5 tips for promoting a Web site

Q: I am working on building a small business Web site. How can I effectively promote it?

— Patricia

A: Let’s examine the five rules for growing and promoting a small business Web site.

Rule no. 1:

Choose and use keywords carefully. It is estimated that 90% of Web site traffic comes from search engine searches. If a user types in a phrase or some words that match keywords or key phrases found in your site’s content, they will find you.

So don’t underestimate the importance of choosing the right keywords.

How do you know which keywords to use? It can be tricky. I used an online tool to test a phrase that I thought was a killer keyword and guess what? The number of people who searched the term was almost nil.

The best way is find the right keywords is to use a Keyword Generation Tool that helps you choose and analyze the right words and phrases to drive the right people to your site.

Once you have settled upon your keywords, then you have to intersperse them properly throughout your site, including

• At the top of your homepage
• In your meta and title tags
• In your content, and
• As links

Rule no. 2:

Get linked up. Want to get a higher ranking in a search engine results page? Get other sites to link to your Web site.

Search engine “spiders” that analyze Web sites actually rank sites with incoming links higher. Links from popular sites, such as MSN, are rated even better. One way to get links to your site is to make sure the major search engines know about your site. You can submit your site here.

Other ways to get good links include:

• Submitting your site to industry groups and getting them to link to you
• Having relevant trade associations link to you
• Finding complementary business sites and getting them to link to you (This may require reciprocal linking.)
• Paying to have good sites link to you when necessary. For example, a Yahoo Directory business listing is a valuable link, but it also costs $300 a year. It is probably worth it though.

Rule no. 3:

Buy ads. All of the linking and keywording in the world doesn’t mean that you will get a top search-engine ranking.

One of the smartest uses of your marketing dollar is to buy keyword-driven search engine ads. The best part: You don’t pay for the ad until someone clicks on it. (As with the Keyword Generation Tool above, the Microsoft adCenter can help you choose and buy the right search terms and ads.)

Rule no. 4:

Capture visitor e-mail addresses. Your best prospects are those people who come to your site. By capturing their name and e-mail addresses you begin to build a list that you can use to send them special offers, promotions, notices of sales and so on.

You can capture those addresses by inducing visitors to give it to you by having them register at your Web site (i.e., give you their name and e-mail) to enable them to

• Sign up for your free newsletter
• Participate in your free poll
• Post in the forum
• Read the rest of the article, and so on

Rule no. 5:

Don’t forget your off-line tricks. Use public relations to get a story written about your Web site. Mention the site address (URL) in all of your advertising. Make it part of all correspondence. Put it on your signs and business cards. Have a contest to promote the site. (You can learn how to these sorts of things at my site, MrAllBiz.com)

Finally, remember that all of the tricks in the world will be worthless if, when people finally come to your site, they find it amateurish, not useful or hard to navigate or read. So put your best foot forward.

How did Steve answer other questions? Read his previous columns

Steve Strauss is one of the country's leading small business experts, a columnist for USATODAY.com, and the author of the "Small Business Bible." If you would like to have Steve speak to your group, or to sign up for his free e-newsletter Small Business Success Secrets!, visit his Web site. Have a question for Steve? Send him an e-mail.