promoting your site

[beautifulbay]

I need some ideas on how to promote my site more....how do you build up your traffic?? It seems so hard to get your name out there.

 

[JenniferSews]

Have you tried social networking sites like Facebook, twitter, myspace, etc? I have used them with some success, but you have to be consistent. It's free though, that's always a plus! Having a blog works too I hear, that wasn't too great for me because I couldn't keep up with it. Advertising of course but I wouldn't know where to recommend that for soapers, maybe someone else will have some specific ideas there.

 

[Soaps House]

I know that this is an old post, but you should check out the 30 day challenge. My store is not quite open yet, but I am flying through Google's ranks. You do have to do a lot of writing and that has been a bit of a challenge.

 

[Tabitha]

the 30 day challenge

What is this?

 

[bala]

Do you try SEO your web site?
Or do you try to use some SEO software to check key words?

Free css is available for blog but not so good for business model web site.
I click your web site, "?" "-" "/" "&" come out.
My personal thinking, maybe wrong, you shall use social network.
Because you like free css that will be no short cut to promote your web site in Google. Search engine can't read "?" "&"..... so, ranking won't come up and web page won't esay to be the first page after google search.

Free good SEO shipping cart such as magento, it won't be easy thing on installation at all.

 

[IanT]

put up a couple youtube videos talking about your site, write some articles, mention your site name as many times as you can...trade links/banners with other sites...DONT EVER PAY those dumb companies promising you the world.. they never work in my experience...

 

[donniej]

Search engines have software called "spiders" which continually scan the internet for phrases. Depending on how often certain terms show up, and depending on what sites they show up on, dictates where in search results you show up. Ranking is also dynamic, so just because you do alot of work right now doesn't mean that a year from now you'll still have good rankings...

 

[IanT]

Search engines have software called "spiders" which continually scan the internet for phrases. Depending on how often certain terms show up, and depending on what sites they show up on, dictates where in search results you show up. Ranking is also dynamic, so just because you do alot of work right now doesn't mean that a year from now you'll still have good rankings...

oooh yes... make a robots.txt document for your site as well, this will help the various spiders catalogue information on your site, it gives you a little more control over what they capture from your site...as far as how to make one, Im pretty new to that type of stuff too but Im working on it..there are tutorials out there ...

 

[Soaps House]

the 30 day challenge

What is this?

It's one of the best SEO classes that someone can take and it's free...just Google it and check it out. You will have to write a lot, but you will see results in your web sites rankings

 

[IanT]

I see a few of them when i google? which one is "THE" one?

link?

thanks!!!!

 

[bala]

You must see SEO as part of marketing.

There are few SEO books on Amazon for entry level but dozen books in Taiwan and China. SEO is a very important issue for on line seller.
Even eBay use it for buyer and seller search items. I am not expert but I read some books and do by myself for our local web site.

Most SEO books are technical. Very few books for business management or entry level.

Google search engine algorithms is not just spider but also robot.
You may check "Google dance" meaning.

If You see top 3 ranking web site, the key words, you may surprise that they all optimize their web site.
So, you have to register your web site on google and Yahoo.
http://www.google.com/addurl/

second
I sell soap mold, so I put key word on my etsy shop.
http://kudosrichard.etsy.com, How I put my key word on?
For example, the web site, ranking Number one soap mold supplier,
http://soapmold.net/
Please see your browser top, you won't see shop name!!
You will see " Soap making | soap mols | soap making equipment | soap cutters". KEY WORD!!!

That means search engine read those words first.

You see the number two ranking soap mold seller, milkyway
You won't see key word on the top but what is inside?, they put all key word in each category.
What is milkyway use key word? " mold" " soap mold"
So, you can use "milk soap" "body lotion" " promotion soap" for promoting your web site.

Third
Your web site must have site map. Most free shopping cart system have it. In case of you pay some money for hosting company. You shall ask them. Search engine will read it.
This is the reason, don't use blog for selling. It will not so easy promote your web site.
It doesn't mater how good your web site design. If no one find you, you will live in valley.

There are some free SEO software, please use it to promtoe your items before you buy SEO service.

 

[Soaps House]

I see a few of them when i google? which one is "THE" one?

link?

thanks!!!!

http://www.thirtydaychallenge.com/ try it out. If you follow what they say you will see results. A few weeks ago I didn't even rank on google, now I think my site is number 60 for my keyword. In a few months I should be on page one. You have to write a lot. I haven't done that in a while. Sarting a blog was not been easy, but I will get better the more that I do it.

 

[IanT]

for me... I just created a forum on the website and plugged my name in a lot, now Im the first listing whenever I type my name, or my sites name in... but im still working on being on top with the keywords etc... gotta work on that a bit

 

[Legal Eagle]

The two best ways to to promote and get listing is to A) visit as many search engines as you can and list in their URL section, giving as many details as you can about your site and B) get linked to by as many other sites as possible.

http://www.blackcrownsoap.com is mine; home of my Ebook "Biodiesel Glycerine Soap - The Guide" which is now out in it's 5th edition and on 5 continents.

Lather! is a new upcoming Emagazine dedicated to biodiesel glycerine soap makers. The first edition is slated to hitthe airwaves shortly. Amongst it's features is the work of scientists that have designed Universal_SAP software that allows a person to determine the SAP of any acid, or combination of acids, including the various feedstock bases of biodiesel glycerine but also of used cooking oils and whole oils added for texture or biding. The .exe program will be ready very soon and vailable through my website.

HTH

 

[Vega]

I think the best way to promote your site or more importantly to drive traffic to your site is SEO. The key is not just putting your web site link out there online as much as possible. The key is to use anchor text when placing your link out there on forums and blogs and directories. The anchor text is your keywords. You want to spend time on picking the best keywords to use. You don't want keywords that are super competitive like "natural soap" which has 110,000 local searches for February but use keywords like "handmade soaps" which had 12,000 local searches for February. This is just an example but you can use Google Adwords to find the keywords that work best for what you are selling.

 

[bala]

Recently, my lab. testing 2 shopping carts. Those shopping cart system look well and desinger use php5 + mysql database.
That means web 2.0. Many of you may don't understand what it is.
There are 2 things, maybe you are interesting in it.

1. Live talking with visitors by MSN or Livetalk. Very simple plug in system.
2. SEO, meta tag for your store and every items and connect with Google.

A. Magento, a little difficult installation, very stable.
B. Opencart, simple installation, some bugs and few support in forum but I think it is worth to try.

Another intersting thing for forum software and system in those tech. forum.
Some of them change to "Simple Machine" forum software.
At least, my local biggest computer tech. forum switch system from phpbb3 to SM 2 years ago.