What is the best way to advertise a website?

Question

I manage a webstie www.brimz.com. For the last year I have tried differnt ideas for advertising the site. It just seem very difficult becasue the product is NEW to the market. I feel that consumers having not seen the product are wearer to buy it. I have done diret mailings, magazine ads (baseball magazines #1 marktet), banner ads, Yahoo search marketing (overture), and banner ads. The only one that has had a good return was the product reviews, but they were very time consuming and unstable. Also we are on a LOW budget for this. It is a start up company.

Answer 1

"If you build it, they will come" is not necessarily true on the Web. Putting a website up is one thing, but getting visitors to come to your site is another. The process becomes even more difficult if you have limited resources to market your business.

You can try pay per click advertising, but carefully monitor your ROI and make sure that your landing page will convert well. If the product is new, then you have to educate the market. Make them realize that they want and need this product.

Here are some shoestring marketing ideas that can help you get the visitors you need at the least cost possible:

1. Create the best content you can with the best products you can possibly offer. Your content is your best advertisement - if visitors love your content, then they will go back and spread the word to others.

2. Make it easy for users to recommend your site. Viral marketing is very important -- and easy to tap on the Web. But give your users the tools. Get a Recommend this Site script from websites such as cgiscripts.com and similar directories of scripts. Some even go as far as giving incentives to those who recommend the site to their friends. If only 10 people go to your site, but these 10 people invite 10 more - that's additional traffic that you get for FREE!

Recommend Site Scripts (various) http://php.resourceindex.com/Complete_Scripts/Website_Promotion/Recommend_Site/
Big Nose Bird Recommend this Site http://bignosebird.com/carchive/birdcast.shtml
CGI Resource Index http://cgi.resourceindex.com/Programs_and_Scripts/Perl/Website_Promotion/Recommend_Site/
Hostscripts http://www.hotscripts.com/PHP/Scripts_and_Programs/Site_Recommendation/index.html

3. Rank well in the search engines (organic search results, not the pay per click). SEs can be a big source of traffic. The key is to create the best content in your niche. If you have good content, other websites will gladly link to you and offer your site as a resource to their audience. Check the on-page factors and be sure to get linked from authority sites in your topic area.

If you are going to read only one piece on search engine optimization, I suggest you read Brett Tabke of WebmasterWorld.com's "Successful Site in 12 Months with Google Alone: 26 steps to 15k a day." http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum3/2010.htm

SEO for Google http://www.powerhomebiz.com/052006/google.htm
SEO for Yahoo! http://www.powerhomebiz.com/052006/yahoo.htm
SEO for MSN http://www.powerhomebiz.com/052006/msn.htm
Tying It Together: SEO For The Big Three http://www.powerhomebiz.com/052006/seo.htm

4. Send out press releases. While outfits charge as much as $650 per release, there are free press release submission places on the Web. Press releases allow you to (a) attract media attention; (b) get more back links to your website without sending each website an email request; and (c) get more visibility especially if your press release gets in Google News or Yahoo News. My website (see my profile) accepts free press release submission (no strings attached!)

5. Submit articles. Write articles and submit them to websites accepting author submissions. You get exposure for your business; establishes you as an authority in your field, and allows you to get backlinks for your website. If 50 websites publish your article and it contains a link back to your website, then you easily get 50 links from a single article. The more links you have, the greater your chances for increasing your search engine rankings.

Here is a comprehensive list of where to submit your articles http://answers.yahoo.com/question/;_ylt=AhzreGmnCUicOoyedqypscUjzKIX?qid=1006022407481

6. Improve your conversion. Getting visitors is one thing; getting them to buy your products is a whole different story. Read the article "10 Ways to Convert Visitors to Buyers" http://www.powerhomebiz.com/072005/conversion.htm for tips on how to improve your conversion rates.

7. Post a link to your site for free where it is allowed (always read the Terms of Use). Examples are:

Craigslist http://www.craigslist.com
Google Base http://base.google.com
Classifieds for Free http://www.classifiedsforfree.com/...
Text Link Exchange http://www.txtswap.com/
Recycler.com http://www.recycler.com/
Yahoo Classifieds http://classifieds.yahoo.com/
US Free Ads http://www.usfreeads.com/

http://www.powerhomebiz.com/guide/cases/ii-lexi.htm

Answer 2

You might consider using a meta tag .. if this product is something that a certain customer base would be looking for .. say, if it's for a car... in the meta tag that you build into the web site, you might insert words such as: "Cars, Car, driving, travel, tourists, touring,..." and so on .. any word that you might feel relates to the car. At the point where people do a search on yahoo or other search engines, when they type in "Wheels" .. if that is one of the words in your meta tag, your site will come up as one of their possible choices. Then if you have a good opening line for your web page, something catching, then they are more likely to pick your site to look at. Say the first words on your site were: "This car is going to change the future of cars for all of us.. and it costs less than a bicycle." That might make people curious when they see the link for your site on yahoo. There are also several places that will "add a link" .. if you research that on the web they are there. But I would really think of adding a meta tag if you haven't already to the programing of the web site. I may be telling you something you already know .. but at least it's an answer. ::smiles:: please be safe and well and good luck. -always ladyx

Answer 3

Google Ads.

If you are a local business, then you must seek local methods of advertising.

1. Bumper stickers
2. PAINT it on your car
3. Display website on your building.
4. Business Cards, E-mail signature, printed on Gift items, posters
5. Visit every public building and put up a poster on their free bulletin board.
6. Cross link from the town and Chamber of Commerce website.
7. Contact Eyecare professionals in your area and cross-link.
8. Contact Sporting good stores in your area and cross-link.

Are there 20,000 potential customers right in your community? Build on them first.

Answer 4

One word. Superpress.

http://www.superpress.com

Cheap. Multitude of options to choose from.

I know the owner. He's a very nice guy. Email 'em at [e-mail] and include in the email the phrase "Chad sent me."

Answer 5

pay per click campaigns are a good way to start. google or yahoo. just type it in the search bar

Answer 6

you could just make some flyers and put them up around the area.