What is the most effective way of marketing a website?

Question

There are many business person who build a website and stop just there. Thus, their websites become white-elephants as visitors are few. What are the best way to market it to generate high traffic and translates to revenue.

Answer 1

"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.



You can use pay per click advertising in the search engines to reach audiences looking for your products. You can use Google Adwords http://www.google.com/adwords or Yahoo http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com



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. Get a Recommend this Site script from websites such as cgiscripts.com and similar directories of scripts. Some 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!



Recommend Site Scripts (various) http://php.resourceindex.com/Complete_Scripts/Website_Promotion/Recommend_Site/

Big Nose Bird Recommend this Site http://bignosebird.com/carchive/birdcast.shtml

CGI Resource Index http://cgi.resourceindex.com/Programs_and_Scripts/Perl/Website_Promotion/Recommend_Site/

Hostscripts http://www.hotscripts.com/PHP/Scripts_and_Programs/Site_Recommendation/index.html



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



SEO for Google http://www.powerhomebiz.com/052006/google.htm

SEO for Yahoo! http://www.powerhomebiz.com/052006/yahoo.htm

SEO for MSN http://www.powerhomebiz.com/052006/msn.htm

Tying It Together: SEO For The Big Three http://www.powerhomebiz.com/052006/seo.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.



http://www.prleap.com/sign_up.html

http://i-newswire.com/

http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/

http://www.pressbox.co.uk/cgi-bin/links/add.cgi

http://www.pr.com/press-releases

http://www.prfree.com/

http://www.clickpress.com/releases/index.shtml

http://www.theopenpress.com/

http://www.przoom.com/

http://www.prweb.com

http://www.newswiretoday.com/

http://www.free-press-release.com/



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.



Here is a comprehensive list of where to submit your articles http://answers.yahoo.com/question/;_ylt=AhzreGmnCUicOoyedqypscUjzKIX?qid=1006022407481



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" http://www.powerhomebiz.com/072005/conversion.htm for tips on how to improve your conversion rates.



7. Post a link to your site for free where it is allowed (always read the Terms of Use). Examples are:



Craigslist http://www.craigslist.com

Google Base http://base.google.com

Classifieds for Free http://www.classifiedsforfree.com/...

Text Link Exchange http://www.txtswap.com/

Recycler.com http://www.recycler.com/

Yahoo Classifieds http://classifieds.yahoo.com/

US Free Ads http://www.usfreeads.com/

Answer 2

I think it is important first to creat great unique content to make the site popular so it gets natural referral traffic.



Now getting people to the site can come a couple of ways: Pay by click (adwords, overture, etc.) and or natural search. To get natural, will take getting links to your site. And I wouldn't target generic phrases such as "automobiles", go for longer terms such as "buy an automobile in north carolina".



Now converting that traffic to revenue will require testing of different ad copy. The hardest lesson most have a hard time understanding is that testing is the key to success.



Good luck.

Answer 3

• First and foremost: add your link to Google. Do that by visiting www.google.com/addurl



• Second, find other start-ups that has a similar demographic. Contact that site's webmaster and try to exchange links or banners.



• Third, use "Tell-A-Friend" services. A quick google search will give you many options.



I managed a MySpace.com help website not too long ago, I started it up and exchanged links with other myspace help sites, i used mailing lists, and tell-a-friend services and my site became one of the top sites for help on myspace. then i sold it to some bloke in canada. :]

Answer 4

Depending on your product/services and your target audience/market, you have many options available to you, but i think the best way to get noticed, would be through advertising in the mass media (tv/newspapers/other websites/blog) or even event promotions.

Answer 5

The most effective way that I know is to put your ad for your business in the Yellow Pages Phone book in your area. The yellow pages in your area. Yellow pages are also on the yahoo front page. Now when you list your ad with them you automatically are put into their listing on line and the public can access your web page from there. So you get twice the bang for the buck. I put one ad in and I got three calls in one week. And the price you pay is peanuts.

Answer 6

You could try a free web traffic generator like this one http://www.FreeViral.com/?r=99030 Don't be fooled by the fact they call it 'viral' advertising, its nothing to do with sending anyone a virus at all, its just a way to get loads of people to see your site, I'm trying it for mine at the moment, it only took 5 minutes to set up and is free, so for 5 minutes work I reckoned it was worth trying out.

Answer 7

For best SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING outcomes My partner and i recommend applying Google Search Bot: http://is.gd/gsbsoftware Applying that software program We have rated my web site to very first page of Google on a quite high aggressive key word.

Answer 8

although getting ranked in search sites like google, yahoo, lycos, etc is great--word of mouth will get you farther than any of the rest--try contacting sites with similar interests and exchange links to and from thier sites and yours.

Answer 9

Make it a slideshow in gif format and put it on www.ytmnd.com with some interesting music.