Too many people have been led to believe that if you build a website, and put it online, that visitors (and sales) will begin rolling in within minutes of it going live.
The truth of the matter is that a website is just like any other business in that starting the business is only half of the equation.
So, let's cut through the hype and find out exactly what you can do to drive more traffic to your site.
Promote yourself online
Think of your website as a specialty store that's not in the middle of a busy downtown, or mall. Sure, you'll get a few people who straggle in, but you're not going to get the customer base you need to survive unless you get the word out that you're there.
A good place to begin promoting yourself online is to list your site with directories like Yahoo and DMOZ. These directories function much like the yellow pages in the phone book, and people often go to these places first when they're looking for something specific.
Another great way to drum up business is to go where your potential customers are. If you were a chiropractor, you might go to the local gym and pass out flyers. In the online world, you can join forums that are relative to your business. Put your site's URL in your signature, and every time you post in the forum, people will see your website.
An important thing to remember when posting in forums is to be an active participant and not a spammer. Participating in the discussions will earn people's trust, while spamming will get you banned.
The importance of linking
Getting a link to your website on a high-traffic site will be a tremendous boost to your business, and one-way links are heavily valued by the search engines.
Also, consider becoming an active commentator on popular websites that are similar to yours. Leaving well-thought, relevant comments lets people see that you know your stuff, and you can almost always leave a link back to your site in your comment.
Links to your site should also be placed at the ends of articles, newsletters or other materials you create for people to read. Articles can be submitted to article directories where many people go to find information. Having a link to your site is a great way to direct them to you.
Take advantage of paid searches
What a paid search ad does is ensure that when people are searching for what you're offering, an ad for your business appears in their browser window.
The most popular paid search system is Google's Adwords. Adwords is very easy to set up, and you can set your ads according to your budget. You can get more traffic to your website from Adwords ads than from traditional searches.
Dress for success
When you're in business, it's important to look like you're a competent professional who knows what she's doing. The same is true for your website.
If your site is sloppy, then people probably are not going to want to do business with you, which is why it's vital that you either have your site done by a professional designer, or at least use a professionally designed template.
No substitute for hard work
You may have been led to believe that all you have to do is build a website, toss it up online, and watch the money roll in. There are plenty of people (and other websites) that claim almost exactly that.
But the truth is that, while there's plenty of success to be had in the online world, that success has to be earned the old fashioned way - with a unique idea and a lot of elbow grease.
- Nina Menezes
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