How to promote your website

Don’t just assume that people will know your business has a website, especially if you have a small business.  As a website owner there are a number of ways in which you can promote web traffic and sales.

Most individuals have a Facebook page, and in some cases a Twitter account. Make sure that you mention your business website address every now and again on your wall or in your tweets to friends and family. (Don’t register a Facebook or Twitter account solely for your business unless you intend to manage it properly. Refer to my post Is social media right for your business for reasons why I say this.)

Another great way to spread the word is to sign up with LinkedIn. It is similar to Facebook in the sense that you have a wall where activities are posted, but the purpose here is to connect as a business individual with other business individuals. You will not use this to post a picture of your kitten. Call it virtual networking. Here you can look up old colleagues or friends working for other companies. Complete your profile and ensure that you list your website address and other contact details.

As a business owner you have to constantly ask yourself – am I doing everything I can to market my business?

Your company stationery, whether it be a business card, an invoice, or till slip, should have your website address clearly printed on it. Ensure that you include your website address with e-mails that you send out.

If you have products that are packaged in some form or other, be sure to print your website address and other contact details on it.

If you deliver a service, like a plumber, stick a board up outside the property where you are at work containing all your contact details and website address. In some cases it might be appropriate to attach a sticker to the back of an appliance that you repaired.

Should you decide to brand your car, again, include your website address in a large clear font for all to see. The same can be done for uniforms or employee name tags. And if you are a sole business owner, consider printing a shirt or name tag for yourself then and represent your brand.

If you have the means to advertise in a newspaper or other publication, always print your website address too.

Lastly, when you come in contact with a potential or existing client, tell them that you have a website and invite them to pay it a visit.

Is social media right for your business?

Social media is fantastic and the choice is limitless.  You have the likes of Facebook and Twitter, blogs and RSS feeds among others. Amazing marketing tools and a great way to ensure your business is prominent on the internet. There are, in my opinion, a few things that you might want to consider before diving into the social media scene. Integrating social media with your website could push the development cost up considerably and might not be such a great thing for your particular business, so think it over before you act.

• Social media implies that communication is constant.
• If you have a Facebook company page but never update it, what is the point? Collecting “Likes” from the general population mean what exactly to your business?
• Communication is a two way street, so if you post on your wall, expect feedback. What do you plan to do with the feedback you receive?
• How and who will manage that?
• What will Facebook tell people that your website won’t or can’t?
• It is a communication channel and people have opinions – how do you plan to address nasty comments and complaints on your Facebook wall or Twitter account?
• Does your type of business justify implementing social media?

A popular cellphone brand has a Facebook page and almost every Friday they post the question “what plans do you have for the weekend?” A hundred people or so reply, but the company never responds again to the feedback. Firstly, why would the cellphone company care what your plans are for the weekend, unless you plan on buying a phone from them? Why ask the question, get the answer and then ignore it?

A restaurant has a Facebook page that is about 2 years old and no wall posts. A customer found them and left a message to say the food and service was terrible. The restaurant ignored the comment. Now, the next person to come along will see this ignored complaint sitting on a social media portal that has been abandoned by the look of things. Is that the kind of publicity you want for your business?