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Web site promotion shouldn't be an afterthought - scribbling your web address onto the back of your business card, while very personalized, probably isn't the best approach! With a little organization and integration, your web site can become one with your business, promoting each other, and increasing your sales as well as your profile.

Our tips are separated into three categories, pre-launch, launch and post launch. We hope you find them useful.

PRE-LAUNCH

Register your Domain
As soon as you decide to have a web site, register and purchase your domain name.

• Don't rely on a free hosting service for example: www.freewebspace.com/mysmallbiz/index.htm
• Include keywords in your domain name
  e.g. www.cambridge-accounting.co.uk

Make your Content Count
Include thorough information about your services and products, so visitors can find answers to their questions.

• Providing details about opening hours or locations, so you are free to deal with more specific inquiries.
• Make the text interesting and concise, it is uncomfortable for people to read large amounts of text on screen.
• Provide resources and tools related to your industry, for example, a currency converter could add value to a site that sells travel insurance.

Think about your Meta Tags
Make your site search engine friendly, and increase your ranking. Choose the right keywords - words that a customer, not necessarily yourself, would use to find your kind of business.

• Page Title
• Description
• Keywords

Make the Web Part of your Overall Marketing Plan
Your site should fit your existing marketing plan - traditional promotions can be enhanced by including them on your site. Keep a consistent look and feel through all your marketing materials. Reference your web site everywhere you can:

• stationery
• print ads
• signs
• vehicles
• packaging
• invoices and trade shows.

LAUNCH

Submit your Site to Search Engines
This can be done manually, or you may consider paying a web submission service, like these below:

http://www.siteannounce.com/
http://www.searchenginemonkeys.com/
http://www.addme.com/

Most services will submit your site to around 300 search engines for one fixed price fee. However, statistics show that most people use only a select few. You can add your company simply by following the instructions on the site.

As of May 2001, these were the top-5 Search Engines used by UK home web users:

• MSN.com
• Yahoo.com
• AskJeeves.com
• Lycos.com
• Google.com

Submit your Site to Specialist Directories
There are directories that specialize in certain areas, or services, like the following:
http://www.netcafes.com/ is a directory of Internet cafes
http://www.golfsearch.com/ is a directory of golf related sites

For listings of specialist search engines, visit the Search Engine Guide at:
http://www.searchengineguide.com/searchengines.html

Install a Signature on your Outgoing Email
Most email programs allow you to automatically add a signature at the bottom of your page and can include your telephone number, extension and web address.

Tell Everyone!
If you have developed a site that you are genuinely proud of, then tell people. Even friends or associates, who wouldn't normally be interested in your business or services, may know people who are.

POST-LAUNCH

Keep your Web Site Well Maintained
Keep your content fresh and up to date, to encourage visitors to return. Respond to e-mail inquiries and orders as you would any other inquiry.

Continue with conventional advertising
Your web site shouldn't replace your regular advertising, but in fact be an extension of it. Add your web address to all your ads, and use your site to answer your customer's questions, and further promote your services.