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Archive for February 5th, 2010
Six Free and Easy Ways to Advertise your Site
You new website is built; you are ready for the masses to max out your bandwidth. But wait, they don’t know that you even exist.
Most do not know that it can take search engines several weeks, months and sometimes years to list your site in the top 10 especially if you are going for a highly competitive keyword or phrase.
I have put together a short and easy list of some things you can do now to help get your site some visitors and possibly push your site closer to the top of the search engines.
1. List your web address on all of your ads, business cards, letterhead etc. That is usually the first place people will go to check you out before doing business with you.
2. Include your web address in your company’s e mail signature line. When you send out or replay to e mails people will see your link.
3. If you have a feedback form on your website market it to your existing clients and customers. You could offer a coupon that comes up after the form is submitted. Don’t forget to ask if they want to join your newsletter list.
4. If you participate in online forums add your link in your signature line. If the forum is related to your keyword or phrase this could also improve your site’s ranking with the search engines. If you are not participating in online forums and blogs start it now.. Get interactive in your marketing efforts. Look for forums and blogs that are industry specific to your type of business. As you interact on these forums and blogs people check you out by clicking on your link in your signature line. Don’t forget to also complete your profile on these forums.
5. If you attend marketing events, seminars, classes when you exchange cards or talk to people about your business ask if they mind if you send them an e mail every now and again. You would be surprised at how many will say yes and appreciate the fact that you asked permission first.
6. If you are an existing business just now getting your business online let your existing customer base know it. Some have created a page just for this. They make a page that isn’t linked from the rest of the site and asks those exiting customers or clients to enter their e mail address in exchange for a 10% coupon their next order.
There are many ways that you can market your site. Some of these may seem easy but sometimes we overlook the obvious. Get active and promote your site every chance you get.
Varsity Grille Re-Design
When Varsity Grille decided to take on a new concept this offered a challenge on the site. It was imperative that we captured “sports bar,” and relaxed atmosphere feel to the site that the restaurant gives when you come in. We achieved this result through graphics; in fact most of the writing on the background was taken from actual writing on the walls of the Tupelo and Oxford locations. This site also features a dynamic menu with an administrative back area.
Launch Date September 2009
Re-Design Date January 2010
Three easy ways to build customer satisfaction with your website.
As the newness of the internet has worn off it has become more of a tool that people use to both shop and socialize locally. How you use the internet to reach new customers and clients and service your existing client base will deeply depend on your type of business. Many of these can be tweaked to your business type.
1. Offer a survey -Offer your in-house customers a discount or a chance to win if they fill out a survey on your site. This can be 3 – 5 questions on what they thought of the service they received, the quality of products or services you offer. You can even ask open ended questions so they have more freedom to express themselves. You can use this data to improve your services of course but you can also use this information to stay in touch with your customer. There are many providers that offer the ability to create and post a poll on your website. I prefer Constant Contact’s polls options and the many capabilities that it offers. The next time you are running a sale you can e mail the details to them. If they really like the service you can use it as a testimony in your advertising or right there on the website.
2.Offer online specials – Offer a printable coupon that is only available on your website that your customers can print out and bring in to the store. Include an expiration date and change it often. Many retailers use this method of driving traffic.
3.Send out a newsletter – A newsletter is a permission based, direct connection with your clients or customers. You can send out news about a new product or service you are offering or announce a sale or event you are holding that weekend.