webmasters are too busy to answer your requests for a link and don't have anything to gain. Look for smaller sites that may have linking pages.

4. Create a "Signature" in your E-Mail Program
Most e-mail programs such as AOL, Netscape, and 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 offering. Look for examples on e-mail messages sent to you.

5. Purchase Pay Per Click (PPC) Ads
There are plenty about such as Google AdWords. The top ads appear as featured links at the top of search engine results for your keywords in many search engines. Your ranking is determined by how much you've bid for a particular search word compared to other businesses. This can be a cost-effective way to get targeted traffic, since you only pay when someone actually clicks on the link.

6. Announce the launch of you site
As as well as major changes to your site (such as the addition of a directory of services, an essay from an executive director, etc.), in your printed or e-mail newsletter. In fact, you should have something regularly in your newsletter that highlights a resource on your Web site

7. Know your website address
Make sure everyone who answers your organisation's main phone line knows how to say the Web address, and knows what information is available via the Web site (so they can make appropriate referrals).

8. Get your site registered on search engines
Many companies claim to be able to submit your site for free. Well have you heard the old saying "nothing is for free"? Well remember that when dealing with these companies. Ok, they are partly right, they can submit your site to hundreds if not thousands of search engines but will you get number one or at least on the first page? You need to find a company that specialises in search engine optimisation

9. Purchasing Ad Banners on Other Web Sites
As more links appear on any given page, advertising increasingly becomes a way to stand out from your competition. You can sponsor another site through barter or direct payment. In either case, you can find appropriate sites to sponsor yourself or have another company find them for you.

10. Does your site contain all the basics?
Hours, phone number and address... all pertinent contact information. Is it easy to navigate? Allow secure purchases? Invite comments? (You can learn a lot from a contact us page.) If you are a restaurant, do you have your menus, special events, directions, banquet menus online? Do you visually sell the restaurant? Allow online sign up for email specials? And don't forget added benefits for you: links to other area businesses, employment opportunities, printable employment applications.

Good Internet marketing will impress your market audience and provide you with a website that does more than look pretty.