1. Search Engines
Optimize your website to be search-engine friendly. Submitit to various search engines and directories.
In addition to major search engines such as Google, Yahoo,and MSN, its worth submitting to lesser known webdirectories. If your website is listed in as many places aspossible, it can boost your rankings in major searchengines as well.
2. Affiliate Program
Set up an affiliate program where you pay people apercentage of each sale for referring customers to you.
Spread the word about your affiliate program by submittingit to affiliate program directories and contacting theowners of related websites.
3. Link Exchanges
Create a links page that will contain the links to othernon-competing websites in the same industry.
Contact the owners of other websites with your proposal toexchange links. You will add their link to your linkspage, and they will link to your website in return.
4. Post In Forums
Visit the online discussion forums where people in yourtarget market like to gather. Post useful responses topeoples questions, and include a link to your website atthe end of your post next to your name.
5. Comment On Blogs
Visit other peoples blogs on the topic related to yourwebsite. Most blogs allow you to add comments about theissues being discussed.
Add insightful comments about the blog topics, and leaveyour website link. Your comment and your link willpermanently remain on the blog website.
6. E-Mail Signatures
Create an e-mail signature - your name, your websiteaddress and a short tagline describing the main benefit ofyour site. Set your e-mail program to automatically addyour signature to every e-mail that you send.
7. Traffic Exchanges
There are many times of traffic exchanges but the idea isthe same - you team up with other webmasters, and they sendyou traffic in exchange for you sending them traffic.Search the web for traffic exchange to find thoseservices.
8. Pass-Around Strategy
Create something of value that people will pass around. Itcan be a report with useful information that you allowpeople to give away. It can also be some kind of cool andunusual webpage that people will want to e-mail to alltheir friends.
Of course, the pass-around item will include youradvertisement and your link, spreading the word about yourwebsite.
9. Writing Articles
Write articles on the topic related to your website, andinclude a link to your site in your author bio. Submit your articles to article directories, and allow people topublish your article in their newsletters and websites.
Your articles will spread around the web like wildfire. People will read them and visit your website.
The best part is that people who read your articles willregard you as an expert, and they will be much more likelyto buy from you when they go to your website. Hows thatfor a free publicity
About The Author:
Melanie Mendelson teaches how to write articles in 30 minutes (even if you cant write!). To increase your website traffic, learn her 30 Minute Article Writing System:
Testimonials are an incredibly powerful tool they often make the sale all by themselves. But yet, they are overlooked by far too many business owners.
How do you get them
Tell your customers that you need a nice letter that you can show to difficult prospects to reassure them that they are making the right buying decision.
Ask all your customers yes, every single one of them.
Ask them to e-mail you or even to scribble it on a piece of paper when you are with them.
Ask them over the telephone and write it down yourself.
Often people are too busy write the testimonial yourself and ask them if it is ok for you to use it.
Dont let anybody who has been happy with your service walk away without getting their testimonial.
If youre stuck, try these words: Thank you for your kind words. Much appreciated! I wonder how you would feel about me using the following testimonial statement within my marketing
What for
It builds credibility like nothing else on this planet.
Imagine you have to make a decision between using two plumbers. One tells you how great he is. The other sends you a letter and includes with that a list of testimonials from 100 happy customers which one are you most likely to go with
Testimonials make a big difference!
What do you do with them
Put them in places where your current and new customers can see them.
This reinforces your credibility.
Put it on your website.
Put your testimonials into folders and give every one of your salespeople such a folder this folder by itself will more often than not push aside the resistance from an unwilling buyer.
Send it out with your product saying And now you too have joined the ranks of these other happy customers This confirms that the buyer has made the right decision.
Get testimonials everywhere you can!
Use testimonials everywhere you can!
Testimonials will help pave your way to a successful business. It really is worth the effort.
Happy Testimonial Hunting.
Rudi Jansen is a Business Growth Specialist and chartered accountant.
Get his free e-book, 7 Easy Ways To Grow Your Business at