How To Gain Free Or Low-Cost Advertising For Your Website -(aka Top 20 Ways To Promote Your Website)

As many of you know, when starting out in business online... the first thing you need is a website that is customer friendly and most importantly organic SEO friendly! Most of you have already gotten this far, especially if you have chosen me as your webmaster. After the website is created and you are "LIVE" on the net... you will need to promote your new website! Promote! Promote! And promote it some more! It's not easy... and it's a long process, but if you stick with it... YOUR WEBSITE WILL BECOME A SUCCESS!

Promoting (also known as advertising or marketing) your website is one of the MOST IMPORTANT parts of having a website on the net and it is also the most time consuming! Promoting your website is the only way you are going to get people to notice who you are, what you sell, and get to know you! Organic SEO is CRUCIAL ... it's so important... because your website will not effectively be ranked in the search engines without it... but PROMOTING YOUR WEBSITE IS THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS!

Many new business owners have a misconception that when they start a business, shoppers will just automatically come.... and THAT IS NOT TRUE. That might have been true 8 years ago... even 5 years ago... but it's NOT TRUE TODAY! Your website is not automatically visible on the web just because you opened it. The sales and traffic are not going to start flooding in just because your site exists. Please understand... SEO is the first step to your websites success but it's not the only step. I can not stress enough... you MUST do the work necessary to promote or market your website! Period! No one else is going to be able to do that for you! A brand new online business has to compete with thousands of competitors for the shopper's business! There are millions of businesses out there... just like yours. A new store that is just starting out is a small child in comparison to the millions of giant moguls on the web! THE WEB IS NOT AS SMALL AS IT USED TO BE 5 YEARS AGO... SEO is NOT the one and only thing that needs to be done when you have a business website online. It is just an extra tool to help search engines read what your website offers and allows it to rank you better in the search engines for your specific keyword search terms. Please understand that SEO IS NOT EVERYTHING YOU NEED.

So many website owners just don't realize how much work is really involved in promoting their websites and then just give up... they close their doors... without even giving their website a chance! That upsets me... because it's a loss for no reason but I do understand because without the understanding of just how important it is to promote your site... it is difficult to truly comprehend exactly what having a website on the net is really going to be like. I don't want to see this happen to you... that's why I am asking you to focus on reality. New online business website owners need to think realistically when creating a website... not give up hope... but be realistic... because rest assured... success with an online business website is possible through search engine optimization (SEO) and promoting your website!

So many new website owners become very confused... disenchanted... defeated... frustrated... discouraged... and even become unsure about how to go about promoting their website... just like I did when I first started my business long ago. Honestly... YOU ARE NOT ALONE! We all go through these kinds of feelings until we see the fruits of our labors show! SUCCESS! After waiting for my first sale for months and months... after expecting people to come and buy from me simply because I had a website on the net... after spending tons of money paying for expensive pay per click advertising (Google AdWords) and getting absolutely nowhere... I became very disenchanted... discouraged... and almost gave up! I started having alot of questions and wondering many things! I wondered if I was doing everything right! I wondered if there was anything more I could be doing to get my business up and going. I wondered if my business was ever going to take off at all! Why is it taking so long for me to see sales from my website? Am I doing enough? Why isn't my website showing up in the search engines? Why hasn't anyone tried to contact me through my website yet? When will orders start coming in? How do I get low cost or FREE advertising for my business? How do I get traffic to my website? How do I get my business' name out there so all can see? How to get people to purchase from me!?! The list of questions I had could go on forever...

In my years of experience... many people have asked me these same questions so I decided to write down all the ways to promote their websites on the net so anyone feeling like I once did could read it and feel encouraged that success is out there waiting for you!

My Top 20 Ways To Promote Your Website For FREE Or Low-Cost...

There are MANY ways to promote your website especially for free and there are low-cost options as well. Please read this Top 20 list and see what works best for you...

1.) Participate In Banner/Link Exchanges - Participating in link exchanges is an important part of promoting your website. Not only do you end up making friends with other website owners but link exchanges are also one of the most important factors in search engine placement... called link building. That's right... link exchanges are crucial to the placement of your site in the search engines because that's how search engines know for sure if you are a REAL viable website! Spam websites don't have links on their sites... so to show your importance to others... make sure you have lots of link exchanges on your website. Link exchanges can also be one of the most time consuming tactics used in search engine optimization.

Banner/link exchanges are (also known as a banner exchange or link exchange) where two businesses participate in an exchange of banners or links. Doing banner/link exchanges is VERY important to businesses because search engines actively look for link popularity as well as search engine optimization (SEO) when they are ranking online websites. That's right... banner/link exchanges are so very important to your website's success that without them... your site will not rank as well as it would with them in the search engines!! Find Out More About Banner/Link Exchanges >>>

2.) Email Signature Line - Add your website link, blog link (if you have one), social media links and any advertisements you have going on to your email signature line! Adding this information to your email signature link is one of the greatest forms of promotions you can do for your business! Every time you send emails... the people who receive them have access to your links... This is very important especially if you are new to having a business website.

3.) Join Social Media Networking Groups - Social Media Networking Groups (also known as social networking communities) such as ning, facebook, linked in, twitter, match up, etc) are great ways to network! Networking is truly a brilliant way for people to get to know your business, what you sell or offer, and get to know you one on one on the inside (where it really matters)! What a great way to make friends... and when your friends need something... who do you think they are going to come to? That's right... YOU! There are literally a trillion reasons why your business should have an online social media presence! A business owner can use networking to connect on a personal level with their viewers or clients and to show the personality behind their business! Please be sure to talk about your business and products without pushing what you offer onto your friends. If they want to buy... they will... but if they don't... then that's their choice. Friends are friends... and should be appreciated for who they are... not just what they can do for you. : ) Networking and communicating with your potential customers or clients will ultimately lead to sales but not immediately and not directly. Your online social networking presence is only a small component of your marketing strategy!

4.) Join Yahoo News Networking Groups - Yahoo News Networking Groups are a great way to get your important information out to a large group of people quickly and make long lasting friends. I have gained a ton of business and gained some absolutely amazing friends from networking groups! The members in these groups are always so welcoming and helpful! I would like to recommend:

The Savvy Business Women's Networking Group:(http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/SavvyBusinessWomen)

5.) Product Reviews - Product reviews are a great way to get someone else's opinion about your products out there for lots of people to see. It's also a great way to get a one way link (which is like gold in google) in there as well! Product reviews often show off pictures of your product... and they tell their readers what they think of your product! I do product reviews for most of the small business I purchase from as a special thank you... when I either received outstanding customer service or exceptional products! There is no better advertising than word of mouth advertising... so get some product reviews going so that more people can see more of you and what you offer!

6.) Host Or Sponsor Contests or Giveaways - Hold a contest or giveaway yourself or sign up to sponsor as many contests and giveaways as you can! What better way to get a new product into the hands of someone who might tell everyone they won something... tried it... and loved it. Again... word of mouth advertising... nothing is better than that... and you might even get a new customer.

7.) Discount Coupon Codes - Everyone LOVES to save money or to get a really great deal right!?! Typically when you get a great deal... or save money... don't you tell your best girlfriend about it... and then she tells someone about it... and before you know it you will have all kinds of people on your website trying to get that same deal! What better way is there to say thank you to your customers than to offer them a discount coupon code so that they can save money while shopping with you. Without your loyal customers you wouldn't have anyone except new customer purchasing from you. Offering your customers a discount allows them to know that you appreciate their business enough to give back. Show the love... and offer a discount.

8.) Leave Blog Comments - Millions of people have blogs... and they love to hear what other's think about their latest blog post.... or a post that really catches your eye. It's natural to leave a comment on blog posts that you enjoy... so why not place your website or blog link under your signature... which incidentally is a one way link. You get to tell your blog friend was a great job she did on the post or how it relates to you and you also receive a one way link too. What a great idea.

9.) Pass Out Business Cards - Passing out a business card to someone you are talking to about your business is a very important promotional tool. If you go to dinner... leave a business card with the tip you leave behind for the server. Not only did they make a bit of money for your appreciation of them... you just might score a customer. Food for thought... : )

10.) Send Out Newsletters - Sending your customers a newsletter is a very important way to promote your business! Newsletters are a great business internet email marketing resource and a must-have for building your business! So many other successful businesses participate in email marketing campaign and you should too! Newsletters allow you to promote your business with style by providing useful information that your newsletter subscribers want, need, and appreciate! Newsletters are typically designed to match already existing websites. Not sure what a newsletter is... take a look at ours!

11.) Van or Car Business Decals - Using your van or car as an opportunity to advertise for you is such a great idea! I had someone about 2 months ago... see my business sign on my van and ask for a business card because her father was looking to create a website for his new business! You never know who might need your products or services so why not use your van or car as your own personal billboard! Once paid for it's free to advertise.

12.) Craft Shows, Flea Markets, School Bazaars, etc - There is truly no better way to get your finished product into the public's hand than craft shows! They come by your table... look and see what you have! They physically able to check out the quality and craftsmanship of your products personally which matters and if they like what they see.... they buy it! Alot of people like to see the product first before buying... so this is a great advantage. Once they purchase you can slip your business card in the bag as they take their new product home so that they can purchase from you online. Make sure you offer a discount coupon code on your business card so that you can thank your repeat buyers... with a 10% savings on their next order! FYI - If someone stays at your table for more than just a few seconds... it's a 95% chance they will buy something.

13.) Start A Blog - Starting a blog is such a great way to talk about your business products or services... contests... or discounts out to wear people will find you! Blogging is a great way to make friends, show your personality, and express your passions out there for everyone to see. I blog about just about everything. I try to keep my personal life out of my business blog as much as I can; however, I do let a little bit of personality come through. Blogger is free... where word press is not.... and I fully believe that blogger is easier to design and operate especially for a novice blogger.

14.) Write Articles - Writing articles about the things you know most about is a great way to get people's attention, make them see your value in what you offer, and it can also give someone a chance to get to know you from the inside out. Become a "in the know" kind of person... and share your knowledge!

15.) Buy Advertising Space - Purchasing advertising is a great way to promote your website and gain a one way link to your website all at the same time. There are thousands of work at home mom businesses that have high traffic sites that offer paid advertising to those who are looking to promote their sites. Take advantage of this affordable chance to get your website in the face of more people than you would without it.

16.) Join Online Directories - There are literally thousands of online directories on the net. Do a Google search and find some and add your business to as many as you can. Obviously, I can't recommend any... but free ones would be preferred.

17.) Press Releases - Write your own press release or ask a professional writer to create a press release for your business website so that you can tell a larger web wide audience about your website and products you offer. It's a great way to get traffic to your site.

18.) Become A Guest Blog Writer - There are very well established blogs that are always asking for guest writers. The blog owner has gotten so bogged down with work that they don't have time to write sometimes and publish their blog enough... so they ask those who have something to say to write for them. Signing your blog article with your business name and links to your website, blog, facebook, twitter, etc... is a great way to not only get people to your site.. but it allows you to give people a glimpse of your personality and it offers... you guessed it... a one way link!

19.) Respond To Yahoo Answers - Yahoo always has people asking tons of questions. Sometimes when I see a yahoo answers response in the search engine I will click on the profile of those who answered... and guess what... most of the time they have web addresses right there on their profile. It's a great way to get people to come to your website... depending on how you answer the yahoo question!

20.) Join Top 100 Sites - Top 100 sites are very useful and very effective! They are a fantastic source of advertising for businesses... small & large! For those who do not know what Top 100s are... they are huge huge shopping directories that have everything you could imagine in them right at your finger tips! GoTop100.com sites carry tons and tons of FREE website business ads and sometimes paid prime space business ads as well!

Top 100s are recognized & ranked well in the search engines and they are fantastic marketing tools for those who want to get their business name & products out to the general public especially if they are on a tight budget. (Example: If someone does a search for personalized jewelry the search engine will frequently offer a top 100 as a shopping resource in the ranking results.) The owners of these top 100s will allow you to add your site/business to their top 100 for FREE! Find Out More About Top 100s >>>

* Please Note - Another good promoting idea (but wasn't strong enough to actually rank within the top 20 ways to promote your site) is adding website awards to your website, blog, etc! Adding web awards shows your visitors that others think and feel that you are very important and valuable as a business. I have earned several. (Please keep in mind that website awards must be applied for in order to win).

There are many more countless ways to promote your site but these are by far the most effective, most affordable, and most popular! ALL of these suggestions are truly GREAT WAYS TO MARKET YOUR BUSINESS.

Are you wondering how many of these promotional tools I have suggested here you can take part in depending on if you have a personal website or a corporate website? If so, check out my article, "Ways Consultants With Corporate Websites Can Promote Too".

CLICK HERE To See More Great Informative Articles >>>

Thanks so much for viewing this post... I wish you all great success!


Lisa ~ Owner of My Colorful Treasures Web Design & Development
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