Hi eymon~
Fortunately, there are lots of things you can do to draw more traffic
to your site that cost little or nothing. Here are the top
suggestions, in no particular order:
1. Put your web site address in ALL your ads (including your yellow
page ad, if you have one). Don't forget to include your web address on
your business card and on *all* paperwork customers may receive, also.
2. Make sure your site is easy to use, simple in design, and quick to
load. Have friends who use different browsers try out your site and
check for these requirements.
3. Exchange links with related but noncompetitive markets. If you
can't think of any web sites offhand, do a Google search for flower
related sites. Then simply write a letter to the person in charge of
the site, asking them to link up to you. Be sure to tell them you're
linking up to them, also (and follow up by including a link to them on
your website).
4. Include interesting and helpful articles on your website. In your
case, and explanation of "the language of flowers" would be
appropriate, as would articles with tips on selecting the right
bouquet for every occasion, ideas for brides, etc.
5. Web rings. Find a web ring (or more than one!) that relates to your
business and sign up for it. These are usually free, and very
effective. To find a web ring suitable for your business, try this
site: http://dir.webring.com/rw As you browse other sites in #3, you
may discover other web rings. You can also create your own web ring
and invite noncompetitive but related sites onboard.
6. Use keywords effectively. For tips on this, go to:
http://www.siteowners.com/article011.shtml
7. Be sure to submit site to free search engines like Yahoo
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/suggest/
For other places to submit, look at this site:
http://www.siteowners.com/tools_promotion.shtml
If you include their ad on your webpage, this site claims to submit
your website listing to multiple search engines:
http://mailbits.com/webowner/Information.htm
To submit your site to Google, go to:
://www.google.com/webmasters/1.html
8. Use meta tags correctly; this helps search engines categorize and
describe your web page accurately. For information on meta tags (what
they are, how to use them), try this site:
http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/html/96/51/index2a.html
as well as this one:
http://searchenginewatch.com/webmasters/meta.html
9. If you aren't already, set yourself up to accept payments online.
This site offers links to places that will help you get online
billing, which can increase sales and web traffic to your site:
http://www.siteowners.com/tools_billing.shtml
Also consider PayPal, which is a business that offers online payment,
and is familiar to many web users:
www.paypal.com
Here are some more articles that may prove helpful:
An article on getting more traffic to your site inexpensively:
http://mailbits.com/webowner/Information.htm
An article on drawing more web site traffic:
http://www.siteowners.com/article004.shtml
An "e-commerce tutorial," which includes information on getting more
business to your website:
http://www.hostweb.net/ecommercetutorial.htm
Tips on getting repeat hits on your site:
http://www.siteowners.com/article006.shtml
Tips for building a successful web site:
http://www.siteowners.com/article009.shtml
Many great articles on web site development:
http://www.siteowners.com/articles.shtml
Keywords Used:
increase web traffic how to
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=META+tags+how+to&btnG=Google+Search
META tags how to
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=META+tags+how+to&btnG=Google+Search
Good luck!
kriswrite |
