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This Is How I Market My Website

essayhelpessayhelp subscriber Posts: 10
edited December 2007 in Marketing
I have a website; well actually my two partners and I have a website. We have been working on this for about four months. It’s a free information educational website. We finally launched it a few weeks ago.

 

In my real job I work in the afternoon, so this gives me time in the morning to work on my own site. After I take the kid to his little nursery, I come home, make coffee and sit in front of the computer till its time to pick him up.

 

Oh boy it can be frustrating!  I want massive traffic to my site but dear lord HOW? Every day I find another article that will tell me “how to…” Everyday I will discover a new website…. then I find myself just sitting in from of the computer flipping through sites, watching some videos on You Tube , checking my email, checking the news…..Until I decided enough is enough! It hit me…

 

I want to share with you the knowledge I have gathered about marketing from this stuff. Not that I’m a pro, but I have some experience you might learn from.

 

I found that a web marketer should focus on creating two kinds of traffic: short term and long term.

 


Short Term Traffic

What is short term traffic? This is building up visitors, sending someone and email, posting on a yahoo group, craigslist – I do this to continue the steady flow of traffic to my site. When I send someone an email [from my own personal email contacts – over 300 people] they will usually click on the link, visit the site a page or two and then move one. In some cases they will bookmark the site if they like it. However, usually the email gets lost in their account. Same thing with posting on a related yahoo group – it gets lost after a few days with all the messages being posted on that group. The pluses, though, of short term traffic are that the site gets exposed to lots of people, some of whom might become regular visitors. And all visitors might click on an ad.


 



Long Term Traffic

What is long term traffic? This is building up an audience around your website. This means that you need to invest a little more time in some areas – and yes its hard but its worth it in the long run. Get involved in a social network like myspace or facebook.  It means making friends on the web via internet forums and when I talk about internet forums I am saying is that you shouldn’t just post things like “I have a new site! Visit my site today! here is the link!”  - You know what that is? That’s called being an internet jerk. The whole idea of a forum is where people can share information with one another , information that is helpful. Get involved in some forums and share your knowledge with the world. Most forums allow you to put your URL as your signature. If you share your valuable information – people will trust you, they will become your followers. I have some “gurus” on the internet. I have never met them. They share such wonderful information that I almost every time visit their websites [and click on one of their google ads!] and maybe even buy something. Why? Because I trust them, I admire them. Remember this rule: People like nice, honest people.

 

Something else I learned that I’d like to share is about work ethic. I decided that I need to create an action plan for myself or I would never get things done!

 

Here’s the schedule I created for myself. I’ve been getting stuff done…

 


Sunday morning [my wife is watching the baby] I usually do a round of yahoo group postings. Before launching our site, I joined a bunch of yahoo groups that are related to my website. Since then, I’ve been writing something up every week about my website and just copying and pasting it on every group that I am member of. Some yahoo groups won’t allow you to just promote your site – so I get involved in the discussion and I add my link at the end.

 

By doing this I am working on the short term traffic.

 

Then I will go to facebook. I have created a profile and a group for my website on facebook. I make friends over facebook and invite them to join my website group. I am very careful not to spam other people. So what I do is I search for people I know and then I approach their networks by offering to them “hey I am a friend of Joe, I am looking to build my network …” So they know right away that I am not some random unknown guy who is trying to spam them. In 99% of the cases people have agreed since they know Joe and trust him. On my facebook group I try to make it interesting. I post music videos, updates about my site, interesting articles…. This is building my long term traffic. I am building a community of people around my site. I try to focus on one social network at a time. If you try more than that – you can go crazy! Focus your energy on one spot and own it!

 


Comes Monday I focus on Forums. I try to write up an interesting article and then I post it in different forums, I try to create something that has valuable information and that it could start a discussion. Then I will go back and get involved in some discussion groups. Remember: The link to my site is my forum signature.  So this really takes up Monday morning.

 


Tuesday! Social book marketing day! This day always brings us good traffic. We get involved in our social book marketing sites – Stumbleupon.com, Digg.com, Del,icio.us
We stumble, make friends and get involved. This is great for short and long term traffic.

 


Wednesday isLink exchange day. I have decided that link exchanging really needs a separate day. This is can really drive in long term traffic. When your link is sitting on another popular website – this can really drive in traffic. The beauty of this is – you don’t have to do anything! I also try to post comments on blogs related to my site.

 


Thursday is the day where I let myself to go wild! No, not partying, but crazy posting! Anywhere and everywhere I can. Its kind of like having a brick and mortar store in the center of the city- I have fliers and I am going to hang them up on every bulletin board I find in the city. Again you have to be careful about spamming. Sometimes I will send emails to my friends asking them to forward the site to others, right now! Every other Thursday I do article marketing and submit them to relevant sites like squidoo.com, or ezinearticles.com or even forums [great place for articles!].

 


Friday is when my partners and I review the week – what marketing methods worked; we discuss the content of the site and what needs to be added. We discuss ideas for the coming week and ideas for the future, we discuss the Google ads, and affiliate marketing programs… we try to cover everything. Remember: if you want to make money then you have to treat it like a business!

 


Saturday….. I rest and spend time with my family..computer is off limits!!

 

In the evenings after the baby goes to sleep – I spend time reading articles, exploring new websites – I try to understand in depth the websites that I am already using and how I can make them “work for me” – I basically spend this time for my own education and to catch up with what’s new in the internet world.

 

Is it hard? Yes it’s hard, but one thing that I do know and that is:

“A Quitter Never Wins And a Winner Never Quits!”



 


Be a winner. Don’t quit your effort. It just might pay off bigtime.

Comments

  • trinityimagestrinityimages subscriber Posts: 1
    Hello there!!!
    This is one of the most interesting posts I have read because I NEED A
    SCHEDULE so that I can keep focused!!!
    I just did not know what to do "first" , so I certainly did not know what to do "next!"
    I created a Dorm Room Privacy Screen for my daughter when she went away to college
    last year. I sell it on Ebay (put "dorm room privacy" in search box) - I don`t have a website `cause I don`t know how to do that! Even hired people 2 times - and got ripped off BOTH TIMES!!
    And anyway, I`ve searched Google and there are tons of Room Divider sites. .
    Peggy in Memphis - yes, Graceland! .
  • JonEJonE subscriber Posts: 0
    This is very valuable information.  I too struggle with the challenges that will eventually lead me to freedom: a successful business of my own.I`ve been reading Derek Gehl`s FREE Traffic-Generation eBook that he recently released (for the price of an email opt-in, of course). In it, he lists several strategies to generate traffic like the ones you have posted.  Google "internet marketing tips" and you should find him.Thanks for sharing your struggle and victories.
  • kamolahykamolahy subscriber Posts: 27
    Just a bit of my own ideas...
    I`m about to launch a web focused service as well. It`s essential for what I want to do. I also run a couple of blogs, one professionally. I`ve learned one thing very valuable to my success...
    Get away from the computer to promote your site.
    I`m dead serious. Face time with people will go WAY further than computer time. Start local. Get yourself into the news. Work the media. Do work with people and become someone noticed in your community. The media will champion you for being a hometown hero.
    Once you`ve done that then work the media and PR in bigger avenues.. leverage your name. Be in circles of people. Network...
    Honestly, I`ve seen more success in my ventures by using my personality to get to know people. I can describe my business with more passion than anyone else. It`s infectuous. I`m sure you`re the same. It would be silly for any of us here on SuN to not get personal. If you`re spending all your time in front of a computer, you`re really limiting your reach.
  • travelbiztravelbiz subscriber Posts: 0
    This is great information, I have been struggling on how to market my business.  Making a


    schedule is a great tip, this will give me a day to day agenda to follow.
  • iwannaberich2015iwannaberich2015 subscriber Posts: 0
    This is great information do you have any other advice on how to rank higher on searches though?  ww.monkeybizusa.com
  • WickedWicked subscriber Posts: 2
    Essayhelp -
    That`s great info. Thanks. Now I have a baseline in which to create a marketing schedule per se. Here`s something I would add to my plan and perhaps may help you and others out. I`m not sure if you`ve done any testing/research on which strategy works best on what days. What I plan on doing is say to follow your plan and have my partner do the opposite. For example, I do Monday through Sunday strategies in that order. I`ll have my partner start with Sunday and work backwards. Did that make sense? Have you tried anything like that before and if so, how did it work out for you?
    Thanks again for the info!
    EC
  • enigmavaldezenigmavaldez subscriber Posts: 0
    This is great info. You`ve got your plate full. Good luck
  • essayhelpessayhelp subscriber Posts: 10
    hey essayHelp,
    Had a look at your site, looks good. One question: Do you actually have a writen down marketing-plan?

     
    Yes I have a written down marketing plan. I spent alot of time doing research trying to study and understand what my comp sites are doing so I can apply that to my site.
    Also, I collected every website that I thought I would need before I launched the my site, meaning any website that I thought would be a good path to market through I gathered them to one spot.
  • ShewsterShewster subscriber Posts: 1
    Just this morning I was getting that "is it ever going to pan out" feeling about my website.  I know marketing can take months before results begin to show, but seeing your post today, really gave me that shot I needed to keep plugging away.  I have invested so many years and creative energy into my business, that I know I`ll never give up.  And reading Essay`s post today has renewed my enthusiasm for marketing my site.  Plus, I have a 14 year old son who HATES writing (and here his own mother makes her living writing!!), so I may need the type of help Eassay`s site offers. 
  • cubemonkeycubemonkey subscriber Posts: 11
    good advice! I especially think the one about posting interesting topics in a forum relating to your site will pay off.
  • BlacGurlzInkBlacGurlzInk subscriber Posts: 0
    Thank you, thank you.  This was really informative and I hope you dont mind that Im going to use it with my staff...imitation is the best form of flattery! hahaha!  Good luck with your business and please continue posting good stuff like this!
    Oh and if you have any info on how "once you get the visitor to your site, what elements will encourage them to "buy""...then you`d be a guru with a follower for life!
    Make it a Great Day!
    Spring Opara
    www.blacgurlzink.com
    www.twitter.com/blacgurlzink
    blacgurlzink.wordpress.com
  • profitizerprofitizer subscriber Posts: 16 Bronze Level Member
    Hello there!!!
    This is one of the most interesting posts I have read because I NEED A
    SCHEDULE so that I can keep focused!!!
    I just did not know what to do "first" , so I certainly did not know what to do "next!"
    I created a Dorm Room Privacy Screen for my daughter when she went away to college
    last year. I sell it on Ebay (put "dorm room privacy" in search box) - I don`t have a website `cause I don`t know how to do that! Even hired people 2 times - and got ripped off BOTH TIMES!!
    And anyway, I`ve searched Google and there are tons of Room Divider sites. .
    Peggy in Memphis - yes, Graceland! .

    Peggy,
    For your product, more sales could be generated if you had a website - especially one where you `control` the content. `How` that content is structured is a different question and should come AFTER other preliminary questions.
    Read a post in MySpace that may give you more insight in how to approach this as millions of people are in the same boat as you. Get up and dust yourself off and have more knowledge before you try again - you should try again; just be armed with more information next time.
    Check out:  Looking for a web designer!
    HTHprofitizer6/14/2009 5:02 PM
  • ridofastuffynoseridofastuffynose subscriber Posts: 0
    This is some of the best information I have ever seen on this web site. Thank you!!
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