420 Design Blog
8 Ways to Promote Your Website
01 Feb 2005 | Angie H
So you've got a website that looks great and works flawlessly. Now what? How are people going to find your site? There are multitudes of ways. Here are some tried and true options that will get the word out about your site.
Search Engine Optimization If you know HTML, you can try some basic SEO using various META tags, and of course, search engine submission. But if that sentence was like reading Greek to you, perhaps you ought to talk to your web developer or an SEO specialist. Either way, when done correctly, even the most basic SEO techniques will get search engines crawling your site in order to list it. After all, if no one can find your site by searching Google, you may as well not have one at all!
Use Your Brand If you have a website, chances are you have a brand. And with that brand you probably have at least a business card, and perhaps other stationery. On such materials, and other printed materials your business may distribute, include your company's web address. It may seem like a no-brainer, but it's often forgotten. Keep in mind that when people receive a piece of literature about a company, many will check the website before tossing it out.
Traditional Media Ads are meant to peak interest. Adding your URL will give people more than just a name or phone number to find more information. Be sure to include your web address and give people that option!
Email Signatures Most, if not all email programs allow you to include a "signature" at the end of your messages. Here's an example:
Angie Herrera
420 Design
www.fourtwentydesign.com
This is a great way for people to quickly link to your site. Be sure to include your company name and other pertinent contact information.
Write Newsletters or Articles It takes a commitment of time, but writing newsletters or articles for existing customers can get you new customers. How? If written well, your customers may pass the article or newsletter on to their friends, who will hopefully then sign up to receive updates. It's much like word-of-mouth. And it works.
Press Release Write a press release about your business and send it to local newspapers, magazines, trade journals, etc. Just don't forget to include your web address! Seems simple, but it's all too often overlooked.
Autoresponders If you have a generic email address (such as 'info@mysite.com') or a form that users fill out, have an autoresponder set up. An autoresponder is an email that is automatically sent out in reply to an email that your inbox has received. Autoresponders not only promote your site (by including the URL of course), but also fill the need for instant gratification so many web users have.
Freebies People, especially people on the web, like free stuff. If you have things you can give away for free, you'll drive traffic to your site. Here are a few ideas:
Graphics (e.g. desktop wallpapers, icons) Articles, tutorials, reviews, hot tips Free quotes
Marketing, Web Design + Development