Marketing Your Website in 5 Easy Steps
By Joel Black on 11/18/2010
Marketing your website is ever so important today to be found in the sea of information out there. There is no silver bullet, but there are some proven techniques that, if done over time consistently, will build momentum and make significant changes to your business.
Well, when I say 5 easy steps, for some it might not be so easy. Here is the key, get into a regular routine and it will become easy. If you look at everything in a whole, you will be overwhelmed. I stared out by challenging myself to to X over X amount of time. For me, it was a blog per month, then a blog per week, and now I am getting 2 a week in.
Listening
I have HEARD experts talk about an 80/20 rule. Spend 80% of your time listening, and 20% talking. So how do you spend so much time listening? I use Google Alerts. Every morning I have a few emails in my inbox with a list of anything new on the web talking about me or my company. Its a free service and its easy to use.
Create Content
You might have a website that talks about your business and services, but that content likely never changes and probably doesn’t answer anyones questions. Today people are searching for answers, and when they find someone that will answer their question, they gain a little respect and trust for that person. A blog is the perfect way to do this. Write about things you know and deal with everyday. You might be surprised at how much you know and take for granted.
Pushing Out Information
Whatever you do, if you do a lot of it, you have a great basis for a campaign. If your a photographer, there is Flickr. If your a blogger, it’s WordPress for you. Like shooting video? Produce some YouTube videos. We build content management systems, so I make a ‘how to’ tutorial for YouTube when I build a new system. It helps my customer and it gets me out there for the keywords as well. When you blog, Tweet, update your status on LinkedIn, add a video or do whatever is your thing, push it around on the other networks as well. If you have listened to others and built creditability by contributing content, people will be interested in your new assets.
Social Participation
A community is no longer a neighborhood. Your online community is the world. Participate in your community. If you know something and know it well, join a message board or forum. I am a member of a web development forum that I participate in daily. Just like I have asked hundreds of questions over the years, I now help others who have less experience, solve some of their issues.
Don’t Forget the Physical Relationship
Everyone is so involved in online networking and social networking ‘online’, I think we forget about the good old fashioned in person events. I went to an event this morning and met some great people. I try and go to an event at least once per week, and this is what I find. I can blog, tweet and Facebook until my fingers turn red, but it seldom produces a call that I can track. When I go to a physical event, I get at least 2 calls or emails before the next event. So even though its important to spend a lot of time and resources building online relationships, dont forget about the relationships in your neighborhood!
I have enjoyed this post, and hope you did as well. Would love to hear your feedback.
One response to “Marketing Your Website in 5 Easy Steps”
I have a problem with the overall premise of your article but I still think its really informative. I really like your other posts. Keep up the great work. If you can add more video and pictures can be much better. Because they help much clear understanding. 🙂 thanks Fritzheide.