I just started my web-based business 2 months ago, and am patiently waiting for it to take off. I have been researching ways to increase traffic to my site and don't have the budget for buying ranks on yahoo seaches or any of that software that is out there. Besides real-time advertisement ie Word of mouth, flyers etc. What else can I do?
2006-09-24 13:15:28 · 10 answers · asked by supafly1018 2 in Business & Finance ➔ Small Business
I accidentally did that on some of my other postings then learned that it was a violation of YahooASK rules, so no, I will not list my website
2006-09-24 13:21:16 · update #1
Okay-details on the website: it involves admissions consulting, reviewing applications and editing essays, resumes etc. Most of my friends say that the site is great so I am not worried about the setup or presentation-- I need advice on how to promote my website without buying all of the extra stuff that is offered on the internet.
2006-09-24 13:24:51 · update #2
"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 programs such as Google Adwords http://www.google.com/adwords or Yahoo Search Marketing http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com – though the key is to carefully track your ROI and which keywords actually perform well
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.
http://www.prleap.com/sign_up.html
http://i-newswire.com/
http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/
http://www.pressbox.co.uk/cgi-bin/links/add.cgi
http://www.pr.com/press-releases
http://www.prfree.com/
http://www.clickpress.com/releases/index.shtml
http://www.theopenpress.com/
http://www.przoom.com/
http://www.prweb.com
http://www.newswiretoday.com/
http://www.free-press-release.com/
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/
2006-09-25 05:30:46 · answer #1 · answered by imisidro 7 · 13⤊ 0⤋
You really have 2 problems:
1) getting traffic
2) getting buyers ("conversions")
Obviously you need both to make money, but for now let's talk about getting traffic.
Who's the market? Describe your ideal customer - use actual people who have bought from you if you can. Maybe even call or send an email and ask if you can survey them. Who are they? How'd they find you? Why'd they buy your stuff? What else do they buy? What other websites do they visit? Learn as much about them as you can. Also check your server logs, see where traffic is coming from now, what search words are finding you, etc.
There's a lot of SEO stuff you can do for free on your own, like writing short articles, sending out press releases, making postings in discussion forums. Just make sure you target the keywords that are right for your site.
Start reading up on SEO - there's a lot of free information out there, and if you go to the public library and use the "interlibrary loan" service, you can get more, for free.
Good luck,
Scott
2006-09-24 13:29:28 · answer #2 · answered by scott.braden 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Admissions consulting?
That's an area with a lot of potential, if you know what you're doing.
Be sure to talk about success stories on your website ... how many kids you helped to get perfect SAT scores, how many you helped to get into Princeton, MIT, Stanford and Harvard, how many you helped to win full scholarships, etc.
Oh ... you haven't done any of those things? Well, why would anybody pay you instead of just using their high school counselor for free?
You could make a lot of money in this field, but you need to offer real value for your services.
Concentrate first on developing a really good website, with lots of useful information and links.
After you have that done, then start calling attention to yourself.
One good way is with a blog about college admissions issues. Use the proper blogging tools (Blogger is a good one), and make it easy for search engines to find your website, and traffic will come ... but there needs to be something good there when the visitors look at it.
Good luck!
2006-09-24 13:18:29 · answer #3 · answered by Jim 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The advantage of the internet is that there are no overheads in terms of premises, utility bills etc. The downside is, every man and his dog have cottoned on to this, and the internet is FLOODED with companies, all vieing for the customers. Good markets to get into are - electronics, jewellery, luxury goods etc, but it is always best to sell something you personally are interested in, otherwise, you are likely to get bored!
2016-03-18 00:55:05 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can do one thing write some articles based on your site's theme and submit to article directories. Be sure to add a short bio at the end referring your site address. It's works just do it out.
2006-09-24 23:00:33 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go to this website and download the two reports, they will give some inside into traffic building, seo etc:
http://www.thedeathofadsense.com/cgi-bin/go.cgi/15399
It will also be helpful to diversify your on-line ventures so that you do not have to wait for 2 months. Here is something to consider:
http://www.vortexmarketinggroup.com/rp/?id=206318
2006-09-24 13:34:28 · answer #6 · answered by Bulldog 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What type of 'business' ? Your product ? Service ?
more info. pls
2006-09-24 13:21:14 · answer #7 · answered by pappy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Write articles about your business and submit them to article directories.
2006-09-24 13:26:06 · answer #8 · answered by reallyconfuzzled1 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try Yellowpages.com. Works for me. They list you on AOL YELLOW, Yahooyellowpages, switcboard.com, and smartpages.com.
2006-09-25 02:52:04 · answer #9 · answered by Jim 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
www.freewebs.com/bhasquin is a good source of advertising
2006-09-24 13:24:37 · answer #10 · answered by bhasquin 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋