Get traffic to your new website using proven promotional strategies.
A new website is like a new store. If you don't get traffic there and convert that traffic into sales, you will not succeed on the Internet. Before you launch your site, devise a plan using proven promotional strategies to help drive visitors to that site.
Press Release
Write and distribute an attention-getting press release. Where possible, tie in your press release to topics already in the news. If you have a limited budget, distribute your release to free sites such as 24-7PressRelease.com, PRLog.org, NewswireToday.com, PRBuzz.com and Press-Base.com. If you have funds budgeted for paid release distribution, you can use services like PR News Wire, PR Web or Business Wire.
Social Media
Before launching your site, set up accounts at the major social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Prepare several weeks of content in advance to post there with links to your site when your site launches. In addition, set up bookmark accounts at sites like Digg and link to your site from there.
Content Syndication
Set up a YouTube account and create and place videos there as well as at other video sites such as BrightCove, Metacafe, Vimeo, GoFish and Vmix. Create articles and submit those to article directories such as Ezine Articles and Go Articles. Place a link to your site in those articles so if readers want more information, they will be able to go to your site.
Local Online Promotion
WilsonWeb recommends that if your customers will be searching for your site locally, you should add your business and site link to such local directories as Google Places, Yahoo Local and the Bing Business Center. Also look for other available localized directories and list your site there.
To expand links to your site, approach high-ranking websites and propose reciprocal linking. Reciprocal linking involves you referencing another site on your site and the referenced site linking back to you.
Email Integration
Add a signature link to all the emails you send out. A signature line is a line of text that appears on all of your emails promoting your website.
Off-Line Promotion
Don't ignore off-line promotional methods such as submitting an announcement about your new site to community newspapers. Place your website address on all of your printed material such as business cards and stationery. Mail a website announcement postcard to all your customers and other contacts. Place your Web address on T-shirts and bumper stickers.
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