subject: Basics of Website Promotion [print this page] Basics of Website Promotion Basics of Website Promotion
Some webmasters devote all their time to website promotion but forget about the content they are promoting. Others develop wonderful content that ends up hidden in a cul de sac on the web. Webmasters can achieve balance by both developing quality content and promoting it effectively. Keep in mind these basics of web site promotion as you develop your web site's strategy.
Submit to Search Engines and Major Directories
The most obvious way to promote your web site is to make sure the major search engines and directories know who you are and where to find you. These are some of the major search engines. Make sure you submit to search engines. It's a good practice to give the search engine's submission policies a glance before jumping in.
Google
Open Directory Project (DMOZ)
Yahoo
Provide
What's the most rewarding way to promote your web site? Create something of value and give it to your visitors. You may not be a writer, programmer, or artist but most webmasters have some sort of creative skill or expertise that others need. If you can offer your web site's visitors something of good quality that's free, they will love you. Here are some examples of content that you can create and offer freely on your web site to establish your presence and attract visitors:
Freeware programs, screen savers, scripts
Graphics like wallpaper, backgrounds, icons
Articles, tutorials, or reviews
Advice, tips, or Q&A's
Free quotes for a service you offer
Get Links
Link well, and often. Because of the emphasis that search engines like Google place on link popularity, it's important that your web site be linked from other web sites, especially from sites that are high in traffic and search engine ranking. Generally, webmasters will want to exchange or links with you if doing so will send them quality traffic.
The simplest way to get a link from someone with a related site is to simply ask. You can send an e-mail in the below form letter, just make sure it's personal and targeted at someone who runs a web site with content related to yours. Most web site owners can discern a genuine request from a blanketed spam offer.
Partner
You cannot single-handedly commandeer the Internet. If you see a classy web site with products or services that might complement yours, then send the webmaster an e-mail introducing yourself and suggesting ideas for combining forces. Suggest adding your chocolate to his peanut butter to create a Reese's Cup.
Become Active in Forums
With the advent of fast and well-coded forum packages such as vBulletin Instant Community, forums have become a valuable exchange for learning, networking, and promoting. Visit forums related to your web site's topic and offer your expertise or ask questions. As you talk it up with others in your line of work, forum visitors will respect your remarks and many will notice your signature link and visit your web site. Search excellent webmaster forum in which to explore this idea & obviously post your blogs, share your stories with other on twitter,digg,etc.
