Guerrilla Market Your Website For Big Results

The question used to be: Do you have a website? With most small business owners realizing a website is an absolute given in the marketing mix, the question becomes: How do you market your website? We wish we could tell you: "Build it and they will come." But it's not that simple.

If people don't know about your website, they can't visit--and learn about what you have to offer. That's why marketing your website online and offline is just as important as marketing your product or service.

Don't worry. It's easier than you think. Make yourself visible in the places your target market lives and works in the offline world as well as the online world. Here are our top suggestions for each:

OFFLINE MARKETING

1. All marketing communication materials should emphasize your URL and entice readers to visit your site. Your identity package includes business cards, letterhead, envelopes, brochures, flyers, postcards and newsletters.

2. Print your web address in a large, attention-getting style on advertising. Entice the reader to notice it and read the key messages you want to share with them. And, you'll be able to save money by placing shorter advertisements by directing the reader to your web site where they can obtain all the necessary information about your products or services.

3. Direct traffic to your site by issuing a press release announcing something newsworthy. You could offer a free report, e-course or survey. Develop a hook, and leverage it with local and regional media.

4. Promotions are great way to distribute your web address. Think key chains, coffee mugs, mouse pads, pens and pencils, t-shirts, bags...you get the picture. Highlight your logo and website. Also, offer special coupons in your offline marketing that promise special Web-only deals to get more people interested in your website and improve your sales at the same time.

ONLINE MARKETING

Coordinate your online marketing with the offline marketing above. Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Mention your website and include it in your signature for all news groups, discussion groups and forum postings. Use your email address @yourdomain.com not your AOL email address to make it effortless to remember your URL.

2. An online marketing campaign could include pay-per-click advertising and banner advertising, all intended to drive traffic to your site. Plus, Search engines are looking for clues to the focus of your page. Search engines expect that your first paragraph will contain the important keywords for the document -- where most people write an introduction to the content of the page. You don't want to just artificially stuff keywords here. More is not better.

3. Post your web domain at online directories and in every single e-mail that leaves your computer. An automatic signature file makes this a snap. Also, add the website address to your organization's main voice mail message.

4. These days many people search for local businesses on the Internet. To make sure they find you, include on every page of your website the street address, zip code, phone number, and other areas and locations that your business serves.

5. Collaborate with partners and have them post your web URL on their site. Do the same for them.

To succeed you'll need a creative and integrated offline and online marketing plan. Of course, you will need to make sure that your website looks professional. If visitors come to your site after all your hard work getting them there and can't find what they need, they are apt to leave and never return. All of your information should be up-to-date, easy to find, and reflect what you are doing with your offline marketing efforts.

Remember, you don't just want new visitors -- you want RETURN visitors. Track your success by monitoring the number and type of people visiting your site, what pages they are visiting, as well as days of the week and time of day they visit. This can help you see how successful your marketing efforts are, and where adjustments need to be made.

To entice return visitors and getting higher rankings on search engines, add a blog to your website. Search Engines LOVE new content. Because Search Engines index daily on new content, regular blogging will ensure you come up higher in search engine. With consistency, blogging WILL increase your findability while boosting your credibility.

Quick blogging tips:
1. write frequently - 2-3x's a week
2. use your key words
3. write about your niche
4. blog about new products and programs
5. drive clients to your services and your website

Sometimes the greatest marketing ideas evolve from wild and crazy brainstorming sessions. Take a "day-long or weekend retreat" and think out of the box. Time, energy and imagination. Now that's guerrilla marketing.