|
|
Site Promotion - Taking a Local FocusWe all know that if a website can't be found that it is useless. If you are after a local audience with your site, making your site visible can be an interesting challenge. While search engines are great for finding information about companies all over the world, it is usually harder to find local businesses. However, there is life beyond the search engines, especially when it comes to promoting your website locally. Most people use search engines to find information on the Internet. However, unless people know how to search AND your site is designed to consider they keywords they would use, your site will not be found. A search for "niagara caterers" in Alta Vista, Lycos, Hotbot, Yahoo and one meta-search engine (Dogpile) returned no results for a catering company in Niagara. There are 56 caterers in the Niagara region Yellow Pages; at least two have websites. Optimizing a website for particular keywords is one way to get noticed in the search engines, but there are other ways to reach a local audience. Reciprocal links with other local websites or non-competing sites is a good way to bring traffic to your site. Links from the local Chamber of Commerce website, your ISP or other local business directories can bring in traffic. Some businesses go so far as to develop their own specialty content websites to bring in visitors and promote their businesses. In our scenario, a Niagara caterer could provide wine reviews, wine & food matching suggestions, recipies and a wedding supplier directory to promote their services to a wider local audience. For local businesses, here are some places that you can advertise your URL:
Some guerilla techniques that have been used include handing out packets of tissues outside subway stations, packs of peanuts at arenas or free samples at special events, all with the website URL prominently displayed on the packaging. These methods get your URL in front of your audience in a creative fashion. Unless your market is very cluttered with this type of advertising (like San Francisco, for example), they can be good traffic boosters. Business thrives on relationships. The more relationships you build the better your business becomes. Building on-line relationships with other local businesses is one good way to promote your site. Properly promoting your website to your local audience is also important. Once people visit your site, the quality content and value you provide will be where you start to build the relationship with your local customers. Internet
Marketing | Website
Development | Web
Hosting | Portfolio Contact The Web For Business.com at the following co-ordinates: 4 Conroy
Crescent, Thorold, Ontario L2V 4R3
|
|
