A. Dear
Lexi:
"If you build it, they will come" is not necessarily true on the Web.
Putting a website up is one thing, but getting visitors to come to your site
is another. The process becomes even more difficult if you have limited
resources to market your business.
Here are some shoestring marketing ideas that can help you get the
visitors you need at the least cost possible:
1. Create the best content you can with the best products you can
possibly offer. Your content is your best advertisement - if visitors
love your content, then they will go back and spread the word to others.
2. Make it easy for users to recommend your site. Viral marketing
is very important -- and easy to tap on the Web. But give your users the
tools. There are a number of available tools that can help you share your
content with social bookmarking sites such as Digg or networking sites such
as Facebook. You can even go as far as giving incentives
to those who recommend the site to their friends. If only 10 people go to
your site, but these 10 people invite 10 more - that's additional traffic
that you get for FREE!
3. Rank well in the search engines (organic search results, not
the pay per click). SEs can be a big source of traffic. The key is to create
the best content in your niche. If you have good content, other websites
will gladly link to you and offer your site as a resource to their audience.
Check the on-page factors and be sure to get linked from authority sites in
your topic area.
If you are going to read only one piece on search engine optimization, I
suggest you read Brett Tabke of WebmasterWorld.com's "Successful Site in 12
Months with Google Alone: 26 steps to 15k a day."
http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum3/2010.htm
4. Send out press releases. While outfits charge as much as $650
per release, there are free press release submission places on the Web.
Press releases allow you to (a) attract media attention; (b) get more back
links to your website without sending each website an email request; and (c)
get more visibility especially if your press release gets in Google News or
Yahoo News. You can send your press release via our
Press Release Submission
Form
5. Submit articles. Write articles and submit them to websites
accepting author submissions. You get exposure for your business;
establishes you as an authority in your field, and allows you to get
backlinks for your website. If 50 websites publish your article and it
contains a link back to your website, then you easily get 50 links from a
single article. The more links you have, the greater your chances for
increasing your search engine rankings.
6. Improve your conversion. Getting visitors is one thing; getting
them to buy your products is a whole different story. Read the article
"10
Ways to Convert Visitors to Buyers" for tips on how
to improve your conversion rates.
7. Syndicate your content. You can auto-pilot your marketing and attract
visitors every time you update your content via RSS feeds. Or if you have a
blog, you can use it to draw customers repeatedly to your website. Bookmark
our
Resources for Marketing Your Blogs and RSS Feeds to help you spread
the word about your RSS feeds or blog.
8. Use free classifieds. Post a link to your site for free where it is allowed (always read the
Terms of Use). Examples are:
9. Tap Web 2.0 websites to market your business. More and more
users are flocking to social community sites, interacting in question
and answer sites, and sharing their bookmarks online. Some strategies to
consider include:
- Create a profile in MySpace or Facebook and make friends with people
with similar interests, which are basically your target audience
- Establish yourself as an authority in Q&A sites such as Yahoo Answers,
and include a link to your website in your profile, or if the question is
relevant, include links pointing to specific sections of your site
- Share your website in social bookmarking sites such as Digg.com or
Stumbleupon.com. A
homepage inclusion of your link at Digg.com can result in tremendous
traffic to your site
10. Contribute to other websites, forums and blogs relevant to your
topic. You can search for topics similar to your site and make a list of
websites, forums and blogs that cover the topic. You can then contribute by
posting relevant posts, comments or articles, and including your signature
file with your name and website URL. The key, however, is to post only
RELEVANT contribution; otherwise, your post could appear spammy and the site
owners/moderators can blacklist you. Make sure also to read the
guidelines of the forum or website, as some may not allow you to post your
site URL or signature file.
Good luck,
Isabel Isidro
About the PowerHomeBiz.com Guide:
Isabel Isidro is the
co-founder and VP-Managing Editor of PowerHomeBiz.com, an online magazine
for home business entrepreneurs that provides guidance on starting, running
and managing a home-based business.
The opinions expressed in this column are
those of the author, not of PowerHomeBiz.com.
Users
should not treat the Guide's response as legal, accounting, or
professional advice as all answers are intended to be general in
nature. Such advice can only be properly given by qualified
professionals who are fully aware of a user's specific geographical areas or circumstances, such
as
an attorney or accountant.
