Advertising Approach For The First-time Webmaster

For the first time internet entrepreneur [newbie] the best ways
to promote your website at first instance are :

1. Express inclusion of your website for the usual 12 months
offered by most of the major search engines. You can choose
express inclusion for askjeeves, inktomi, altavista,msn etc
but keep in mind to have your site submitted to the local
index of your region.

For example if you reside in Toronto, Canada and you are
submitting for express inclusion in the DMOZ or Canada.com
search engine/directory you must ensure that your site is
indexed in the Toronto`s business and economy directory. Get
your site in the local index first things first.

If your submission listing includes the regional version of the
DMOZ directory then thats good enough to go.

One point to note is that many of the major search engines and
directories actually inter-relate that is they search across
each other`s database therefore submitting to only one major
engine or directory will satisfice for the Internet Marketing
beginner.

2. Next, the most overlooked approach for the first-time
website owner is the maximisation of the benefit of offline
marketing methods.

Promote your website in exactly the same way you would have
promoted a normal business by telling everyone about it.

Word of mouth is still the best way to promote a new business.

Put your motto and logo along with your url address on
everything from a pin to an anchor. From stationery, pens,
letterheads, postcards, flyers,posters, in your usual email,
the list goes on...

You may consider placing classified ads in the local newspapers.

Run other programs such as sponsoring quizzes, prize
competitions, trivia and other participating programs with
your website address. You might ask readers to submit the
answer to a quiz by visiting you website. Anything that gets
the local community to know that your website exists. You can
do it !!

FACT : You have to make it local before you go global.

Most start-up webmasters usually make the mistake on
concentrating on those numerous ways to promote their site and
become confused on deciding what works best. What works best
can only be determined by careful evaluation of each and every
advertising scheme in use on the web today : Publisher/
advertisers programs Banner exchanges Exit ads Pay-Per-
Click Link Exchanges Search engine blasting FFa, classified
ad posting Rotator pages _JavaScript based pop-ups etc 10.
Express submit to search engines 11.Search Engine
Optimisation 12.Adwords by Google 13. Others

Its interesting to note that no seller of the above services
except for Google and the other search engine services has
ever took the time to evaluate your website to decide whether
or not your site is most suitable to fit the advertising
package they are offering.

The best approach is to evaluate, evaluate, evaluate. Not
everything out there works for everybody in every instant.
Test your website across every platform say 10000 visitor
package each and assess the outcome one by one.

Some will work better than others but the ones returning the
higher rate of response doesn`t necessarily mean they are the
most profitable unless they each cost exactly the same per
1000 visitor.

What I had recommended in the first two paragraphs above should
work best for the first-timer and is the most prudent approach.

Be careful when trying to find the best way of advertising,
Don`t be caught up in the Internet Marketing clutter out there
as every you come in contact with will tell you the
advertising method they sell is the best.

Ignore whatever testimony you see written on these webpages,
use these services under a trial based approach before you
order that 100000 package or start paying that monthly
subscription.

Any method you are interested in should be test and proven in
quality. Careful tjought and consideration should be given in
order to plan, make decisions and control your business
operating expenses.

What works for seasoned campaigners of Internet Marketing
does`nt necessary works in the same way for the starter.

Your website is unique just like your fingerprint and its now
your duty to determine the most economic,effective and
efficient approach in promoting it.

Craig Valine is the publisher of the The AwfulMarketing Alert
Newsletter, "Where you learn GOOD marketing strategies by
looking at those who do it really BAD."

To subscribe his free newsletter, go to: http://awfulmarketing.
com/ezinesubscribe.htm (http://awfulmarketing.com/
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