Professionals in tend to under-estimate the power of the web to bring them business, and to bring them precisely the kinds of clients they want! And, a few, invest in a great web site, but then don't market it effectively! There are some wonderful sites that are virtually "hidden" out there on the web. Web marketing has one thing in common with other advertising: no matter how good the ad, it won't build your business unless lots of people see it.
I tell my clients to view web marketing as having two separate components: first is the creation of a site, and second is marketing it. Building a site requires creativity, design skills, and an understanding of color, images, and popular trends. Marketing a site, on the other hand, is a much more routine, repetitious, even boring task that must be done consistently over time. The following are my Top 10 suggestions for marketing your web site:
1. Hidden Title. This is the first of three critical items that are coded in the "Head" of every web page. It is the first thing a search engine sees at the top of your page. While this title is visible on browsers, most people ignore it. I've seen great sites that have no title at all! Use 3-8 words that describe what you do and flag your site for the search engines.
2. Meta Tag: Keywords. The second item in the "Head" of your page should be a hidden Meta tag with 15-25 words to help people find you. These are words people are likely to enter in a search request to find you. An Accountant might have a string that started with: "Accounting, bookkeeping, records, taxes,?."
3. Meta Tag: Description. The third item in the "Head" is a hidden sentence that describes both your page and your site. Make it vibrant, use as many of your Keywords as possible, and make it accurate. This is a one-sentence description of who you are, what you do, and why people should visit your page. You've got 15-20 words. Use them!
4. Visible Title. This is the first thing people will see, and it's what most people think of as the "title" of their page. Again, you want it to invite people, be accurate, and brief. While a beautiful logo or banner may look nice at the top of your page, remember that 3-5 powerful words will down-load faster. The words in your title will also connect with search engines in a way that your logo can't.
5. First words on page. The first few seconds as a page down-loads are critical, and a short statement of what you do will down-load faster than most images. First impressions count! And again, search engines can catalog a brief but exciting description of your business, but they won't catalog your pretty picture!
6. Have multiple pages, each with their own marketing system. A simple way to increase the "hits" on your site is to increase the number of entrance paths. Rather than have one long page, divide it into three pages, each with their own title, meta tags, and descriptions! If your pages are all linked within one site, you vastly increase the opportunities for people to find you.
7. Submit to search tools repeatedly. Search engines constantly up-date and expand their databases. To stay in the game, I suggest you re-submit your site at least once a month and re-submit after every change. Using the web to draw business is an on-going project, not a once and forget it task! There are services that will do this for you (for less than $100), or you can do it yourself. But schedule several hours every month, and do it!
8. Include your web URL on your other advertising. This seems obvious, but lots of people forget. Have your site on your business card, brochures, all of your advertising! If people are interested, want more information, or are just curious, make it easy for them to check you out. Display your URL on everything!
9. Exchange links. One of the best ways to increase traffic, and to target specific audiences, is to trade links with other sites that attract a similar audience. I recommend that you have a page dedicated to "Favorite Links" that have agreed to also put a link to your site on their page. "You scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours" is a great way to build your web marketing impact.
10. Have something of value that changes often. Give your visitors something they can learn, do, or enjoy each time they visit. Let them sign up for your newsletter, post a "Joke of the Day" or a daily quote. It doesn't have to relate directly to your business. People love parenting tips, humor, inspiration or practical tips for better living (Think Martha Stewart!). Give them a reason to come back!
Have a wonderful week, and remember to have some fun!
? Copyright 2003 by Philip E. Humbert. All Rights Reserved. This article may be copied and used in your own newsletter or on your website as long as you include the following information: "Written by Dr. Philip E. Humbert, writer, speaker and success coach. Dr. Humbert has over 300 free articles, tools and resources for your success, including a great newsletter! It's all on his website at: http://www.philiphumbert.com
move in cleaning service Mundelein ..Once you have finshed designing your website, you want to... Read More
As an authorative hub a link from a DMOZ directory... Read More
Do you want to reach millions of potential customers for... Read More
When webmasters have created their final master piece, their next... Read More
So you have completed that new site and want to... Read More
Delivering Quality Traffic to your website is essential in helping... Read More
You may have created and established the best Web site... Read More
Is your website looking alittle bare? It's okay, you're about... Read More
Creating a new website is only the first stage in... Read More
Does your business struggle with profitable online marketing? If so,... Read More
Promoting a Website is not an easy task. New Website... Read More
I admit it, I have a problem. I'm a control... Read More
How would like to have an email list of thousands... Read More
If you've ever been to a popular forum hosted by... Read More
Quickly making money with a website is the dream of... Read More
If your website is not generating a lot of sales... Read More
As a small business owner are you looking at promotional... Read More
It's easy to forget the fundamental components of Web site... Read More
Everyone likes to read or get a referral about something... Read More
Website promotion is no longer easy to do.But if you... Read More
How to improve conversion rate for your website? How to... Read More
If you've gone through all the hard work of a... Read More
Good Ideas.They are the stuff that form the foundation of... Read More
Any time you use a URL in an Article, Web... Read More
So you have a new website but the phone isn't... Read More
insured cleaning company Highland Park ..If you haven't visited the Google Labs lately, they have... Read More
Links are the main pillar of your website. To navigate... Read More
How can one get a good ranking in the major... Read More
The Google patent application submitted in March, 2005 has generated... Read More
Viral marketing can work wonders for any business, web site... Read More
If you've subscribed to an seo newsletter for longer than... Read More
Let's face it, getting (and keeping) a good Google... Read More
It is said that content is king, but today 'fresh,... Read More
Delivering Quality Traffic to your website is essential in helping... Read More
The best way to avoid being blacklisted by the search... Read More
Success in business thrives on ideas.The more creative you're the... Read More
OK. So you took the leap and started your online... Read More
This author's open-source marketing plan, as announced on June 29,... Read More
Often, website owners would like to promote their new business... Read More
We all know the many "free" traffic producing avenues. We... Read More
After the incredible success of Hotmail.com, the use of signature... Read More
Seeking effective affordable website promotion should begin with listing your... Read More
Fresh Web Content Yields Better Search Engine ResultsAll too often,... Read More
When the economy is down, your website sales may go... Read More
When we ran the contest back in 1998 we had... Read More
Here are the website promotion tactics to reinforce and increase... Read More
In this article I discuss some ineffective and/or unethical website... Read More
If you want your customers to keep coming back To... Read More
Who me? Track?Now I realize some turn a blind eye... Read More
Many business owners and online marketing experts focus their efforts... Read More
| Web Site Promotion |