This article is designed to introduce you to “OFF PAGE” promotion of your website , and getting visitors to come to your website.
How can you get more visitors to your website? What can you do to stimulate traffic?
- Some of you may already be doing this stuff;
- Others just forgot about it;
- Still others never heard of any of this.
While I’m not breaking any new ground here, I’ve tried to summarize some of the most important techniques.E-Mail Marketing is one of the best ways to bring people to your website
DON’T SPAM, that is, don’t send bulk unsolicited e-mails without permission to people with whom you have no relationship. Many countries have anti-spam laws.
Aggressively Ask for E-Mail Sign-ups. If you want to get subscribers to your e-mail newsletter, you’ll need to work hard at it. If you have a local business, ask customers to sign up for your e-mail list to get special Internet only offers.” Also ask other business people when they give you a business card if you can send them your e-mail newsletter. While only the e-mail address itself is necessary, I always ask for a first name also, so I can personalize the newsletter and the e-mail subject line with the recipient’s name.
Publish an E-Mail Newsletter. While it requires a commitment of time, creating a monthly e-mail publication is one of the most important promotion techniques. It could be a newsletter, list of tips, industry updates, or new product information — whatever you believe your customers will appreciate. This is a great way to keep in touch with your prospects, generate trust, develop brand awareness, and build future business. It also helps you collect e-mail addresses from those who visit your site, but aren’t yet ready to make a purchase. You distribute your newsletter inexpensively using e-mail marketing services such as: Mellow Designs LLC. Blogs are very popular, but don’t really replace e-mail newsletters. You have to go to a blog to read it, while an e-mail newsletter appears in your in box asking to be read.
Send Offers to Your Visitors and Customers. Send special offers, coupon specials, product updates, etc.
Exchange E-Mail addresses with Businesses. You might consider exchanging e-mail newsletter mentions with other businesses to reach new audiences. Just be sure that your partners are careful where they get their mailing list so you don’t get in trouble with the anti-spam laws .
Traditional Strategies
Include Your URL on Stationery, Cards, and Literature and most important in your email signature. Make sure that all business cards, stationery, brochures, and literature contain your company’s URL. (http://www.mellowdesigns.com).
Use the “Signature” feature in your E-Mail Program to help potential customers get in touch with you.
Use traditional media. classified journals, newspapers, yellow pages, etc. to promote your company’s URL. (http://www.mellowdesigns.com).
Begin a Business Blog to get back links to your site
Become Part of a Social Media Community. Some of the best online communities for business include Facebook (www.facebook.com), LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com), and Twitter (www.twitter.com). Search engine spiders are always looking for links to something new and relevant. But be careful not to spam or talk incessantly about your business, be a contributor to the conversation.Ask Visitors to Bookmark Your Site. It seems simple, but ask visitors to bookmark your site or save it in their Favorites list.
Miscellaneous Strategies.
Here are a couple of strategies that don’t fit elsewhere.
People like getting something free. Run a contest or drawing available on your site, you’ll generate more traffic than normal.
List Your Products with Shopping or Auction Sites. mySimonBizRate (www.bizrate.com/), PriceGrabberShopping.com (www.shopping.com). (www.mysimon.com), (www.pricegrabber.com/), and