While it's a huge benefit for you to have great looking site, what matters far more is if people can find it -- "if you build it, they will come" doesn't apply to a world where there are hundreds of sites for every one customer. Whether you do it yourself or you have White Ivy Design do it for you, the most important part of promoting your website is getting your website link out there, a process called "Link Building". In the eyes of Google and other major search engines, the more popular you are, the more relevant your site is for those searching for you. Here are 4 link building tips you can follow to strengthen your online presence and improve your search engine rankings:
1. Utilize Social Networking
Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, and more; in the age of Web 2.0, there are dozens of different (and FREE) ways to network your service with thousands of potential customers. All of these sites have a section in their user profiles where you can paste your web address with no strings attached, which search engines will pay close attention to.
2. Local & Business Links
There are many ways to earn your business local links; join community organizations, request that your local chamber of commerce to link to your business website, or list your site at the local library's website; network your business locally and build your brand! For a small business, the local scene is where you'll find a large majority of your customers, so this is where you'll want to present yourself. Develop business relationships with businesses who you don't directly compete with, offer to trade links with local business websites, and integrate yourself within the community.
3. Forums, Discussion Boards, & Free Links
Online forums and discussion boards are where interest groups gather to discuss a topic. A small space is allowed for a signature below each post, allowing you to link to your website or anything else you may deem interesting. If people think you're a great contributor to discussions, they're likely to click on thatsignature link and check you out. Be careful, of course; nobody likes outright advertising or large obnoxious signatures, so make sure to keep it simple. The goal is to simply list out your website address, not to scare awaypotential customers!
There are also question/answer sites like Yahoo Answers and Google Groups, where people ask questions with the expectation somebody out there will give an informed answer. These types of sites are the perfect place to advertise your service while helping out others; as long as you give a decent answer, nobody will object to you including your website address at the bottom of your response. Like with online forum posts, if they find value in your answer, they'll likely visit your website to find out more about your business.
4. Online Directories
There are thousands of directories out there that behave similar to the YellowPages, in that they will list your business for the public; in the online world, most of them are free. Some could be directly related to your service (Woodworking businesses could try a site like WoodNet), while others are simply directories open for everyone regardless of content (Open Directory Project). There are also location directories, like Google Maps/Places and their Bing counterparts. Being listed in all of the different directories out there, of course, would be overkill, but try to discover the popular ones and find out how you can get your business listed!
White Ivy Design wants to help you achieve your marketing goals. If you're having any issues optimizing your website, or if you would like us to help you manage your business marketing, call Troy at 218-245-2995 for a FREE web consultation and SEO analysis.
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