Sign Up with "What’s New" Directories

What’s New directories are popping up all over the place with one purpose – telling the world about your new Web site. Netscape What’s New, NewWebDirectory.com and WebWorldIndex.com  are just a taste of the online offerings.

But keep in mind that simply submitting your site to a “What’s New” directory isn’t a done deal for an instant listing. Most of them carefully review every submission before acceptance.

Web directories and “What’s New” pages don’t post listings automatically. Real people – editors – decide whether your new Web site meets their requirements. Those vary between directories, but are always posted for you to see.

Launch a PR Campaign

There are others on the Web who stand ready to help you get the word out about your new Web presence: online news sites, e-zines, and press-release services like PRNewswire, PRWeb and PR Leap. The e-sales site Avangate has a “Top 50” list of more sites where you can submit press releases, most of them for free.

Some more effective publicity tools and tips:

• Postcards. Send postcards to everyone in your business database and announce your new site. Include your company logo, URL and maybe a screenshot of your home page.
• Discounts. Offer a discount on your products or services just for visiting your new Web home, and a bigger one if visitors bring you new business through a “Tell a Friend” promotional page on your site.
• Voicemail. Re-record your company’s voicemail greeting to include your Web address.
• Stationery. Include your Web address in all printed marketing materials – business cards, letterhead, advertising, invoices – everyplace it fits.
• Links. Linking to other sites – not the competition, of course – can drive more traffic to yours. Ask professional organizations, your local Chamber of Commerce, local business publications and relevant industry journals if they’ll include a link to your site in exchange for including theirs on your Web pages. The more sites that are linked to yours, the higher your search engine rankings.

Try Pay-Per-Click

If you’ve included an advertising budget in your planning, consider pay-per-click or PPC marketing – at least in the early days – for instant Web traffic to your site.

Pay-per-click advertising providers charge a small fee, adjusted according to the competition for your chosen search keywords, for each potential customer who clicks on your ad to visit your site.

Some advantages and benefits:

• Affordability. Whatever your budget, simple online tools tailor (and limit) your spending to what you can afford.
• Performance. You only pay for people who click on your ad.
• Targeted Campaigns. You can aim your ads at very specific market segments, and geographic areas as small as 10 square miles.
• Adaptability. You can change you ad daily or weekly to compare response rates and effectiveness.
• Simplicity. Because these keyword ads are text based, you don’t need a high-priced creative director to design your ads. Can you type? With a little bit of imagination you can effectively run a campaign.

Start with PPC programs from the major search engines: Google AdWords, Yahoo! Search Marketing and Microsoft adCenter.