Better Utilize Your Company’s Web Presence

Better Utilize Your Company’s Web Presence
By Killeen M. Gonzalez


Company websites are only as valuable as the effort you put into them. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons many business owners do not fully utilize their web presence in their overall marketing efforts. With that said, here are just 7 of the many low to no-cost ways you can better utilize your company’s web presence.

1. Submit your website address to various directories and search engines. Just because you have a web site doesn’t automatically mean that it is listed in every popular directory or search engine. You have to submit your sites URL to these directories. Some directory services like DMOZ are free, whereas other directories like Yahoo charge a fee for site listings. In addition to general directories do not forget to consider submitting your site to Niche directories. Niche directories typically focus on a specific industry and can often provide more marketing value than general directory submissions. Not having your website listed in the popular search engines and directories is a little like not listing your business in the phone book. It just doesn’t make sense.

2. Remember keywords are key! When you are submitting your website address to the assorted directories and search engines, you will need to choose keywords that best describe your business. To discover what keywords are best for your business, you can enlist the help of a free online tool called “Google External Keyword” (GEK). GEK users can type in a potential keyword and Google will show the user the total number of searches using that keyword in the past month. Naturally you will want to pay special attention to what keywords are most popular in your search category. GEK will also generate for its users other potential keywords that they may want to consider when listing their website. Not only is keyword information helpful when attempting to increase your web sites ranking, it is helpful for business owners who want to understand more about how their target market searches for products and services.

3. Search out the competition. Business owners should periodically conduct their own internet searches using assorted keywords and then take note of what web sites are coming up in the top 10 slots. If your competitors web sites are coming up in the top 10 search results (SERPS - Search Engine Results Pages) but your company listing is buried at the bottom of the list you are going to want to investigate why. It could be that your web site needs updating, that your using the wrong priority of keywords, or that your not listed in enough directories or search engines.

4. Invest In Social Media. Nowadays it is a smart investment to build a profile on social media sites as well as social media article distribution. When creating your profile consider creating two profiles. One that focuses on the company name and one that focuses on the company as a brand. Furthermore, as is always the case when writing articles, make sure your content is audience specific. A social media-centric audience is different as opposed to a more traditional one.

5. Join The Blogging World. It is a good idea to create a blog and link it to your company’s main web site. It is essential that your blog’s content meets the needs and wants of your customers. Remember, it is also imperative that your blog seamlessly integrates with all your other marketing efforts. Once your blog is established be sure to submit it to the top blog directories out there such as NetworkedBlogs to gain it more exposure. NetworkedBlogs is affiliated with FaceBook and allows users to not only search through hundreds of blog listing but also add the content of their favorite blogs as widgets to their profiles. In addition to directory submissions, consider piggybacking your blog posts with your company’s social media profiles and employing at least basic linking strategies.

6. Sign Up A For E-mail Collection Service. E-mail subscriptions are just one efficient and effective way to send your target audience valuable information. Almost all e-mail service providers offer ways to collect and manage subscriber information. Some even offer Feed Reader services which is a potenant method of disseminating your company‘s information. The costs of such services varies so you will need to conduct research to see which ESP and or Feed Reader service would best meet your company’s needs.

7. Develop A Linking Strategy. Linking your web site to others who address your target audience’s needs is a wise choice. For example, a “green” hotel can request a link to a company that sells “green” products. Linking strategies shouldn’t focus on the quantity of the links but the quality of them. In order to determine if a website is worth linking to you will need to engage in some research. There are several web sites out there that can help you discover a websites demographics data such as Quantcast.com. You can use such sites to locate some of your industries top websites and then approach those sites about reciprocal linking.

In conclusion, don’t let your company’s web site be the proverbial “red-headed step-child” of your marketing plan. There are many low to no cost easy ways to rev up your websites revenue potential. You just have to learn how. If done correctly increased web traffic translates to more company profitability. If you need assistance in revving up your website, contact your local freelance marketing professional. If you don’t have such a person in your area, you can find freelance marketers online at sites such as guru.com or liveperson.com who can assist you in your efforts electronically.