Web Site Marketing on a Shoestring Budget

For all of you out there who have little to spend, but who are willing to spend a little elbow grease to get exposure, here’s a nice hefty list of low-cost, no-cost web site marketing ideas. Don’t forget, with this kind of recipe for success, you’ve got to throw in a hefty dose of patience and persistence as well. Good luck!

• search engine and directory submittals
• site linking
• write a compelling email signature file (see our marketing tip Sig Lines are Critical from 2/2/00)
• co-brand/partnering with other web sites (revenue/advertise-sharing)
• content placement (write pieces of information to appear elsewhere on the Web)
• paid-for rankings on GoTo.com
• participating in email and on-site discussion lists, forums, bulletin boards, newsgroups, etc.
• develop your own opt-in email list and send out notices, updates, special offers, etc.
• Recommend-It.com
• low-cost classified advertising in targeted email newsletters
• classified advertising in targeted print media
• develop an affiliate program
• customized ad specialty give-away items with each sale
• print your url on the outside of your delivery boxes (or use a bumper sticker)
• same for any company vehicles
• trade product in exchange for advertising exposure
• “registration-sharing” with other non-competitive sites (on your site’s registration page, offer people the opportunity to check off a box to also register with your partner’s site, and vice versa)
• work the awards sites (Cool Site of the Day, What’s Cool) - see Virtual Promote
• send out a press release (use Bacon’s Information Services for only $0.85/off-peak fax delivery or one of the wire services like Business Wire - DigitalWork.com is currently offering a free trial of distribution via Business Wire in one geographical region). Jump on it NOW!! CODE WORD: amherst
• post your press release for FREE at PRWeb
• write a letter to the editor of a favorite magazine or journal of your target industry - don’t forget to include your email address and url!
• swap ads with other email newsletters
• give something away for free on your site and then register your site with free-for-all sites like Free Center and Free.com
• sponsor a contest or a sweepstakes using something of value you already own, manufacture or produce. Promote it on contest and sweepstakes sites like Winning Ways .

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