Top Five free and easy, POWERFUL ways to promote your web site
1. Start a mailing list.
Add a link on your web site to collect e-mail addresses. At gigs, remember to pass around a mailing list for people who want to keep in touch.
2. Content Content Content
Write articles for your newsletter and web site. This is a great way to keep in touch
with your fans and attract visitors to your site. Keep copies of past newsletters archived online and you may be surprised at how many people will find these pages through search engines. Remember to submit ALL new pages you add to your web sites to the search engines.
Design and sell over 50 products with your own band logo or images. What a clever idea - add content + further promote your site + make money while doing it! CafePress lets you design your own products and open a store from your web site easily. Keep your visitors coming back by offering new stuff like frisbees, baseball caps, t-shirts and more. Check out CleverJoe's own CleverJoe Gear store at CafePress.
Open your own store in minutes!.
3. Keep Your Web Site Fresh
Experiment to see if you can raise your conversion rate. Successful web site owners continually adjust their web sites, changing titles, headings, graphics, and products they are trying to promote. You will be most successful if you're always looking for ways to encourage more of your visitors to return to your web site and buy your CD's or other products.
4. Search Engine Promotion.
This is a tricky subject. There are both good and not-so-good ways to go about promoting your web site in the search engines and online directories. Let's concentrate on the good stuff.
One of the best possible things you can do to help increase traffic to your web site is arm yourself with a powerful little tool called Web Position Gold. This software gem has helped many web site owners get consistent top ten placements in the major search engines including Google and Yahoo!.
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Alternatively, you can use a quality search engine submission service like TheSmallDot.com.
They are a reliable company who will make sure your site gets listed in
all the major search engines. Keep in mind though, that being listed in the search engines doesn't guarantee increased traffic. If you're web site isn't listed in the top 10-30 pages, it's unlikely many people will find your site.
If you have a little time on your hands, check out webmaster resource sites like SearchEngineWatch.com and SearchEngines.com. Both are great sources for information about the ever evolving world of search engines. You should be able to arm yourself with the basics after a coffee or three and a few hours of study. Good things come to those who persevere.
5. Even More Search Engine Promotion
You can't just do a bit of work, see a bit of success and then sit back on your heels. Well, you can - but you'll be wondering why that little spurt of web traffic disappeared. A little goes a long way and it won't take much to keep the traffic flowing and growing.
Keep checking on the major search engines to make sure your key pages haven't been dropped. Re-submit any pages that have changed or don't appear in the search engine listings. Again, a little bit of effort can be greatly rewarded. Remember there are millions of eyes out there, the trick is making your web site as easy as possible.
Every month search out a few more directories like IndieMusic.ca and submit your site to as many places as you can. One of the things that determines how well your web site will rank
in the search engines is the number of web sites actively linking to yours. The more popular
the web site that includes your URL, the better your chances of getting higher rankings in
the engines. Try and get your web site linked on as many web sites as possible, just remember to be polite and don't spam anyone in the process. Find some quality web sites you really dig, add their link on your "Links" page (set up a Links page if you haven't already) and send an e-mail letting them know about the link. Then ask nicely for a reciprocal link and you'll probably get one.
Have a Joe
Sit back with a nice CleverJoe cup of cappuccino and watch those search engine rankings rise. Well, it will take a while, but a good baker knows that the dough will always rise in time... ok I just made that up. The point is, do the ground work and results will follow.