Need URGENT help!

[Prince]

Can anybody make a brief list of website promotions strategies, please? It would be really appreciated!

[SlowMove]

website promotions strategies [google.com]

[Marcia]

Welcome to WebmasterWorld, Prince.

If you're looking for just a quick_list of the simplest ways to start promoting a site, here are a few ideas:

1. Research and do a complete keyword analysis of the site, first thing
2. Optimize site for search engine placement
3. Submit to quality directories - Yahoo and ODP, and submit very selectively to portals and directories related to the industry the site is in.
4. Search for opportunities for inbound links to send traffic, including paid advertising.
5. Begin a PPC campaign for immediate traffic. Read up first to keep the costs down.
6. If applicable, put the URL & sig on all email correspondence
7. Off-line promotion including the URL in all of the company's printed materials.
8. Networking and building word-of-mouth site referrals

Anyone have anything to add?

[Symbios]

Maybe things to avoid;

Submit your website to 1000's of search engines
Anyone that says they will get you ranked at #1
Doorways, Cloaking, Hidden text, over optimisation.
PPC unless every click you get is worth a fortune.
Inktomi as above.
Ydotcom paid directory listing, better to get a local one where you don't have to pay every year.

[jusdrum]

Great reference from Brett Tabke on SEO (26 steps to 15K a day):

[searchengineworld.com...]

If you are looking for a top level list, I've been working on one for my clients as well. This isn't necessarily a recommendation list as each strategy has different applications where it works.

Traffic Driving Channels for a website:

Search Engines
Natural
Optimization
PPC

Advertising
Online

• Banner
  
• Pop-Up/Under

Offline (Traditional)

• Newspaper
  
• Magazine
  
• Newsletters
  
• TV
  
• Radio
  
• Billboard

Affiliate Programs
Backlinks

• Natural
  
• Negotiated

Direct Marketing
Mail
Email
IM/Chat
Phone (includes text messaging)
Fax
Door-to-door

Alliances
Publicity

• Natural
  
• Planned (PR)

Word-of-mouth
Natural
Planned (Viral campaigns)

Branded URL

Specialty Services
MyPoints (10 million registered users)
GetRelevant
Pay2Click

Guerrilla and alternative marketing

Hope this helps and hope it's in time.

[hdpt00]

What if you run a content only site, like hollywood.com and don't really sell anything? Obviously you could sell DVDs, posters etc. through affiliate accounts, but still that won't make you much money I don't think unless you got huge traffic. Also promoting through affiliates won't help because you can't offer them a percent profit.

Any ideas then if your site is pure content?

Thanks,
Brandon

[Robert Charlton]

Any ideas then if your site is pure content?

If the site is pure content and the content is worth linking to, then inbound links should be much easier to get, either through requests to related sites or via recommendations in subject-related newsletters, etc.

You probably wouldn't do a PPC campaign, but all other promotional methods listed would apply. If the site is a site for an qualified non-profit organization, then you might look into a Google Grant for PPC as well. Free publicity should also be easier to get.

[Marcia]

If it's a bonafide non-profit it qualifies for a Zeal submission, which is free.

[richardsi]

If you've got great content...
charge a subscription fee for it!