Many of my new clients assume that SEO is the one and only solution for your website. I'm afraid this isn't so. Although SEO can bring you the traffic you may have been missing and giving to your competitors, your site still needs ongoing attention to grow.
Repeat After Me: My Website is a Journey — Not a Destination.
Here are some things you should consider.
Social Media & When to Use it
All the social networking tools below are great, but only if you are consistent and check & participate often. See which ones are right for you and your business.The #1 social site and pretty sweet if you are looking to target college students, moms, and other consumer types. Facebook has pages for businesses in which people who dig you can become a fan and receive updates. Read more on TopTenReviews.
#2 next to Facebook, Myspace is great if you are targeting a younger audience or if you are targeting business owners who are targeting a younger audience. Not for the professional blogger, but great for networking. Read more at TopTenReviews
Wordpress has more capabilities like an internal username and password system, but Google owns Blogger and is undeniably biased in the search engines. Pick which one is right for you. Check out this comparison.
I was late to jump on the bandwagon, but this is an awesome business tool to network with those in your industry, get followers, and spread the news. You can also install widgets on your website that shows your twitter status updates. Less than 14% of children use twitter, so this is certainly a more mature networking tool. I highly recommend it.
Linked In
If you are a business owner, you should be on Linked In. It's is an interconnected network of experienced professionals. You can find, be introduced to, and collaborate with qualified professionals that you need to work with to accomplish your goals.
Online & Advertising
Pay per click ads, banner ads, etc. If you are a woman, you should look into advertising on women network sites and join women groups. If you are a restaurant, think of advertizing on your local city website.
Email Signatures for All Staff Members
This seems like a no brainer, but you would be surprised at how many people don't have email signatures. Put in your name, company, phone number, email address, and yes — your website!
Link backs
The more sites that link to you, the better. Find reputable sites in your industry and have them link to your site. Don't forget to link back!
Update Your Website
Keep your website recent and fresh. The search engines will find your site more credible and will thank you for it.
Send Email Blasts
Update and provide your clients with interesting and up-to-date information. Don’t forget to draw them to your website for more information! Try to be consistent and not overload them with an email every day. The rule of thumb is twice a week, max.
Hold a Contest or Giveaway
Hold a contest or giveaway a prize to one lucky winner. This will get people talking and get people to come to your site.
Offline Advertising
Consider these offline advertising options to spread the word. Everything you do is an opportunity to market your website.- Voicemail
- Signs
- Business cards
- Letter head
- Newsletters
- Fax cover sheets, etc
Announce the Launch or Redesign of Your Site.
Got questions? Please don't hesitate to contact me for more information!
This is a great list. One thing I might also mention is to track responses. Tracking responses can help you to know where in general to focus your efforts, as well as what specifics to focus on within those focused efforts. In direct mail, faxes, ads, etc., use codes that recipients can fill in when they buy or register on your site. In email, web advertising, and social network marketing, use specialized links. If you don't have the capability to use trackable links through your website, you can use links from a link-shortening site like bit.ly or ow.ly to see what links are being clicked. And don't forget to use analytics, such as Google Analytics, on your website to see where people come from and go to.
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