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In order to get an edge on your competition, it is definitely worth seeking out less obvious ways to promote your website. The most popular and the best ways are discussed in the article "The Most Highly Rated Techniques to Promote Your Site", however broadening out your campaign can give you an advantage and help you find new channels for gaining customers.
So, here are a few additional avenues you may wish to explore:
Place your World Wide Web address in as many places as possible.
If you've got it, flaunt it! I'm referring to your website. Now you've got your website, you need to make sure that the URL is placed in as many places as possible. Stamp your URL on all your marketing material, hand-outs and freebies. Consider purchasing webdecals so you can advertise on your car. You can purchase good looking webdecals from this company who sell website decals and wedding decals. Promote while shopping, running errands or whenever you travel. They are easy to use and inexpensive.
Organize Special Events
Getting in front of people to promote your products and services is one of the best ways of forming a lasting impression. The Internet-age presents an easy excuse to hide behind computer screens at the expense of personal contact. A website on its own could end up as just being one of many that potential customers browse to, even if it does appear at the top of the search listings. But combining your website and marketing material with personal contact helps people to remember you. It also provides another opportunity for you to give out your URL on your handouts or flashed up on your presentation screen.
And do not forget to collect the contact information of the attendees!
Append a powerful message to all your emails.
Add a signature to all your emails. Spend time to come up with a powerful message with a personal touch. Compare the following two example signatures :
Thousands of people are saving money by switching to CheapoTel
I have switched to CheapoTel and I've reduced my telephone bill by 40%
The second example will be the most effective of the two, because it is a personal recommendation and recipients will know that they can always get in touch with the sender to find out more - not necessarily the case with the first example. CheapoTel may just be paying a commission to the sender of the first message who may not necessarily be using their services at all.
Contribute to Newsgroups and Discussion Forums.
It is worth spending the time looking through Newsgroups and Discussion Forums to see if someone has posted a message where they are seeking advice on a subject which your product or service addresses.
This is an invitation for you to post a reply suggesting a solution and directing not only the originator of the post, but many other readers of the newsgroup, to your website. Add a signature file containing your URL to all your postings to newsgroups.
Be careful not to spam a newsgroup with blind advertisements - even one blind message to a newsgroup added merely to advertise will be considered as spam. You could end up being banned from the newsgroup or even flamed as a result. Contributing to a newsgroup whose subject matter relates to your website by asking a relevant question or answering someone elses are all acceptable ways of subtly exposing your URL.
Offer Free information and/or software
Offering something for free will result in more contented visitors. It is a way of adding value to the services you provide such that visitors are more likely to tell others about them, as well as coming back themselves.
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