Advertising Approach For The First-time Webmaster
by: Royan Shaw
For the first time internet entrepreneur [newbie] the best ways to promote your
website at first instance are :
1. Express inclusion of your website for the usual 12 months offered by most of
the major search engines. You can choose express inclusion for askjeeves,
inktomi, altavista,msn etc but keep in mind to have your site submitted to the
local index of your region. For example if you reside in Toronto, Canada and you
are submitting for express inclusion in the DMOZ or Canada.com search
engine/directory you must ensure that your site is indexed in the Toronto's
business and economy directory. Get your site in the local index first things
first.
If your submission listing includes the regional version of the DMOZ directory
then thats good enough to go. One point to note is that many of the major search
engines and directories actually inter-relate that is they search across each
other's database therefore submitting to only one major engine or directory will
satisfice for the Internet Marketing beginner.
2. Next, the most overlooked approach for the first-time website owner is the
maximisation of the benefit of offline marketing methods. Promote your website
in exactly the same way you would have promoted a normal business by telling
everyone about it. Word of mouth is still the best way to promote a new
business. Put your motto and logo along with your url address on everything from
a pin to an anchor. From stationery, pens, letterheads, postcards,
flyers,posters, in your usual email, the list goes on... You may consider
placing classified ads in the local newspapers. Run other programs such as
sponsoring quizzes, prize competitions, trivia and other participating programs
with your website address. You might ask readers to submit the answer to a quiz
by visiting you website. Anything that gets the local community to know that
your website exists. You can do it !!
FACT : You have to make it local before you go global.
Most start-up webmasters usually make the mistake on concentrating on those
numerous ways to promote their site and become confused on deciding what works
best. What works best can only be determined by careful evaluation of each and
every advertising scheme in use on the web today :
Publisher/advertisers programs
Banner exchanges
Exit ads
Pay-Per-Click
Link Exchanges
Search engine blasting
FFa, classified ad posting
Rotator pages
_JavaScript based pop-ups etc
10.Express submit to search engines
11.Search Engine Optimisation
12.Adwords by Google
13. Others
Its interesting to note that no seller of the above services except for Google
and the other search engine services has ever took the time to evaluate your
website to decide whether or not your site is most suitable to fit the
advertising package they are offering. The best approach is to evaluate,
evaluate, evaluate. Not everything out there works for everybody in every
instant. Test your website across every platform say 10000 visitor package each
and assess the outcome one by one.
Some will work better than others but the ones returning the higher rate of
response doesn't necessarily mean they are the most profitable unless they each
cost exactly the same per 1000 visitor. What I had recommended in the first two
paragraphs above should work best for the first-timer and is the most prudent
approach.
Be careful when trying to find the best way of advertising, Don't be caught up
in the Internet Marketing clutter out there as every you come in contact with
will tell you the advertising method they sell is the best. Ignore
whatever testimony you see written on these webpages, use these services under a
trial based approach before you order that 100000 package or start paying that
monthly subscription.
Any method you are interested in should be test and proven in quality. Careful
tjought and consideration should be given in order to plan, make decisions and
control your business operating expenses. What works for seasoned campaigners of
Internet Marketing does'nt necessary works in the same way for the starter.
Your website is unique just like your fingerprint and its now
your duty to determine the most economic,effective and efficient approach in
promoting it.
R. Urien Shaw
Webmarketing Financial
http://www.royanopia.co.uk/
R. Urien Shaw is a contributor to the WebMarketing Financial Newsletter and
the developer of the 43-21 Budgeting Strategy. He is currently a final year
student reading for the B.sc in Applied Accounting in London.
