Marketing Your Website

It used to be that the question was, do you own a website? The question that is more relevant now is how do you go about marketing your website. It is definitely not a scenario of just build a website and they will come.

If people don’t even know your website exists then they can’t visit or learn about the things you are offering. That it why is it just as important to market your website both online as well as offline as it is to market your service or product.

It can be easier to promote your site than you might think. Here are a few suggestions.

Offline Marketing
Website owners often forget about the options for marketing their websites offline. However you need to make sure your website is visible in places where your target audience lives which means marketing offline.

* All of your marketing materials should prominently display your website’s URL and entice people to visit your website. Marketing materials can include newsletters, folders, flyers, brochures, envelopes, letterhead and business cards.

* You can also have direct mail postcards with your web address boldly printed on the front. Sometimes just printing your website’s URL in large letters and in an attention getting style is enough to get the recipient to turn your postcard over to read your other information.

* Press releases can be issued when you have something newsworthy or new to announce on your website. You might be offering a free e-course or free report or some approach to your market that is unique and that the media finds interesting.

* You can use on-hold messages for when your customers are waiting on your phone line to direct people to your website, especially systems that use an automatic attendant. If you use live attendants you can also direct people over to your website. Be sure that the attendants are familiar with what information is relevant and available to your callers on the website.

* If you ever do radio interviews, find ways of dropping your URL into the conversation. This would apply to any interviews with reporters, editors or producers.

* You can also write feature articles or guest columns for publications related to your field of expertise. Usually you can include a few lines at the end of the article or column about your area of experience as well as ways of contacting you. Here is where you can include your email and website addresses.

* Another great way of circulating your website’s address are advertising specialties. This can include pencils, pens, mouse pads, coffee mugs and key chains as well as other types of apparel with your identity or logo on it.

* Your URL can also be promoted offline using the following: printed Ads, Yellow page ads, t-shirts, license plate frames, golf bags and balls, billboards, vehicles and fax cover sheets.

Online Marketing
In conjunction with your offline marketing efforts, you can also market your website online. Here are a few ideas to help you get started.

* Mention your website frequently in your site’s web copy. Even though the visitors have already landed on your site, this well help to reinforce your site in the minds of your readers and also help with your search engine optimization efforts.

* Make mention of your website and include the URL in your signature with all of your forum, discussion and news group postings.

* Ask your business partners, advisors, board members and marketing partners to list your website on their websites.

* Use online articles and press releases using the same method discussed above in the Offline Marketing section.

* Use pay-per-click marketing to advertise your website

* Use banner advertising on related sites

* Advertise in online directories

* Mention your website in your email signatures

When it comes to both online and offline marketing, be creative. Sometimes some of the best marketing merges out of unique, extreme and wild ideas that have not occurred to your competitors.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.