10 Effective Ways to Promote Your Website for Free
So youāve just finishedĀ creating your stunning website, but now itās 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 doesnāt have to cost you a ton of money. In fact, it doesnāt have to cost you any money at all.
Weāre sure youāve ran into articles similar to this one, promising to show you āx amount of tipsā to do something for free, only to have a big, red price tag at the end. This isnāt one of those posts and everything listed will ensure your wallet stays closed. But donāt take out word for it. Read on to discover the 10 best ways to promote your website for free:
01.Ā 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), itās totally free ā 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, likeĀ adding alt text to your imagesĀ 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 ofĀ 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 āget foundā. On top of all this,Ā Wix websites are now instantly indexed by Google,Ā so youāll be able to see your site in search results then and there.
02.Ā Take advantage of email marketing
Thereās a reason you will always see email marketing placed high up on articles that talk aboutĀ how to drive traffic to your website. Why? Because itās proven to be effective over and over. (For every $1 you spend on email marketing,Ā 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, yourĀ 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 toĀ Wix ShoutOutĀ you can create, send and share beautiful emails in minutes.
03.Ā Start a blog
News flash! Blogs are great. No, Iām not just saying that because youāre 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 ofĀ 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. Donāt 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, weāve created theĀ definitive guide on how to start your own blog,Ā so you can be well on your way to becoming a blogging pro.
04.Ā 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 personās network and hopefully get some quality leads. Not only that, youāre building relationships along the way with people in your industry therefore growing your own network. You both get exposure, traffic, and social media shares. Iād say itās a win-win for all.
Vice versa, itās strongly recommended that you become a guest blogger yourself ā that is, you start writing articles to be published on other platforms. Here too, the benefits are huge: your websiteās 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.Ā Harness the power of social media
Believe it or not, social media isnāt 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 itāsĀ Facebook, Twitter,Ā Instagram, or Snapchat (and hopefully itās 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. Donāt 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 alsoĀ add a social barĀ to your website so that your visitors can easily find your social profiles and share your website.
06.Ā Submit your site to online directories
While a majority of people will be searching Google to find what theyāre 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 likeĀ Google My BusinessĀ 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 youāll want to look into adding your website or business to areĀ Angieās List,Ā Yellow Pages, andĀ Yelp. Remember, the more the merrier.
07.Ā Post on forums
Who doesnāt 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 likeĀ RedditĀ and let others decide if itās 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, donāt spam. Itās just plain rude.) As with the directories above, try to find forums that are specifically about your businessesā industry so that you can reach your specific audience in a more intimate way. If you canāt find a forum thatās specific to your business category, donāt fret! You can start your own forum usingĀ Wix Forum. This way your website can be the destination forum spot for your industry.
08.Ā 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 targetsā 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? Weāve got a dedicated guide for the bestĀ outreach marketing tacticsĀ to promote your website. Keep in mind, itās called outreach marketing, not overreach marketing. š
09.Ā 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 yourĀ business logo, links to your social accounts and website, plus any other contact information. Online promotion? Easy peasy.
10.Ā Focus on quality
When making your own coffee, itās easy to fix if youāve 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 youāll end up with a watered-down mess that no one wants. This tip can be applied to all of the other tips youāll find in this article. Attention to detail and a āquality over quantityā 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?Ā Create your stunning website today!