| For anyone that starts their own website or blog, the | | | | your website URL displayed to everyone that sees |
| first thing they find out is that just because it's there | | | | your car wherever you travel. |
| doesn't mean people are going to look at it. As a | | | | 7. Click exchanges will display your site to others in |
| matter of fact, nobody will even know it exists until you | | | | exchange for you viewing websites. This works best if |
| tell them. So how do you tell them without it costing an | | | | you have an eye catching website or landing page |
| arm and a leg? Here are a few simple methods. | | | | that will grab someone's attention as they surf from |
| 1. Let the search engines know about your site. You | | | | site to site. |
| can do this for free so don't fall victim to the ads online | | | | 8. Banner exchanges will display your advertising |
| that tell you they will submit your site to several | | | | banner on others websites for you having their banner |
| hundred search engines for a fee. First of all, there are | | | | code on your website. |
| only a handful of search engines that most people | | | | 9. Write articles related to the theme of your website |
| actually use so those are the ones you are going to | | | | and submit them to ezine publishers. Most will let you |
| submit your site to. You can do them individually or | | | | include a resource box or author line including your |
| submit to them all at once. | | | | website URL at the end. |
| To get your site displayed toward the top of the | | | | 10. Offer visitors to your site a chance to sign up for |
| results in the search engines involves optimizing your | | | | your own free newsletter or ezine and if it's good |
| site for the search engines and is complicated enough | | | | enough, people may forward the article or email to |
| to be an article all it's own, and a long one at that, but | | | | their friends, increasing your readership and traffic to |
| for now I will say it's probably best left to the people | | | | your site. |
| that specialize in it to get the best results. For now, one | | | | 11. If you don't have one already, start your own blog. |
| thing you can do to improve your ranking is to get | | | | Often blog pages are indexed at search engines for |
| back-links to your site. Search for sites similar to yours, | | | | their content and displayed on the blog site whenever |
| but not competitive and contact the webmasters and | | | | they are updated. Link back to your website from your |
| ask them if they will link to your site in exchange for | | | | blog and put a link to your blog on your website. |
| you linking to theirs. These links will get you some | | | | 12. Join social networking sites such as MySpace and |
| traffic and make your site look better to the search | | | | Facebook. You can put a link on your page to your |
| engines. | | | | website. The more friends you can get, the more |
| 2. Get some business cards printed with your site URL | | | | people that will see your link. Don't spam or blatantly |
| on them. You can even get them printed free online. | | | | advertise though or they will kick you off. |
| Hand them out whenever the opportunity presents | | | | 13. Join forums, chats and bulletin boards related to the |
| itself. Leave one on the table when you leave a | | | | subject of your website and you can sometimes get in |
| restaurant, drop one in the envelope when you pay | | | | a little free advertising. Again, you must be subtle and |
| your monthly bills, post them on bulletin boards, etc. | | | | tactful. If you blatantly try to advertise your site, you will |
| 3. Print some labels on your printer with a tag line and | | | | be banned. |
| your site URL and put them on the outside of the | | | | 14. Submit your site to digg and if it gets enough votes, |
| envelope of all your outgoing mail. This shows your | | | | it can dramatically increase traffic to your site. |
| URL to anyone that handles that envelope along the | | | | 15. In general, you want to get your website URL just |
| way, not just the recipient. | | | | about anywhere and on anything you can. One easy |
| 4. Insert a signature in all of your email with a link to | | | | way to do this is to have pre-inked rubber stamps |
| your website. Most email programs will insert it | | | | made up with your URL and maybe a tagline and |
| automatically once you set it up. | | | | watch for opportunities to use it. Selling a bunch of old |
| 5. Place ads in the free online classifieds for your site. | | | | books at your yard sale? Rubber stamp your URL on |
| You can do this on an ongoing basis and there are | | | | the inside covers of each one. Simple things like that |
| many free classified ad sites. | | | | can get you a few visitors. |
| 6. Get a window decal or id plate for your car with | | | | If you use your imagination, you'll probably think of a lot |
| your website URL. It's not free but for a one time | | | | more ways than I've mentioned here but these |
| investment, you get unlimited advertising by having | | | | methods should get you some free traffic. |