The 360 Company Blog

8 Ways to Shout About Your New Website

So, your new website has launched and the great news is that your business is out there on the web.

Getting your business online is a fantastic first step. But from the moment your site goes live there's work to be done to spread the word that it's out there.

Assuming you've done all you can to optimise your site for search engines, now is the time to get your marketing head into gear. Although customers will find your website on internet searches, just as with an advertising flyer it's down to you to distribute the details to as many people as possible.

1. Spread the Word

Start by telling everyone you can think of about your new website - customers, colleagues, business contacts, suppliers, etc. Add your web

details to items such as:

Business cards
Letterheads
Business receipts
Gift wrap or bags
Flyers on your business counter or which you can give out with purchases
Coupons
Notices inside your business (and/or on the window)
On your business signage
Local notice boards
Newspaper/magazine advertisements
Branded clothing, such as polo shirts
Business vehicles
Email signatures

2. Get Listed in Business Directories

If you have listings in free local business directories, make sure you add a link to your website to these. If you're not on any directories, this may be a good time to consider some, such as:

Google My Business (ensure you verify and update your listing)
Yell. com
Freeindex
Thompson Local
Scoot

3. Social Media

Make sure you update all your social media profiles with a link to your new website. Next, you need to start posting to tell followers about your site. Try using relevant hashtags to catch the eye of those with interests related to your business. It's also useful to follow people/businesses which are related to your product or service niche.

However, remember that one post on Facebook, for example, may only reach as few as 10% of your followers at any one time. To get the word out to a large number of people you'll have to mention it regularly, and at different times of the day when different people are using social media.

You can also encourage visitors to check-in to your business on Facebook. If a customer checks in, their friends will see where they are, giving your business the opportunity to reach out to a new audience.

If you want to spend some money, most social media channels offer paid for Ads with opportunities to boost your posts, too, so this may be worth considering if budget allows.

It goes without saying that the more active you are on social media overall, the more people are likely to check out your bio and then click on the link to your website as a result.

Not on social media yet? Then it's time to get onboard. Research shows that 67% of Twitter users, for example, are more likely to buy from a brand they follow than from those they do not.

4. Email Marketing

Do you have a customer and/or supplier email database? If so, get a message out to tell them about your new website. If you don't, then perhaps it's time to start collecting customer emails to use for targeted marketing messages, including regular bulletins/newsletters with new product information, coupons, special offers and useful information.

For other day-to-day emails that you're sending, update your automatic signature to include a link to your website.

5. Write a Blog

If you don't know what to write about there are loads of examples to fire your imagination on the web. Think about news, trends and advice related to your business sector which you could put together a few paragraphs on.

A blog doesn't have to be long but it can be an effective method of driving traffic to your website, as well as helping with SEO.

If you don't want a blog on your website, try a free service from somewhere like Blogger or WordPress.

6. Online Forums

As well as posting links to your blog on social media, putting comments on other blogs and niche forums is a great way to get yourself noticed.

Look up to see what online communities are out there which may be related to your business sector. Get your head above the crowd by posting useful information and opinions.

7. Get in the Press

Got an interesting story about your business/industry? Perhaps you've recently expanded your business, taken on new staff, got involved in a charity event, or started selling a quirky new product or service.

Get the attention of the press by sending a news release to your local or specialist media with a link to your website.

8. Pay Per Click Advertising

If you have money to spend on marketing your website, Pay Per Click can be a fast and effective method of getting visitors to your website by allowing you to dominate the top paid search results on Google. Pay Per Click can:

Produce immediate results
Increase traffic to your site
Allow you to manage and optimise marketing campaigns

Pay Per Click campaigns can be expensive and ineffective if not set up properly however, so you may want to use the services of a digital marketing agency if you're not confident at doing this yourself.

Whether you use a few or all of the above ideas, the main thing is to start thinking creatively about the opportunities available to let people know about your website. And even if your marketing budget is nil, there are still plenty of actions you can take now using time as your only investment.

Date: 22 February 2016
Author: The 360 Company