10 Effective Ways to Promote Your Website for Free
So you’ve just finished creating your stunning website, but now it’s time to share it with the world. After all, what good is your site if no one is around to see it? Promoting your website doesn’t have to cost you a ton of money. In fact, it doesn’t have to cost you any money at all.
We’re sure you’ve ran into articles similar to this one, promising to show you “x amount of tips” to do something for free, only to have a big, red price tag at the end. This isn’t one of those posts and everything listed will ensure your wallet stays closed. But don’t take out word for it. Read on to discover the 10 best ways to promote your website for free:
01. Solidify your website SEO
SEO, or search engine optimization is hands-down one of the most effective ways to get your website ranking on Google (and other search engines). Unlike SEM (search engine marketing), it’s totally free – the competition is open to everyone, based on the quality of the content you publish, the fluidity of the navigation you offer to your visitors, and the number of links you receive from the outside. Among other factors, good SEO is accomplished by setting certain keywords and phrases throughout your website and other techniques, like adding alt text to your images and optimizing your headings so that your website is more easily found by search engines. SEO requires some time and effort, but in order to make your life a little easier, you can take advantage of Wix SEO Wiz. The magical (and totally free) Wiz will walk you through the process, as well as create an in-depth checklist of all the elements you need to optimize in order for you to ‘get found’. On top of all this, Wix websites are now instantly indexed by Google, so you’ll be able to see your site in search results then and there.
02. Take advantage of email marketing
There’s a reason you will always see email marketing placed high up on articles that talk about how to drive traffic to your website. Why? Because it’s proven to be effective over and over. (For every $1 you spend on email marketing, the average rate of return is $38) Sure, anyone can send a newsletter and get some hits, but one that is carefully written and effective is almost an art form. Keep your content punchy, your CTAs prominent, and your tone pressing to get across to your reader. That is what will separate you and the sea of other newsletters your visitors have subscribed to. Thanks to Wix ShoutOut you can create, send and share beautiful emails in minutes.
03. Start a blog
News flash! Blogs are great. No, I’m not just saying that because you’re reading one. Having a blog on your website can increase your ranking on search engines, help establish yourself as an expert in your field, and dramatically improve your conversion rate. The cherry on top: writing articles will force you to research your market, and in turn broaden your knowledge and grow your professional skills. As for the technical side of starting a blog, Wix makes it super easy to create a killer blog that can be connected to your site in just one simple click. Don’t fancy yourself much of a writer? Not to worry. Remember that a blog needs to be casual and eye level so that you can appeal to anyone from beginner to expert. And, like many things, after some practice it gets easier over time. Lucky for you, we’ve created the definitive guide on how to start your own blog, so you can be well on your way to becoming a blogging pro.
04. Try guest blogging
In addition to starting your own blog, you may want to bring in a guest blogger. This is a popular tactic that is mutually beneficial for both parties involved. Having another writer in your industry write a post on your own blog allows you to dive into the person’s network and hopefully get some quality leads. Not only that, you’re building relationships along the way with people in your industry therefore growing your own network. You both get exposure, traffic, and social media shares. I’d say it’s a win-win for all.
Vice versa, it’s strongly recommended that you become a guest blogger yourself – that is, you start writing articles to be published on other platforms. Here too, the benefits are huge: your website’s link appears on external pages (giving a nice boost to your SEO), you get exposed to a new audience, and you improve your writing skills by trying new formats.
05. Harness the power of social media
Believe it or not, social media isn’t just a way for your friends from high school to show off pictures of their children or for snapping a photo of what they ate for lunch. Businesses that use social media as a tool can tap into a following that helps fuel brand awareness and overall growth. Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat (and hopefully it’s a combination of one or all of them), posting and commenting is important to build a community. Regularly engaging with your audience can also increase the chances of them sharing your content, which is free promotion for your website. Don’t forget to cross-promote so all of your networks get to benefit from as much of your content as possible, like sharing your Instagram video to Twitter or your latest blog post on your Facebook page. You can also add a social bar to your website so that your visitors can easily find your social profiles and share your website.
06. Submit your site to online directories
While a majority of people will be searching Google to find what they’re looking for, submitting your website to online directories is still a good idea. You want your URL in as many places as you can get it so that more people can find it. So why not take advantage of this free advertising space? Depending on the industry you work in, there may be a dedicated directory for your business type. If you have a brick and mortar store, submitting to local directories is even smarter. Free services like Google My Business allow you to claim your business so that when someone searches for your business your website plus a map with your location, hours and contact will appear on the right side of the results page. Other places you’ll want to look into adding your website or business to are Angie’s List, Yellow Pages, and Yelp. Remember, the more the merrier.
07. Post on forums
Who doesn’t like a little shameless self promotion every now and then? Forums are another way of getting your website out to another crowd that may not normally run across it. You can start a new thread on a well known forum like Reddit and let others decide if it’s worthy of getting upvoted, or you can engage in an existing conversation thread that is on-topic and throw in your website when appropriate. (Please, don’t spam. It’s just plain rude.) As with the directories above, try to find forums that are specifically about your businesses’ industry so that you can reach your specific audience in a more intimate way. If you can’t find a forum that’s specific to your business category, don’t fret! You can start your own forum using Wix Forum. This way your website can be the destination forum spot for your industry.
08. Reach out with outreach marketing
Outreach marketing involves connecting with others in your business category, bloggers and influencers to promote your website in some way, shape or form. The technique starts with identifying the targets you need in order to attain your goal. This involves reaching out with a pitch, and following up when necessary. This can be done via email or social media, and depending on your targets’ following, one may be better than the other. The idea is to create a lasting relationship all while getting the exposure for your website you originally set out for. Interested? We’ve got a dedicated guide for the best outreach marketing tactics to promote your website. Keep in mind, it’s called outreach marketing, not overreach marketing. 😉
09. Say it with your signature
Your email signature is basically an online bumper sticker, in that people are going to see it whether they care to or not. This, however, can very much be a good thing for you and your website. Make sure that at the bottom of any email that you send out (regardless to who) you place your business logo, links to your social accounts and website, plus any other contact information. Online promotion? Easy peasy.
10. Focus on quality
When making your own coffee, it’s easy to fix if you’ve made it too strong. Simply add some more water and let it brew to even out its potency. However, adding too much water will ruin the entire pot. When creating content to advertise or promote your website, focus on creating quality work or you’ll end up with a watered-down mess that no one wants. This tip can be applied to all of the other tips you’ll find in this article. Attention to detail and a “quality over quantity” attitude will be one of the best things you can do for your business in the long run.
Ready to conquer the World Wide Web? Create your stunning website today!
By Blake Stimac
Community & Social Media Manager, Wix About The Wix Blog
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