11 Tips what to do after your site goes live
You have worked hard with your web designer and your site has gone live. You now need to ensure your wonderful new website is found!
Here are a eleven top tips to get your site working for you:
1. Local Business Links
Look for other websites which will provide links to your site. As well as looking nationally, it helps to request links from local businesses which are complementary to yours in the areas where your business operates. For example if you offer transcription services, you could approach a website selling transcription equipment.
2. Free Listings
You can create a free listing for your local business on Google Maps and Yahoo Local . Your business will then show up on a map when people search locally in your area.
3. You Tube
If you have a video, you can promote this, images and audio content via You Tube. Google's "universal search" displays not only web page content, but also relevant listings for images, videos, local businesses and audio clips. For example, if you were to create an informative video explaining what your business offers and upload it to YouTube www.youtube.com you could see a lot of additional traffic coming your way.
4. Incoming Links
As Google (and other major search engines) rate the number of quality incoming links to your website as an important indicator of relevance, additional links will help you rank higher in the search engines. It is important however to ensure you include only links from those sites which are both popular and can be trusted.
5. Online Directories
Submit your site to online directories. A directory is a website listing which is sorted according to specific category and subcategory. You can list your site in the free Open Directory Project www.dmoz.com and in the Yahoo Directory
6. Industry Specific Directories
If you belong to various trade associations which have member directories, ask them for a link too. You may have to pay for this option but the more links you have, the higher your page rank will be!
7. Complementary Links
It’s a good idea to send a personal e-mail to the contact listed on the site where you would like your link featured. However, do remember to link from complementary sites as Google determines what your site is about, who you link to and who links to you. Not just any link will do, it’s quality links you’re after. Persistence will pay off in the end so don’t be tempted to give up!
8. Articles
Write articles for others to use in their newsletters. You can increase your online visibility if you write articles about subjects within your area of expertise and send them to editors as free content for their e-mail newsletters or websites. Don't forget to ask them to provide a link to your website and a short description of what you are selling or the services you offer. There is an abundance of information on how to do this available from one of the many article marketing sites.
9. Press Releases
To broadcast newsworthy events, you can send press releases to various journalists who work within your specific industry. The links to your site contained within online news articles should improve the amount of traffic to your website.
10. Start Writing a Blog
If you offer regular informative content and comments on other forums and blogs, people are likely to link to your website via your blog, thereby increasing your website's page rank.
11. Social Media Marketing
By setting up Twitter, Facebook and Linked-In accounts (to name just three) and regularly posting credible content via your online profiles, you can develop and build a following of people who are interested in the tips and expertise you can offer in your specific field. By attracting interest in this way you are encouraging people to visit your website where they can gain more valuable information.
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Why an Online Marketing Strategy is important when planning a website
You have decided you need a website and you want as many visitors as possible - but where to start?
Arrange to meet your marketing people, or, if you don't have marketing people, re-visit your marketing plan. Your online marketing strategy should form part of your overall marketing plan, so if you haven't included it, that is a good place to start.
Consider the message you are trying to get across. For example, do you sell quality sportswear with the emphasis on "quality"? If so, you will want to think about your objectives and the content you need to produce to ensure your website is going to attract more visitors who are looking for quality (rather than quantity).
In addition to your website, an online Marketing Strategy encompasses:
• Blog Articles (your very own opportunity to prove your expertise in your field)
• Social media (Twitter, Linked-In, Facebook, etc)
• Links
Here are some important factors to consider when planning your website:
1. Time
Some people think either that a website takes a couple of days to build WRONG or that it can take for as long as 12 months WRONG AGAIN!
It only takes a long time to complete a website when decisions are delayed. A successful website requires proper planning and this all takes time, but certainly not as long as 12 months.
To assist in the process, you need to:
- Be available to explain clearly exactly what you have in mind to your web designer (and don't be afraid to ask questions)
- Respond with quick decisions if queries crop up along the way
- Make it easy and straightforward for your web-designer to be able to update your site as you add to your services or product ranges
2. Your niche market
Before you start you need to really think about what it is you offer that makes your clients buy from you. List these positives as bullet points and build on them to create your site.
Don't forget that your website is your opportunity to show off your talents within a portfolio by showcasing examples of your work or products which are backed up by testimonials from clients.
3. Blog Posts
By writing blog articles incorporating some keywords which are relevant to your website, you will be able to hold the interest of readers and entice them to read more about you and your products and services on your website. Visitors who have read your blog and then come to your website, are considered warm leads which are already presold and will more than likely convert into leads and either purchase your product or will get in touch with you.
A blog will also help your search engine optimisation and search engine ranking as every blog post creates a new page which is full of keywords.
4. Social Media
It doesn't stop there! You need to think about which social media networks are appropriate for you and your business. Twitter is a great way to share knowledge by providing others with recommendations and links to useful websites. Linked-In is a great tool for connecting with like-minded professionals whilst Facebook might be totally inappropriate for your business. There might also be social media networks that are relevant for your industry and it could be worth joining them, so do some research.
After your website is live, updating your social media with tweets and useful comments (schedule these in your calendar if you don't already) will encourage people to read your blog which, in turn, will get people interested in your website where you can really show them what you and your business are about by show-casing your work and testimonials.
5. Links
Once your website has gone live, you can list it on some of the many online directories and business sites. The more links you have coming in to your website the better. However, don't be tempted to provide links to other websites unless they are important to your site and add value to your overall strategy.
To ensure you remain popular online it really is crucial these days to continually provide useful and interesting articles and blogs for your readers and website visitors.
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