Making Sure Your Web Site Isn't MIA

It’s quite a feeling when your company’s Web site is finally up and running.

The 21st century provides unparalleled opportunities for reaching prospective customers worldwide. Just think of it: when before in the history of the civilization has it been possible to publish a document or advertisement that can be viewed by literally anyone in the world? Your Web site is accessible to any interested bloke with a computer and an online connection (and even on some mobile phones). It could be perused by the British Prime Minister, a Swedish watch manufacturer or underground refugees in China – all at the same time!

Of course ideally, it will be viewed by prospective customers.

But there’s one caveat:  your site will never get any hits if your potential customers can’t find it.

Your site may run circles around your competitor’s. It may have the quickest loadup, the best animation and the interactivity that would instantly hook any curious surfer who might casually drop by. But if they don’t already know your site address – and chances are, new customers won’t – they’ll never knock on your virtual door. How can they? They have to find you first!

But take heart! Below are some effective tips that will help you generate some online publicity for your site and get it out where prospectives can finally see what you have to offer!

TIP #1: SEARCH ENGINES ARE YOUR FRIENDS

Google. Yahoo. MSN. Excite. Altavista. They’re all search engines that are important to you for one solid reason: they assist people in finding your site. How? Let’s say you own a company that provides consulting services for start-up businesses in the pharmaceuticals industry. Assuming your site is properly tagged, the Google search engine would list your site whenever a user performs a Google search on the terms “consulting” and “pharmaceutical”.

So how do you make the search engines aware of your site? Most search engines such as Google and Yahoo have instructions on how you can manually submit your site information. You need to first know and apply a list of search terms that have relevance to your site, however. Having a designer who knows the importance of adding relevant and important key words to your page titles, descriptions and text is of primary importance. Then, it generally takes a few weeks for the search engine to review your manual site submission before your site appears in new searches, but the result is one way to eventually point people in your direction!

Visit the links below to submit your site to Google, Yahoo and MSN search engines, respectively.

http://www.google.com/addurl/?continue=/addurl

http://search.yahoo.com/info/submit.html

http://search.msn.com/docs/submit.aspx

TIP #2: LINKS ARE THE KEY TO EXPOSURE

When it comes to generating traffic to your Web site, sometimes your greatest allies are, well, your friends. By placing a link to your site on their own Web pages, your friends, colleagues and other contacts in the industry can drive visitors your way. 

How does this work? Let’s revisit the case of the company that provides consulting for pharmaceutical startups. Who would be likely to provide a link to that site? Doctors are one group that would likely be willing to provide a link, as would pharmaceutical manufacturers. Insurance companies, manufacturers of medical supplies and nursing schools may also be safe bets.

One important thing to consider:  as a token of goodwill, many of these companies may ask you to include a link to their site on your Web page. It’s important to return the favor. Be generous – whenever possible – when these requests come up. This is called “back linking” and is one of the most important ways to increase rankings in search engines so your site starts showing up more.

TIP #3: DON'T FORGET TRADITIONAL ADVERTISING!!

It’s the 21st century.  Online communication is growing at an astounding rate and has already overtaken print advertising, yet amazingly, companies often still forget to plug their Web sites.

In today’s world, your Web address is a VITAL part of the way you do business. It’s just as important as your business address, your telephone number and your fax number. (If you use your Web address as your email address, then you get a double whammy for Web advertising.) Every piece of corporate literature should mention the Web address. It should appear on envelopes, stationery, brochures, business cards, product information sheets, direct mailings, newsletters, annual reports – anything produced that bears your company’s name and logo.

Your Web address has value. An entire industry exists around trading and selling Web addresses – some of which can sell for millions of dollars. They recognize the importance of marketing a site. Shouldn’t your company?

TIP #4: USE INTERACTIVITY TO KEEP THEM COMING BACK

Think about the sites you visit on a regular basis. What keeps you coming back? Chances are those sites are not only providing you with relevant or entertaining information, but they also get you involved in the process. And the most interesting sites are updated regularly so the information is always correct.

The most successful Web sites are the interactive ones. They provide some means – whether it is through a newsletter, messageboard, blog or contest – of enabling the user to be a part of the information process.

Blogs with comment areas are particularly effective. Everyone loves to be published, and a messageboard provides a medium for users to post their comments and opinions on the industry in an area that is likely to be read by others in the field. It can also help to generate repeat traffic, as many visitors will return – if only to see what kind of responses their comments received.

These are just some of the ways you can draw traffic to your Web site. For more information on how corecubed can improve your online presence, visit us online at www.corecubed.com, contact us at 1-800-370-6580, x5 or email us at info@corecubed.com. Whether you require a new Web site, want to revamp your old site, or need assistance with search engine optimization, corecubed will make sure your business doesn’t become “missing in action”.

corecubed.com
800-370-6580 ext.#1
info@corecubed.com

© 2007 corecubed