HOW TO "BRAND YOURSELF ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET"

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THE FIRST STEPS TO GETTING NOTICED IN
"THE VAST AND UNCHARTERED WORLD OF CYBERSPACE"

by Craig Lock

"To win, you first have to be noticed"

Thought I'd share a few hints, based on our experiences
over the past five years...

In listing our various web sites, we only concentrate on the
major (12 or so search engines) and directories, like Open
Directory, who supply their database to many of the big
search engines. We've found that we check our listings in the
search engines every two months or so and do resubmit - just
to the MAJOR search engines. Though I don't try it with Alta
Vista and especially Yahoo (as we are already high up there
with our creative writing courses). I don't dare risk them
chucking us out, though I don't think they will! We've had
some difficulty with HotBot and Lycos (especially) and Open
Directory in getting listed, so I do re-submit from time to time
and they then seem to get listed. Alta Vista seems to take a
while - about 6 weeks. Believe Lycos is "winding down" in
listing sites incidentally.

So suggest checking your listings occasionally and resubmit-
ting (INDIVIDUALLY). I don't think any of the major search
engines see that as spam.

We also submit to the regional Yahoo (Australia and New
Zealand) and find we get listed quite speedily. I bid on key words
with Go To for 'writing courses', but we've found the traffic
from them to be minimal.

A thought, sorry question, on which to end...

With all the comments and articles about search engines and
so many people spending so much time and effort "trying to
get the better of them", why don't more web marketers rather
spend their valuable energies in activities, which they CAN
CONTROL to some extent. Once you have posted to the
major search engines, monitor your positioning from time to
time (say once a month) then LET BE. You'll never beat them,
because their policies change all the time. Start concentrating
on MARKETING and carving out a UNIQUE NICHE for yourself
on the WWW with your particular products.
Be UNIQUE and "brand" yourself as an expert in your field
with your own individual "style and niche". We mainly do that
by writing articles and submitting them to article announcement
lists, like Article Announce, Free Content, Publish in Yours, Publisher
Network and Article Publish. Articles with your website in your
signature file bring traffic, which then lead to SALES...and best of
all it's free advertising and helping others at the same time by sharing
your knowledge and experiences in your field of expertise.

It's been a long learning curve for us at Eagle Products (NZ)
seeing what works and what doesn't in getting listed with the
major search engines ...like the lessons of life itself.

Hope this info may help you readers "out there in cyberspace".

Go for it and good luck.

Craig Lock

About the author:

Craig Lock has been successfully marketing products online
for the past five years. Craig is a writer, who believes in sharing
information, as well as encouraging and helping others to find
their talents and gifts, to strive for and accomplish their dreams
in life - whatever they may be.
http://www.nzenterprise.com/

For interactive computer and internet coaching on CD, click on:
http://www.nzenterprise.com/4reel/

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If you have knowledge, let others light their candle at it"
- Margaret Fuller