As an Internet consultant, strategist and developer for over 20 years, one of the greatest concerns I hear from my small business customers is that building traffic to their Web site is too great a task, particularly as more Web sites compete for online consumers and strategies have become more and more technical over the years.
If you share these same concerns, my advice to you is to start where youre comfortable, and grow from there. There are many actions you can take to build your Web site traffic that dont involve any internet know-how or expertise. Here are three options:
1. Spread the Word. Tell the world about your Web site. Strangely, people seem to overlook this easy yet powerful resource. Perhaps they think that their Web site is too simple compared to some of the more extensive sites they have seen. Others just disregard this valuable source of information for people interested in learning about your product or service. Be proud of your Web site and let every person you talk to know why they should visit it.
2. T-Shirts. Have a black t-shirt made with your Web site address displayed in yellow, gold or silver. I used to wear a suit whenever attending or speaking at workshops or seminars. Now I wear a really nice long sleeve shirt with an embroidered HereNextYear logo on the left front. Along the back collar, www.HereNextYear.com displays. Whenever I attend a seminar, I make sure to sit in the front 5 rows toward the middle. When I do, there is always someone who approaches me at break asking what HereNextYear is about.
This is not an area to try to save money. It can be some of the most impressive focused PR you can spend money on. Buy a high quality shirt and have it professionally embroidered with your logo. It is one of the best expenditures you will ever make to spread the word about your Web site and build traffic.
3. Give-a-Away Premiums. Have pens, magnets, cups or other small items available to give away to anyone you see. If possible, find something related to your Web site. Dentists might give away toothbrushes, and financial advisors might hand out small calculators. Remember the whole point is to provide a reminder to your prospects and customers that your business exists. So be sure to display your Web site address on all those items.
4. Business Card. Sure, you have probably been using business cards long before your Web site existed. But the purpose of these business cards is to do nothing else but to get your prospective customers to visit you on the Web. Consider offering a free report with information of value to your customers when they visit your site. Advertise the free report on your business card with the Web site address they should visit. Give a card to everyone you meet and post one on every bulletin board you see.
It is true that there are more ideas for building traffic to your Web site than most business owners know what to do with, and many of them require technical knowledge that many people must learn. However, it is critical to keep in mind that many of the most effective actions are the same approaches people have been successfully using for years and years. Personal publicity can still be one of the best ways to build traffic, and it is simple to start using this plan of action immediately.
If you share these same concerns, my advice to you is to start where youre comfortable, and grow from there. There are many actions you can take to build your Web site traffic that dont involve any internet know-how or expertise. Here are three options:
1. Spread the Word. Tell the world about your Web site. Strangely, people seem to overlook this easy yet powerful resource. Perhaps they think that their Web site is too simple compared to some of the more extensive sites they have seen. Others just disregard this valuable source of information for people interested in learning about your product or service. Be proud of your Web site and let every person you talk to know why they should visit it.
2. T-Shirts. Have a black t-shirt made with your Web site address displayed in yellow, gold or silver. I used to wear a suit whenever attending or speaking at workshops or seminars. Now I wear a really nice long sleeve shirt with an embroidered HereNextYear logo on the left front. Along the back collar, www.HereNextYear.com displays. Whenever I attend a seminar, I make sure to sit in the front 5 rows toward the middle. When I do, there is always someone who approaches me at break asking what HereNextYear is about.
This is not an area to try to save money. It can be some of the most impressive focused PR you can spend money on. Buy a high quality shirt and have it professionally embroidered with your logo. It is one of the best expenditures you will ever make to spread the word about your Web site and build traffic.
3. Give-a-Away Premiums. Have pens, magnets, cups or other small items available to give away to anyone you see. If possible, find something related to your Web site. Dentists might give away toothbrushes, and financial advisors might hand out small calculators. Remember the whole point is to provide a reminder to your prospects and customers that your business exists. So be sure to display your Web site address on all those items.
4. Business Card. Sure, you have probably been using business cards long before your Web site existed. But the purpose of these business cards is to do nothing else but to get your prospective customers to visit you on the Web. Consider offering a free report with information of value to your customers when they visit your site. Advertise the free report on your business card with the Web site address they should visit. Give a card to everyone you meet and post one on every bulletin board you see.
It is true that there are more ideas for building traffic to your Web site than most business owners know what to do with, and many of them require technical knowledge that many people must learn. However, it is critical to keep in mind that many of the most effective actions are the same approaches people have been successfully using for years and years. Personal publicity can still be one of the best ways to build traffic, and it is simple to start using this plan of action immediately.
About the Author:
Marty Dickinson is the founder of HereNextYear.com which has helped small business founders on the Internet for over 10 years. He is also the author of Web Marketing All In One Reference For Dummies. To find out even more Web site traffic builders that you can start using today, get your free report: 101 Ways to Get More Web Site Traffic by visiting 101TrafficMethods.com
No comments:
Post a Comment