| ADD YOUR URL TO YOUR MARKETING | | | | control over the types of banners displayed on your |
| MATERIALS | | | | site. In addition, you will probably notice added |
| A couple of months ago, I met with a client who | | | | download time to your Web page. |
| launched their Web site in 1999. They were | | | | For more information, visit:bCentral Banner Network, |
| discouraged because their site was generating poor | | | | WEB RINGS |
| traffic. When I asked them if they had added their URL | | | | Depending on your market, a Web ring might be an |
| to their stationery and marketing materials, the answer | | | | excellent traffic generator. The one negative, in my |
| was no. To me, this should be a no-brainer, but it's not. | | | | opinion, is the "ugly" ring code you will need to include |
| Don't forget to add your URL to the following business | | | | on your Web page. If you can live with this, I think Web |
| and promotional pieces: | | | | rings are a good way to attract traffic from related |
| - Answering machine/voice mail greeting | | | | sites. |
| - Office stationery (i.e., letterhead, envelopes, note | | | | For more information, visit: |
| cards, business cards, invoices, receipts, reorder forms, | | | | WebRing |
| etc.) | | | | NEWS MEDIA |
| - Company marketing materials (i.e., brochures, leaflets, | | | | Press Releases--If you have something to say that is |
| flyers, post cards, etc.) | | | | newsworthy, you may want to consider promoting |
| - Fax sheets | | | | your news with a press release. Dr. Kevin Nunley, |
| - Phone book listings | | | | provides a service where he will write your press |
| - Sales letters | | | | release and submit it to 5,000 radio, TV, talk shows, |
| - Storefront | | | | news programs, daily and weekly newspapers, |
| - Web decals | | | | syndication services, and e-zines for under $300. |
| - Uniforms and hats | | | | Radio Interviews--If you are a specialist in your field, |
| - Christmas cards | | | | why not call your local radio stations and give them |
| - E-mail signature file | | | | your name as an expert. The radio is a particularly |
| - Promotional items (e.g., mouse pads, coffee mugs, | | | | good forum for social workers, psychologists, |
| t-shirts, pens and pencils, etc.) | | | | politicians, professors, financial analysts, nonprofit |
| STRATEGIC LINK CAMPAIGN | | | | organizations, etc. |
| In my experience, the second most important online | | | | The following options--as compared to the ones |
| marketing strategy (after search engine submissions) is | | | | above--are more expensive, but if your company has |
| establishing link exchanges. A number of key search | | | | the money to spend on marketing, they are highly |
| engines--Google being one of them--rank sites | | | | effective methods for branding. Even companies like |
| according to the number of high-quality links pointing to | | | | Coca Cola, General Motors and IBM--all household |
| it. For this reason, links are becoming increasingly | | | | names--spend millions of dollars a year on advertising. |
| important. | | | | - Radio ads |
| Establishing reciprocal link partnerships with other Web | | | | - Print ads |
| site owners is time-consuming but worth it. There are | | | | - Television ads |
| tools to automate the process of finding and | | | | PERMISSION MARKETING |
| requesting links, but I strongly advise against using them, | | | | If you haven't already done so, you need to start an |
| because the links pages often look generic, | | | | opt-in e-mail campaign. This is an excellent way to get |
| unprofessional and identical to all the others generated | | | | the names and e-mail addresses of highly qualified |
| by the same software--so much for originality! Plus, I've | | | | prospects and leads. Furthermore, these people are |
| read that some search engines ignore | | | | giving you permission to contact them, so they want to |
| automatically-generated links pages. | | | | hear from you. E-mail is a highly effective way to |
| So, how do you find Web sites to swap links with? | | | | communicate--it's fast and it's cheap. Use e-mail to |
| One technique is to visit your favorite search engine | | | | send your clients and prospects your newsletter; |
| and type "add URL" plus your keyword phrase in the | | | | friendly reminder notices; information about upcoming |
| search box. Go ahead--try it! Before you know it, you'll | | | | sales and promotions, etc. |
| have thousands of linking prospects. Be picky with | | | | Managing a mail list is easy with automated listserve |
| whom you choose to link, though. Remember--one high | | | | software. I use Majordomo and love it. Once I started |
| quality link weighs more heavily than dozens of poor | | | | using Majordomo to manage my e-mail lists, I noticed |
| quality ones. | | | | an increase in subscriptions. Majordomo makes it easy |
| In my opinion, a good links page will add value to your | | | | for people to subscribe/unsubscribe and makes my |
| Web site. It also provides content. There are some | | | | job easy, because it automates the management of |
| people who will argue that providing links to other sites | | | | my e-mail lists. |
| is directing your hard-earned traffic elsewhere. | | | | There are free services that do the same thing as |
| Although this is true, do you really think people are | | | | Majordomo, but one word of caution: I used to use |
| never going to leave? Of course they will. And if they | | | | Listbot until a few months ago when they went from |
| leave your site to visit another site that you | | | | free to fee-based. I think it's only a matter of time |
| recommend, that is certain to leave a positive | | | | before the other free services follow Listbot's lead, so |
| impression on them. I truly believe a good links page will | | | | be careful, because it can be a pain to transfer your |
| bring traffic back to your site. | | | | list once it's been established. |
| If your goal is to rank well in the search engines, I | | | | For more information, visit: |
| recommend that you put establishing linking | | | | Majordomo |
| partnerships high on your marketing to do list. | | | | Yahoo! Groups |
| For more information, visit: | | | | Topica |
| Links4Trade | | | | If you're new to E-zine publishing, request my article, |
| LinkMe | | | | "Publishing Your First E-Mail Newsletter," SHARE |
| CLASSIFIED ADS | | | | INFORMATION |
| Although you can advertise in some media for free, | | | | Sharing information with your clients, peers, and |
| my experience is that it's best to target your ads to | | | | prospects is an excellent way to build relationships and |
| the audience you hope to attract. If you're selling horse | | | | credibility. |
| shoes, for example, promoting your wares to people | | | | Articles--One of my articles was recently featured in |
| who do not own horses is not a good use of your | | | | WebProNews , and I was astounded by the exposure. |
| time or money. | | | | In two days, I had more than 100 new subscribers to |
| Online Classifieds--In the early days of the Internet, | | | | my newsletter, 20 qualified leads and more than 1,800 |
| classified sites were very popular. I don't know how | | | | visitors to my Web site. Those numbers prove the |
| popular they are today, but they still exist. Although you | | | | power of words! |
| might not sell a lot on classified sites, it doesn't hurt to | | | | There are a number of excellent Web sites and |
| use them--especially if they're free. | | | | E-zines that will help you promote your articles to |
| I've used Yahoo! Classifieds in the past and was | | | | publishers looking for fresh content. |
| impressed with their services. When you post an ad | | | | For more information, visit: |
| there, it will be posted for 21 days, at which time | | | | Article Announce |
| Yahoo! will send you an e-mail asking whether you | | | | Ideamarketers |
| want to renew or delete your ad. Yahoo! also offers | | | | White Papers--Promote white papers and other |
| an online payment option called Yahoo! PayDirect, | | | | special reports on your Web site to encourage visitors |
| which allows you to send or receive money online. | | | | to provide their e-mail address (this ties in to your opt-in |
| For more information, visit: | | | | e-mail campaign). |
| Classifieds For Free | | | | News Groups--News groups are great because you |
| Yahoo! Classifieds | | | | learn from the expertise of others. They also provide |
| E-Zines Ads--E-zines are another excellent media for | | | | an opportunity for you to share your knowledge and |
| advertising your products and/or services. Advertising | | | | expertise. I have noticed an increase in traffic when I |
| in E-zines is relatively inexpensive. The hard part is | | | | participate in online forums. |
| locating publications to advertise in. Some E-zines have | | | | For a huge directory of Usenet groups, visit: |
| huge, targeted readerships, and obviously, those are | | | | Google Groups (formerly Deja.com) |
| the ones you want to be in. | | | | If you are a Webmaster, I highly recommend: |
| For more information, visit: | | | | SitePoint Community Forums |
| The Ezine Ad Auction | | | | Mail Lists--Similar to news groups, mail list messages |
| In addition to fee-based E-zine ads, there are others | | | | are delivered directly to your in-box. Since some |
| that will publish your ad for free. For more information, | | | | groups are pretty active, I highly recommend |
| download the free e-book: | | | | subscribing to the digest version (if possible). |
| The Ebook of Free Ezine Ads | | | | Here are two mail lists that I have found invaluable: |
| Newspaper Ads--Buying ad space in newspapers is | | | | Adventive |
| more expensive than e-zine ads, but on the plus side, | | | | Linkexchange Digest |
| some newspapers also post classifieds on their Web | | | | Speaking Engagements--Offer to speak for free at |
| site, so you get two for the price of one. If your | | | | conferences, meetings, or seminars. If you distribute |
| business is located in a neighborhood that publishes a | | | | handouts, be sure to add your URL. |
| weekly newspaper, you may find their ad space very | | | | NETWORKING |
| affordable--it's also a highly targeted audience. | | | | As in traditional business, your online business will |
| BANNER ADVERTISING | | | | benefit from networking. Some excellent venues to |
| The click-through rate on banner ads is low, so you will | | | | network include: |
| need to weigh the pros and cons before going this | | | | - Trade shows |
| route. On the plus side, Web sites that rely on | | | | - Chamber of Commerce and other |
| advertisers to stay alive are begging for people to buy | | | | commerce-related organizations |
| ad space. You can probably get it for a bargain--as | | | | - Membership associations |
| compared to a couple of year's ago. | | | | As you can see, promoting a Web site is hard work. |
| If, on the other hand, you're more interested in branding | | | | The myth "build it and they will come" is not true |
| your site versus attracting qualified prospects, you | | | | anymore. If you build it and then promote it, you will see |
| may want to consider a banner exchange. The plus | | | | your traffic steadily increase and that's good for |
| side is it's free. The negative is that you have no | | | | business. |