Hosting Boot Camp - Is Your Website Working For You?

Web marketing has one thing in common with other advertising: no matter how good the ad, it won't build your business unless lots of people see it. Business owners tend to under-estimate the power of the web to bring them business, and to bring them precisely the kinds of clients they want. A few businesses invest in a great web site, but then don't market it effectively.

Brian McDonald
Owner McDees-Specialties.com
Director of Member Support, iGrOOps.com
Director Client Services, GreenTreeHosting.com

You should always view web marketing as having three separate components:

1) The creation of a site. Building a site requires creativity, design skills, and an understanding of color, images, and popular trends.

2) Marketing of a site, on the other hand, is a much more routine, repetitious, even boring task that must be done consistently over time.

3) Maintenance of your website and its content keep it fresh, make frequent updates, and continue to add value to your customers by adding new content that will interest your customers.

The following are a few suggestions for marketing your web site:

Search Engines run on text. Remember when you search the web for information you type in text for the search description. Make sure your site has lots of relevant text about your product or service.

HTML Title. This is the first of three critical items that are coded in the "Head" of every web page. It is the first thing a search engine sees at the top of your page. Surfing the web you will see great sites that have no title at all. Use 3-8 words that describe what you do and flag your site for the search engines.

HTML Meta Tag: Keywords. The second item in the "Head" of your page should be the hidden Meta Tag Keywords with 15-25 words to help people find you. These are words people are likely to enter in a search request to find you. A Jewelry Store might have a string that started with: "rings, bracelets, diamonds, engagement rings, etc."

HTML Meta Tag: Description. The third item in the "Head" is a hidden sentence that describes both your page and your site. Make it relevant and meaningful, use as many of your Keywords as possible, and make it accurate. This is a one-sentence description of who you are, what you do, and why people should visit your page. You've got 15-20 words.

Visible Title. This is the first thing people will see, and it's what most people think of as the "title" of their page. Again, you want it to invite people, be accurate, and brief, remember that 3-5 powerful words will download fast and can make a real impact. The words in your title will also connect with search engines in a way that your logo, banner or picture can't.

First words on page. The first few seconds as a page downloads are critical, and a short statement of what you do will download faster than most images. First impressions count, search engines use text to catalog your site, a brief but relevant description of your business will do more for your search engine placement, than a product picture. Search engines will not catalog a picture.

Have multiple pages, each with their own marketing information. A simple way to increase the information of your site in search engines, Is every page should have its own Title, meta tags, description and be rich in text. Rather than have one long page, divide it into multiple pages If your pages are all linked within one site, you vastly increase the opportunities for people to find you.

Include your web URL on your other advertising. Have your site on your business cards, brochures, all of your advertising. If people are interested, want more information, or are just curious, make it easy for them to check you out. Use your URL at every opportunity.

Exchange links. One way to increase traffic, and to target specific audiences, is to trade links with other sites that attract a similar audience. I recommend that you have a page dedicated to "Reciprocal Links" for other sites that have agreed to also put a link to your site on their page. Reciprocal links from sites that offer complementary services is a great way to build your web marketing impact.

Have something of value that changes often. Use your website to advertise your brick and mortar store and visa versa use your brick and mortar store to advertise your website. On your website offer coupons only valid at your store, at your store advertise items that are only available through your website. Like a knowledge base on your products. Give them a reason to come to your site and to come back often.

Submit to search engines. Search engines constantly up-date and expand their databases. To stay in the game, I suggest you re-submit your site at least every few months and those search engines that allow submittal by page don’t forget to submit new and changed pages. Using the web to draw business is an on going project, not a once and forget it task. There are services that will do this for you or you can do it yourself. But schedule several hours every month, and do it.

Thank you,

Brian McDonald
Owner McDees-Specialties.com
Director of Member Support, iGrOOps.com
Director Client Services, GreenTreeHosting.com