How To Get Customers To Find You
Part 2 - Promoting Your Website
We have already covered your number one method of getting people to visit your site - the search engines. But there are other highly effective methods of promoting your site online:
Google AdWords - Google AdWords is a program that allows you to advertise on the search results pages of Google. You pay a small amount (as little as 5 cents) each time someone clicks on your ad.
In a nutshell, you write a short 3 line ad and choose keywords that your customers would search for. Then when someone searches for that keyword, your ad appears in the column on the right. When someone clicks on your ad they are sent to your website. Best of all, you choose where your ads appear. You can - and should - target your ads by location. Google's program is set up so you can specify countries or cities, or define your own geographic area.
For more information, go to:
https://adwords.google.com/
Link exchanges - Basically you contact another website and offer to put a link to their site on your site. And in exchange, they will agree to put your link on their site. Both of you win by sharing visitors.
Look for websites of local complimentary businesses. For example, if you are a landscaper look for a local building contractor that does a lot of home renovations and additions. They could put a link on their site that says "Go to www.your-landscape-company.com for your landscaping needs." In exchange you put a link on your site that says "See www.local-contractor.com about renovations to your home."
Email newsletters - Many email newsletters accept advertising. Because of the local nature of your business, this will not be worth the cost unless you can find a newsletter that is sent mainly to local residents. For example, if another local company has a newsletter (perhaps a company that you have exchanged links with) you can offer to pay for an ad in a future issue.
If you are using SiteBuildIt, this is where the link tracking feature comes in handy (remember, every feature of SBI is included in one yearly price). Each newsletter ad, exchanged link, etc. can be given a special tracking link so that you know how many people are visiting your site from that link. This is especially important for a paid ad because you can see if the response you are getting is worth the cost.
If you are not using SiteBuildIt, you can use a tracking service, such as AdMinder (located at
http://www.adminder.com/ ) . They charge $29.95 per month to create and track these special links for you.
Offline Promotion
To help promote your website you will want to put your web address on everything. Rule of thumb: if your phone number is on it, your web address should be on it too. For example:
Free Publicity
One of the most powerful methods of offline promotion is also the most underused - the press release. Getting your name in the newspaper is not only free advertising, it is the best advertising. People are skeptical when they read an ad. But when they read a newspaper article they accept what they read as fact.
Don't be fooled into thinking that only large companies or big time publicity firms can use press releases. It isn't rocket science. And the very worst that can happen is that your press release ends up in an editor's trash can. You've lost nothing except a few minutes time and some paper, but you have much to gain.
First you need to find an angle - something that makes you newsworthy. Maybe you've been chosen to work on a high-profile local project. Or you can organize a charity event around a business related theme - for example, planting trees for Arbor Day if you are a landscaper. (Be sure to keep it tasteful if you are promoting a charity event. Promote the event, not yourself. Just mention your name and your website.)
Top quality, professional information is available from "retired" press release writer Alice Seba.
In fact, you are most likely reading this report because you (or someone you know) read about it in a trade publication. And that publication learned about this report from a press release I created using Alice Seba's Press Release Profits.
The Press Release Profits
course includes not only a book but also audio and video instruction, sample press releases and a press release template that can be customized to your needs. Learn more here: http://press-release.3-18.com
Viral Marketing
This is one virus that you do want to catch. Viral marketing is a new word for an idea that has been around forever - generating word of mouth.
Businesses have been giving away small items with their names on it for over a century. But the internet has added a new twist - digital items (ebooks, special reports, software, etc.) can be copied and re-copied, again and again, and end up all over the world.
To take advantage of this you need to create some kind of digital product (a special report, etc.) that you can brand with your name. Then give it away to your customers and everyone you know. If it is interesting enough, they will pass it on to their friends who will pass it on the their friends, etc.
To download the free e-book How To Start Your Own Traffic Virus by online marketing expert Terry Dean click here:
http://downloads.3-18.com/tdtraffic.exe(Note: This e-book will only work on a Windows computer, not a Mac. Sorry!)
Free Business Promotion Course
How To Skyrocket The Sales And Profits Of Your Service Business - 29 Closely Guarded Secrets Revealed by Steve Hackney is a top notch primer on cost-effectively promoting your business.
To get your free mini-course simply click on the link below and you will receive the course as a series of emails:
http://www.powermarketingstrategy.com/a/?id=EC5EAA&b=1
Mr. Hackney's mini-course is a full 51 pages long. It reveals all of his hard won trade secrets. Many of these are free to use and most are very easy to apply.
If you run a service business I urge you to send for this mini-course. It is the culmination of over 10 years of research that cost over $800,000 to compile. So I encourage you to sign up for this email course while it is still free.
DISCLAIMER AND/OR LEGAL NOTICES: While all attempts have been made to verify information provided in this book, the Author assumes no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions. If advice concerning legal or related matters is needed, the services of a qualified professional should be sought. This book is not intended for use as a source of legal, accounting or general business advice.