Why Wait Webs

In the web industry today, search engine optimization is widely regarded as very important, but it surprises me how frequently I see other opportunities for free web traffic passed up. Here are some techniques to advertise your website for free. You can easily incorporate these into your business strategy to often yield a dramatic improvement in your traffic.

1. On ALL of Your Advertisements

It should go without saying that any advertising you do, be it a billboard, a newspaper ad, a yellow pages ad, or a tattoo on some guy’s arm, should have your web address displayed somewhere on it.  I know this sounds obvious to some, but I have seen too many businesses with websites let them go to waste because they don’t even bother to put the URL on their own advertisements.

2. On Your Product

If you sell a product, then hopefully you have your website somewhere on your packaging and/or the product itself. For example, CDs and DVDs should include your site somewhere on the case, and possibly the disc itself. Likewise, books should have the address printed somewhere clearly visible. It’s a great way to advertise your website for free.

3. In Your Email Signature (and Forums)

Your email signature is an incredibly easy way to put your website address in front of every single person you communicate with online. Even if the person you’re corresponding with has no interest for themselves, there is a good chance they will advertise your website to someone they know. That is, assuming you’re on their good side! This goes for any online forums you post to as well.

4. On Your Website

This might sound a bit odd, since users can of course look at their address bar to find your URL when they are already at your website. But taking the extra step of putting a “.com” at the end of your logo can go a long way towards helping the user remember your URL. If they remember your website, there’s a good chance they’ll come back. Otherwise, they’re history.

5. In Your Building

If you have a brick-and-mortar location, it is a great idea to advertise your website on a flier or poster somewhere prominent. Better yet, put your website address on your signage. This allows people who visit you to associate your web address with your building. That way, when they think about your business, they are more likely to remember how to visit you online.

6. On Shirts

It depends what market you’re in, but many businesses could definitely benefit from having a company shirt. Think about it - every single person that comes in contact with someone wearing your shirt sees your website address. Most people pass by hundreds of people every day. This is an easy, passive way to advertise your website for free. You can usually find some much better deals locally, but CafePress is an online resource for getting shirts printed.

7. In Articles About You

If you run the type of business that tends to be the subject of articles in the paper, a magazine, or another website, it might be worth your time to request that they link to your site. If a publication is doing an article about you, then usually they will be more than willing to plug your website in at the end of the article. Depending on the size of the publication, this could turn into a really big traffic boost for you.

8. On Your Presentations

If you ever do presentations for other organizations, be sure to have your URL clearly visible on the opening and closing slide (or at the beginning and end of the video as the case may be). Odds are you’re presenting to individuals who already have at least some interest in your company. Catching such an individual’s attention with your website can sometimes be more beneficial to you than other types of visitors.

9. On Your Profile(s)

Almost every industry has developed some form of a web community. Having an established profile (with a link back to your site) on one or more of the most popular sites in your industry can be very beneficial. Maintaining a few profiles requires a bit more time than some of my other suggestions, but your investment will not go unrewarded. On top of advertising your website for free, you’re talking to people in your own industry so you’ll probably enjoy doing it, and you might learn a lot while you’re at it.

10. On Your Branding

Your business cards hopefully already have your website on them. But what about your letterhead? In my opinion, everything you send out should have your website on it. You never know who’s going to look at it. Even if only one person sees it, what if that person has a rather popular personal blog they decide to link to you on? Perhaps that’s a rare case, but never pass up the opportunity to advertise your website, especially when it costs you nothing!

This is definitely not an exhaustive list of all the ways you can advertise your website for free, but I hope it’s got you thinking about the many ways you can improve the traffic to your website. In short it is best to put your website wherever you can. I see a lot of this going on, so don’t let your company be another example of a missed opportunity for free web traffic! If you have more ideas for places to plug your website I’d love to hear about them in the comments!