Web site promotion for FREE!

Search engine submissions are the main method of promoting your site to the internet audience, and will be for some considerable time. Now you could embark upon an expensive promotional campaign using radio, t.v. and newspapers advertising if you want to push your site even further, but unless you're rolling in it, why bother?

There are lots of ways that you can promote your web site to a bigger audience, with hardly any expense. Don't believe us? The following web site promotion suggestions cost little, if anything at all!

The golden rule!

The first rule of web site promotion!

Your web site address should appear on 'everything' that leaves your building.
And by that, we mean ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING!!!!

This includes letterheads, compliment slips, business cards, envelopes, invoices, receipts, brochures, flyers, catalogues, statements, proposals, cheques, press releases, wrapping and packaging, signage on delivery vans, car stickers, staff uniforms & sweatshirts. The lot.

If you have lots of stationary that hasn't been used yet, and can't afford a re-run to incorporate the new site details, have a cheap rubber stamp made, saying something like "Last minute news - Visit our new website at www.yoursite.co.uk". Then get stamping!

The pick list of ideas

• Contact the webmasters of sites run by your suppliers, or non-competing complimentary sites, and ask for reciprocal links. This way you get to share traffic.
• Better still, negotiate joint promotions on complimentary services, with the company directly.
• Get listed with relevent trade associations. Not sure who they are? Well don't re-invent the wheel, just go visit your competitors sites, and see who they're linked to. Voila!
• Any event you sponsor, hold yourself, or organise, should have the web address displayed big and bold for all to see, right under your company name, right above the podium/stage.
• Every conversation you have with your clients and prospectives, should be used to plant the site in their thoughts.
• To make your site visits really ramp up, write articles about items on your site that you think may be of interest to specific audiences, and submit them to relevent magazines for publication.
• Give something away for free!
• Give something away with the 1st 100 orders placed via site enquiries.
• Give a prize to the 1,000th enquiry.

• Hold an online quiz about your company, with answers hidden in the text of the site. Then offer a prize to the first correct entry drawn out of a hat.
• Answer queries posted on Usenet newsgroups that relate to your product/service. Tell them there is more information about this at your web site, and include your web address in your e-mail signature' line.
• Write something that your target audience might find useful, then ask them to subscribe to see it. News gets around.
• Send out a newsletter to all subscribed e-mails that you have collected, highlighting new items on the site as well as your normal business promotions.
• Offer discounts for orders placed via the web site.
• Tell customers that repeat orders can be placed, and will be dealt with quicker, if ordered via the site. Then implement the forms, and back up this claim.
• Offer information in client only areas. The curious will be intrigued.
• Hold a competition for your staff. Give a prize to the employee who manages to get your web address displayed in the most prominent place.
• Phone up radio chat shows, and drop it into the conversation. Free radio advertising!
• Join in the larger chat forums, and drop it into the conversations. Don't go overboard here, or you will be flamed.

Use every single opportunity that you can to promote your site. You are ultimately promoting your business.