We all know that a presence on the Internet is a must these days, no matter what type of business you run. Whether you are selling a product or a service, your competition is online and you need to be on there as well.
However, just throwing up a website does not mean that you will find success online. You have to do things to bring people to your website to see what you have to offer and then you can show them how you can help solve their problem.
1. Write and submit articles
One of the easiest ways to be recognized as an expert in your field is to write about what you know and then submit those articles to online & print publications that cater to your target market as well as to article directories. Some of the most accepted articles are those that offer tips. Layout your article so there are subheadings for each tip. This makes for easy scanning of the article and won’t make the reader feel like they are reading an endless paragraph (or a novel).
2. Join email discussion lists
There are hundreds of discussion groups on the Internet today covering a multitude of topics. Many of these discussion groups may include members that are in your target market. They may also be beneficial to you in other ways. Get involved in the discussions that are taking place and offer your expertise. This will help to build your reputation as an expert in your field with the other members. One thing to be careful of though is self-promotion. Many discussion lists have rules against self-promotion. Don’t break these rules or you will end up earning a negative reputation. However, some of these lists may allow for you to include a signature line in your post or at least your name and website address.
3. Form strategic alliances
There are countless businesses out there that offer products or services that can compliment yours. Offer to promote their business on your website (or in your newsletter) in exchange for them promoting yours. You will both then gain double the exposure and everyone wins. For more information, read our article Strategic Alliances: Two Heads are Better than One
4. Exchange links with other relevant websites/businesses
Find other websites that offer products, services or information to a similar target market as yours and ask them if they would like to exchange links with you. Make sure the links are relevant or complimentary to your business. Exchanging links with just any ole website can be damaging to your reputation. Not to mention, it takes time to put up links so it will either be you using your valuable time to put them up or paying your web designer to do it so make the links relevant. For more information, read our article The Importance of Links
5. Keep your website up to date and maintained
Don’t just slap up a website and then just leave it there. Be sure to include information your customers can use and that search engines will see as new content. When some search engines spider the Internet to update their indexes, they will look to see how valuable your website information is and if you are willing to offer more. So, new content will impress them and thus your site will stay high increase your listing in the standings.
Also, be sure to intensify the keywords on your website, especially your homepage. Some search engines will index your page based on the actual text/keywords on your homepage. For more information, read our article Keep Your Website Up-To-Date
6. Finally, submit your site to search engines & directories
Every time you come across a directory that has a category your site will fit in to, submit your site. If they don’t have a category but you feel people who visit that site are a good audience, contact the site’s webmaster and see if they will add a category.
Be careful about submitting your site to FFA (free for all) websites. These sites may not be particularly relevant to your business and could hurt your chances in other search engines who look for relevant link popularity.
There are many, many other ways to increase your chance of success online. It can sometimes be a matter of trial and error on different methods and/or a combination of them all. Find what works for you and enhance that to it’s limit but don’t be afraid to try other methods as well.
About the author
Janice Byer, owner of Docu-Type Administrative & Web Design Services (http://www.docutype.net) provides professional, creative and affordable virtual office assistance and small business website design. She is a Certified Canadian Virtual Assistant (CCVA) and Master Virtual Assistant (MVA). She is also a co-author of How to Build a Successful Virtual Assistant Business and author of a library of Business Building Ebooks. Visit her website for more information.
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Thanks for the good writeup.