SEARCH MARKETING TIPS
Running out of ideas? These tips could help attract more visitors and retain existing customers
Note: This article is extracted from Yahoo! Small Business newsletter (US), Insights.
A few years ago, promoting your web site was easy. You placed three lines of code called meta tags on the top of your home page and submitted the page to free search engines or directories. Times have changed. Web site promotion has become a time-consuming project, but these 12 tips can help your business web site find, and keep, prospective customers.
Build a Strong Business Web Site
| 1. |
Be consistent and brand your company. Use the same colours, logo and motto throughout your web site. |
| 2. |
Offer added values on your site that make sense to your business and prospective customers. These can include affiliate programmes, books and links to recommended web sites. |
| 3. |
Add a "Favourites" or "Bookmark this Site" script to some of your pages. |
| 4. |
On larger business web sites, create a "What's New" page or, even better, design a site map for your visitors. |
Search Engine Submission Tips
A majority of your business web site traffic will come from search engines. Search engines look for certain things like titles, headings and meta tags, so it is crucial to make sure your site is search engine friendly. Keep these search engine submission tips in mind:--
| 5. |
Title tags: aware of the character limits of the title tags and insert relevant keywords where appropriate. |
| 6. |
Some search engines recognize header tags, so make sure that you use these tags for each of the titles on your page. |
| 7. |
Keyword meta tags: aware of the character limits to keep search engines from flagging your site for keyword spamming. Prioritize your words. |
Web Site Promotion Tips
Making sure that your business web site is search engine friendly is only one aspect of web site promotion. To further promote your web site:
| 8. |
Find easy and secure ways for your clients to provide payment. A shopping cart and a secure way to accept checks and credit cards work well. |
| 9. |
Check your web site's links regularly to ensure they work. |
| 10. |
Include your web site address on all your printed literature: business cards, brochures, newsletters, letterhead, e-mail signature, advertisements etc. |
| 11. |
Promote your web address in your email signature (change it regularly to highlight something new that you're promoting). |
| 12. |
Send a press release to the media, clients, friends and associates when your web site is launched or updated. |
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