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By Chad Barr, President, CB Software Systems, Inc.
All right, so you invested your time and energy to build your organization a great new web site, but you are not getting quite the results you were hoping for. Few customers are visiting or interacting with you and rarely do you get prospects to contact you through the site. So what can you do to improve the odds that you are reaching your anticipated audience?
1. Paperwork - This is the easiest and most economical method of advertising your site. Make sure you place your domain name on every form that is generated by your organization. Some of the forms to consider: quote, invoice, orders, bill of lading, purchase order, checks, statements, labels, letterhead, envelopes, fax forms and email signature.
2. Voice Mail Announcement - Announce your domain name and an attention-grabbing message on your corporate and individual voice mails. A great way to attract users to visit your site is to offer an incentive that is only available on the web. Some example may be: for additional and current specials checks out our web or check out our web for the article regarding the 7 deadly mistakes people make when planning a party.
3. Email Signature - Include your demographic information such as name, address, phone and fax numbers, your web address and promotional information.
4. Verbal - Make sure you and your staff are constantly promoting your web site and its content and value to your customers.
5. Newsletter - Develop an electronic newsletter to advise your customers and prospects of your products and services and all of the incentives available on the web. Provide an easy link within the newsletter to direct the user to the appropriate web page. My recommendation is to strive for a monthly frequency distribution.
6. Links - Trade links (URL) with other business associates, customers and vendors, which will drive traffic your way. When providing a resource link on your site to take the user elsewhere, make sure to open that link in a separate session. Once the visitor is on your site, keep them on your site voluntary and do not force them to leave your site by clicking on an outside resource.
7. Media - Always include your web site domain name when advertising or writing about your company in newspapers, magazines, trade publications, radio, TV, web and banners.
8. Search Engines Optimization and Pay-per-click - SEO and PPC is a huge growing segment of the economy and is the reason why companies such as Google, Yahoo, Overture and others have grown as much as they have. The basic concept is to properly optimize your site using certain key words and phrases to increase the odds that people can easily find you when they surf and search the web. This area requires professional assistance.
Implementing the proper plan to drive traffic to your site is a complicated task that requires strategic and tactical plannin. However, you may find that some areas I illustrated above are pretty easy to embrace and are economical as well. Don't lose the opportunities that are out there. Finish building it so they will come.
 (515 words)
Chad Barr is the President and founder of, CB Software Systems, Inc. a global software and Internet company: http://www.cbsoftware.com
Chad Barr shares his expertise at The Odd Couple® Marketing & Strategy Seminar for Professional, Speakers, Consultants & Coaches.
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