When it comes to marketing your website you can find all kinds of tips and tactics on the web. The problem is some are worthwhile and others are just plain unscrupulous. So how do you know which is which? Well here are 8 easy to implement ways to market your website ethically (meaning you won't get attacked by Google's Penguin) and intelligently.
1. Answer customer's questions. This falls under the "relevant content" moniker. But it takes it a step further. Be bold, be fearless and answer your customers' questions. Don't just do the FAQ, if they want to know how much, address that with an article. If they want to know your opinion about a trend in the industry, give it. They'll respect you for that and you'll become the thought leader in your niche because they know they can go to you for the "truth" and nothing but the "truth" and that's what modern customers want.
2. Add interactivity to your site. Put an IM- chat on the pages and let visitors know when it's "manned" or "active". Let them see you are accessible. Remember people still value customer service and talking to a live human is better than a machine any day.
3. Write Articles - for Humans not Machines. Yes, use your blog to answer questions and speak to your customers as if you are talking to your friends (professionally please). Make observations about things you see happening in your industry. Comment on a lawsuit that will affect your industry or an emerging trend. Break the news to your readers through your articles. No one can fault you especially since what's happening is going to affect your business anyway. Put it out there and start dialog through your blog articles with the visitors. If they're visiting enough they'll eventually spend more time checking out your website. The more time they are there the more likely they are to spend money.
4. Join StartUp Nation.com. Set up a profile that explains the solutions your company offers to customers. Include your URL and mention any specialty solutions your business may offer to potential customers and clients. Be honest, don't brag, don't preach and don't sell. Just explain the solutions and what sorts of problems a customer may have that they can solve.
5. Repeat Step 4 on other business networking sites. Create solutions specific profiles on LinkedIN, Ryze and in small business forums. This will help you find and meet people looking for the solutions you provide.
6. Buy Ad Space on a Site with Visitors You Want to Attract. That may sound mercenary but in reality it isn't. If you are in the IT industry and you're looking for people wanting innovative software or IT security solutions then wouldn't you want the visitors that would go to sites like "Popular Mechanics", "PC Mag", "PC World", or "Maximum PC"? Well by all means buy some ad space on their websites. If visitors see your ad they'll follow the "hey they must be okay otherwise this website wouldn't run their ads" mentality. You'd be surprised how much fun guilt by association is and profitable.
7. Optimize for Search Engines Last. Remember you are talking to people on your website not machines. You want to people to visit you often whether to respond to your marketing campaigns or to just read your super informative articles. If you have regular visitors daily bouncing around on your website the "crawlers" will take notice and they'll track your site and its visitors and find your SEO. So you don't have to create ever paragraph on your website and liter it with keywords and SEO phrases just to get the crawlers. So what you've gotten crawled. They don't spend money; the people visiting you do. They're there to check you out with spending in mind; not worrying about you being on "page one".
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