Picking the right website, and promoting your new website
- Planning a method of attack is vital!
This is easier said than done. A lot of us have dreamed of running our own FaceBook or Image Host, but the truth of the matter is that in order to succeed at something like this, you need to be committed. Most people who go on diets these days will go on a diet for two weeks, then they will get bored and start eating unhealthy again. This is the same with creating your own website. Make sure that it is something that you are knowledgeable and interested in, and make sure that you are prepared to go the distance with it, both attention wise, and financially.
First things first, you are going to need to make this new site look good. It has to be eye catching. Add a new wallpaper or background, add some custom CSS, do your own coding, and make the site look unique!
As mentioned already, promotion is a huge part of what we do online as a blogger or publisher. Whether it be creating back links, generating buzz, or simply talking about that new blog that we are about to launch, it all counts.
Facebook – This is a universal social network platform. Just about every man, woman, and their goat has a Facebook account. I believe that my own mother even has one for her cat. Needless to say, by creating a facebook profile for your blog is not a bad idea at all. In doing so, you would not only be bringing others together who are like minded, but you would be developing a very strong platform that would further distribute what it is that you do, and allow rom for more people to view your blog, and add you on Facebook.
Twitter – Again, every man, woman, and their goat has a twitter account these days. Like Facebook, users will follow your tweets which will allow them to keep up to date with what is happening on your website/blog. The more people that follow you, the wider your audience becomes.
Digg – Use with a grain of salt. If I had a dollar for each person that I know who has been banned by Digg, or accused of cheating their system, I would have no need to work another day of my life. Digg is a great platform to promote your articles, attract a wider audience, and of course continue to publish your articles online. There are many keys to the success of developing a great article for Digg, the main key is to develop and understanding of the people who use digg, and write something that they would like to read. Other similar social networks would be Reddit, Slashdot, and StumbledUpon.
Forums – These are an invaluable resource. Members of forums are your friends in waiting, and they want to hear what you have to say. Respectfully, use your forum signature to promote any websites that you run. If you talk in an IRC channel anywhere, change your vhost to your website address, and get active. This is a prime way to network with others, earn back links, and generate further buzz.
Advertising – Yes, advertising does pay off, however not all owners of blogs are more than willing to pay for advertising so soon. Here is a tip for you. Just about all PC Hardware magazines (at least in Australia) come with a free Google AdWords voucher from time to time. These can range up to 75$ from my experience, and they will give the newcomer to AdWords something to use to start their first campaign. Pick your keywords wisely, use them in your ad, and start your first advertising campaign. The benefit of this is that you are putting yourself out there, and if you are on a CPC campaign, then not only are you receiving clicks, but you will earn a hundred times that in impressions. If you earn 1000 clicks, you can almost be certain that 100,000 people will view your ad and will now know who you are. And with those free vouchers from Google, there is absolutely no risk involved at all. In the beginning, don’t think too hard about ROI in a cash form, this is a big mistake. You must first give in order to receive, and if you have something good to give, then you will receive in abundance. If you are looking for a great advertising partner, I can not pass by telling you about Smowtion. They deliver ads to the majority of the world, and if you are receiving in excess of 1000 hits per day, you will break even on hosting costs.
Back links – A back link is vital to the traffic that will see a website. Back links will refer other people to your site. How much more important can you get. Now, there are different types of back links. Back links for numbers, and back links of real value. For example, if I were to comment on another niche related blog respectfully, post my name as being Ryan, thank the writer for a great article, but put the URL to my site in the website field, are people going to see my name and say “Whoa! That guy sounds awesome!” and click on my link? Generally not. How about a back link at a respected site in the same niche as you that is visible for other people? Now that would be worth something. Don’t get me wrong here, all back links can affect rankings in a positive way, however, the real focus as a webmaster is how to drive traffic, and unfortunately, a high PR does not always mean that traffic will increase. If you provide great content and promote it right, back links will come. Content is king. You can also try to sell your blog to other blog owners (you never know until you ask!), however, I do highly advise against sending Google an e-mail asking for a back link on the sign in page for Gmail. This also goes for other bloggers and webmasters who have a PR that is much higher than yours.
Networking – Some people have networking skills, and others don’t. Your best bet here is to learn them and use them to your advantage. You are nothing without friends in this business. Get to know people on related blogs and forums, tell them about your new site, learn about what they do and make a friend out of these people. The success of Top Clone Scripts has in part been due to several backlinks that have been created on some high profile sites, all of which were earned through networking. Don’t be afraid to get to know your competition on a more friendly basis. They have the knowledge and the tools to succeed, and if they are willing to share such knowledge, then you are winning the race already.
Hosting – Lets not forget the one thing that will determine whether or not your new site is live or not. Hosting can come in many different flavors, and will in part determine your sites up time, speed, and usability. Without good hosting, you will be doomed from the start.
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