Most new webmasters face the same conundrum: how can I get free exposure (and thereby traffic) to my website? Here are some traditional online and offline methods you can use to achieve this, as well as new ideas that should help kick-start your online business.
Online
- Include your website address in your signature in e-mails
- Include your website address in your signature in forum posts
- Create an RSS feed for your website
- Write website articles (like this one) and include a link to your site at the end
- Participate in manual link exchanges with complimentary websites
- Submit your website to topic-specific directories
- Properly optimize your website for search engines
- Start a blog on your site (search engines love them)
- Try to get your site listed in DMOZ
- Write and distribute a periodic press release for your site
- Advertise on free classified ad websites
Offline
- Include your website address on business cards, letterhead, envelopes, etc.
- Give your business cards and print advertisements to small business owners (who own a business related to your website) to place on store countertops and on employee bulletin boards.
- Write an article for your local community newspaper and include your website address in the copy.
- Talk to friends and family; ask to be listed on their websites, or ask if any cross-promotional opportunities exist between their business and yours.
- Create a sign with your website address and stick it on the inside window of your car for other drivers to see. Of course make sure it is of a safe size and doesn’t interfere with driving.
- Create some cheap ads and go around door to door and place them in mailboxes. This technique can prove to be effective if the neighborhood you choose is part of your target market.
- Put your ads up in your community center and on any bulletin boards you can find.
- Remember the power of word of mouth advertising – tell people about your website so that they in turn can tell others about it.
There may be more time-efficient ways of gaining traffic and exposure for your website, but these are not typically free. Advertising and marketing your website can prove to be expensive, but by experimenting with the marketing tactics above, you can jumpstart your website and then consider alternative paid advertising options. Pay attention to which of the above methods yields you the most favorable results, and then if there is a paid service available for it, consider purchasing that first.
By closely monitoring your marketing efforts and tweaking them accordingly, your website will be a success!
Best of luck!
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