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Promote Your Web Site On the Internet for FREE
or very little cost - Here’s How!

by G. Kosch & S. Hunter

A home page on the Internet is a great way to promote your business, products or income opportunity, but it won’t bring you any results if nobody knows your site exists. With an estimated 30 million+ home pages on the Internet you must make your site known and visible if you are going to get any kind of payback. In short you need to broadcast the existence of your home page or web site wherever and whenever possible. Fortunately there are ways to do this for free or for a very low cost, right on the Internet - so let’s look at how you can do this.

There are six major ways to promote your home page within the Internet.

1) Search engines
2) Newgroups
3) E-mail lists (your own, not spam lists)
4) Classified ads
5) Banner Advertising
6) Leverage

(1) Search Engine Registration

Search engines allow Internet users to effectively sift through the millions of pages available and look for a particular subject anywhere on the web by typing in key search words. The search computers are really huge databases of indexed web sites. When a search is initiated these computers churn out site addresses that are related to the search parameters used.

Registering with search engines is by far the simplest way to promote a home page or web site. Currently there are well over 5,000 places to register a home page with the number increasing on a daily basis. In reality only about 25 of these search engines will produce 90% of your traffic generated from search engines. Large search engines like Yahoo, Lycos, InfoSeek, Excite and about 8 more, are visited millions of times a week and offer the most comprehensive types of search to Internet surfers. The new and smaller search engines are plentiful and registration can add to your cumulative total of places where you are "known" on the web and have the potential to glean traffic.

Our recommendation is that you register your site with as many of the major search engines as you can. This will allow someone looking for what you have to offer the ability to find your site quickly and easily. Some services will charge you hundreds of dollars to register your site but it really is easy to do it yourself and you save your self some money too.

Here are Internet addresses of some of the search computers you will want to register your home page or web site address with:

Yahoo http://www.yahoo.com

Excite http://www.excite.com

Web Crawler http://webcrawler.com

Lycos http://www.lycos.com

Open Text http://www.opentext.com

Alta Vista http://altavista.digital.com

InfoSeek Guide http://guide.infoseek.com

Hot Bot http://www.hotbot.com

Northern Light http://www.northernlight.com

You can also visit a site at: http://www.submit-it.com. At this site you can fill out one registration form and submit it to several search engines, including most of those above. This is a very convenient "one stop registration shop" provided by Scott Banister. Some of the search computers listed at this site are free and some charge, so make sure you only submit to those that are free if you aren’t prepared to pay.

Another one stop registration site is called "Submit-All" here you can register your site free of charge with 33 of the major search engines. The address is: http://www.hometeam.com/addurl/

Follow the instructions provided at the site. Most of those listed there as are we said, free. However some offer a basic free listing and a more advanced listing at cost. Take the free one, the more advanced service is in most cases not worth the money.

There is also a site where you are reported to be able to register for free with over 1,000 sites. The address is: http://www.strutyourstuff.com

Entity also offers free web site promotion and registration with 100 sites by filling out only one form. http://www.henge.com/superpage/entity

And check out Web Step’s Top 100 for free site registration at: http://www.mmgco.com/top100.html

You can also nominate your site for an award with some search engines if you really want to, but the practice is becoming passé. Really what they want is for you to put a link to their site on your page and in exchange you get a token graphic that can be placed at your site. An example is the "Top 5% Award" that just about everyone and their dog has on their home page. In reality this "award" deal is that the company gets you to promote their site for free by giving you the award, and you get a good feeling.

Another idea to find free promotion sites is to do a search at Yahoo with the key words "free site promotion" or "site registration" or " free classifieds" or "announcement services". Try a number of the search engines and a number of key words and you will find hundreds of free promotion sites; some better than others.

Cruising around the Internet you may also see reference on some sites to "The Internet Link Exchange."(http://www.linkexchange.com) This is a program where sites, usually related in some way, mutually agree to exchange banner links at no cost. If you find a site that is related to your site and has the "Link Exchange" logo present on their site, you may want to inquire if they will exchange a banner link with you. If you find a site related in topic to yours you can always inquire even if the Link Exchange logo doesn’t appear. They may be willing to consider it so give it a shot.

What’s involved in registering your home page or web site?

Each of the search engines vary slightly in how they accept your registration, how they index it, and what information they need to take your registration. If you are using the one stop registration sites (Submit-it or Submit-all, addresses above) you only have to enter your information into a form once then just click on each search engine you want to submit to. If you choose to go to each of the search computer sites individually, you will have to reinput the data each time.

The actual indexing of your site by these search engines takes anywhere from 3 hours to 6 weeks so be patient. Some of the computers send out a "spider" to visit your site and then index it, some actually have a human index your page, others use just the words in your document title, some the text within your page, etc. The method and manner is which this is done varies so this is one more reason to register with as many of the major search engines as possible.

In general when you get to each search site look for the following words or links where you can click with your mouse to start the process of registering your home page.

"Add URL"

"Suggest Site"

"Register URL"

"Add Site"

Once you have clicked on the appropriate link, each search engine will tell you what is required to proceed. Usually you will be instructed to give your URL, and some or all of the items below.

To register your home page you will need the following:

1) The exact URL (address) of your web site. For example: http://www.worldprofit.com

2) Some key words so that when someone does a search for a particular topic, title, or subject, the search computers can zero in on your page. Use specific words not general terms.

3) A brief description of your home page no more than about 25 words that summarizes what is contained in your site.

4) Your exact e-mail address (if you have one)

5) A title for your home page.

6) Contact name and address.

Tips for getting better rankings with the various search engines.

A number of the major search engines, such as Alta Vista have online information to help you increase the search result rankings when a search is initiated. To learn more about this visit the various search sites and review their help files. The following will help to improve your results, they won’t work in all cases but in general these tips will help.

1) Make sure your web site page(s) includes a title and "meta tags" (your web page developer will know about this) that include site title, key words and a web page description. This will help to control what information the search engine robots retrieve when they visit your page to index it.

2) Try to weave within your page the main words related to the topic of your page that people may use when searching for that information. For example if your web site is a about a home business opportunity, integrate those words and related words within the text content of your site. Some experts suggest making sure that your main key words appear a minimum of three times within the text of your pages.

3) When submitting a title for your web site URL use something explanatory. ABC Accounting Services: Income Tax Specialists will yield better results then, ABC Inc.

4) Whenever you can title your site with a letter early in the alphabet (this will only help at sites that offer long list search results).

5) Use critical words as key words or integrate them into your site description. For example "Kates’ Pet World offers pet supplies, pet food and a selection of gerbils, spiders, cats, dogs, ferrets and snakes. Also pet boarding and pet grooming in the Toronto area." This is better than "Visit Kate’s Pet World web site to find out about our large line of great pet supplies."

6) Pluralize key words when possible. For example someone is more likely to do a search with the words "legal services" then legal

7) If you have more than one page in your web site. Register each URL separately. SO in essence, you register your web site address (example www.yourname.com) and then register each of your pages linked off your home page. (example www.yourname.com/otherfilenames.htm)

If after reading this you aren’t convinced you want to do the registration yourself, Incor Enterprises provides an advanced search registration service with 25 -250 search engines. You pay only for the labour required for doing your registrations for you. E-mail sandi@incor.com.

2) Newsgroups

Newsgroups have been around for much longer than the World Wide Web of the Internet. Think of newsgroups as an older more established branch of the Internet. Newsgroups allow people with a common interest in a topic "post" messages that can be read by others around the world and that can also be responded to. It’s an interactive kind of bulletin board. Posting to an appropriate newsgroup related to the subject of your home page is a useful way to promote your site for free.

With over 15,000 newsgroups it’s easy to get confused about how to go about making a posting. Internet browser software such as Netscape or the Microsoft Newsreader (Beta version) makes the task of navigating through these thousands of newsgroups a snap. However, once you’ve mastered the technical part of getting to the newsgroups it’s important to understand some points about netiquette before you make a posting to promote your web site for free.

Netiquette is a common sense form of etiquette which applies to communication practices on the Internet. With regard to newgroups its safe to say that posting ads in newsgroups is not allowed. That doesn’t mean that people don’t post ads it simply means the people reading the articles and postings will most likely "flame" (this means; insult, ridicule, trash, discard) the ads or not open them in the first place. You never want to get into a flaming match with some of the die hards in some newsgroups. These people prey on "newbies" who post ads and they delight in filling your day with posting nightmares. On the other hand there is nothing wrong with posting helpful articles, announcements or making comments about other postings made to a newsgroups. If in doubt, each newsgroup usually has a charter, which explains the do’s and don’ts of postings. You can request this by placing a posting "please send me charter for this new group.") Once you have received this you will know exactly what is and is not allowed in the newsgroup you are interested in posting to. Also read your ISP's terms of service since some ISP's restrict the number of postings you can make or have standards that their users must abide.

Here is an example of an announcement posting that would be acceptable in most newsgroups.

Free 5 Page Report "How to Generate Continuous Prospects To Keep Your Business Booming" available by e-mail at the newly launched "Business Zone Web Site." If you’ve got a business this Free Report will help increase your profits - check it out!

Remember your purpose is not to blatantly advertise, instead you want to provide people on these newsgroups with a reason to visit your web site, leave their e-mail address etc. You want to dangle a carrot so you can maximize your results.

You can of course have many more lines in your posting than in the example provided. The key is to use your own creativity to give people a reason to read your posting and then visit your site and leave contact information. You can then follow up with these prospects as you choose.

You should prepare files for posting to the newsgroups from time to time. You can have a file for announcing your site on the Internet with a listings of the items that can be found there. Another file could be used to update people regarding changes or special articles that you are posting to your web site. You can also offer a free electronic newsletter to all who visit your site. This serves as ammunition for the newsgroups. Be creative and make sure to check the groups you are posting to regularly for things of interest. Sometimes people will post a reply to your posting and open the door for you to explain your business or offer and of course let everyone see that signature file one more time. Use every opportunity you can do to do a little free promotion.

In most browsers there is an option to add your signature file to the bottom of your e-mail messages and postings. You should notice that the signature file is really a small classified ad and is permitted in all newsgroups. Below is an example of a signature file which we add to the bottom of our newsgroup postings.

------------------------------------------------------------
George Kosch M.Sc.
Free Newsletter - The Worldgram ($150 Value)
Visit: Worldprofit Malls at www.worldprofit.com

How to find relevant newsgroups

With your files ready for posting you will have to find a newsgroup that suits your needs. This is easily done with a Netscape browser. You will have to select the newsgroup option that appears under the "window" command at the top of the browser (most browsers support newsgroups, just refer to the help file supplied with the browser for assistance). This will connect to your service provider’s computer which stores thousands of newsgroups they subscribe to. The groups will show up in alphabetical order and be organized into large "headers" that store the newsgroups.

To find a relevant newsgroup means that you decide on a subject and start perusing the various groups. Some good areas to find, business, MLM and general opportunity groups are under the "alternative" section (alt.<name of group>). Some of our favorite places to make postings are in the entrepreneur newgroups like; alt.business.multi-level, alt.business, misc.entrepreneurs and alt.business.misc

You will have to spend some time finding newsgroups that you like and are appropriate but it will be worth it. Once you have narrowed down your choices, the browser you are using will allow you to "subscribe" to as many newsgroups as you would like. Subscribing is just a way of bookmarking the group for later viewing as a shortcut instead of having to look it up again.

3. E-mail lists

An e-mail list is simply a list of e-mail addresses of people requesting information on a certain subject on a regular basis. One of the most common forms is a newsletter or an electronic publication of some type. An e-mail list can be compiled and sent out as often is warranted. It is a strategy often employed by publishers and businesses to send out mass e-mail to customers or prospects. E-mail lists provide the advantage of involving very little time and labor but are an excellent vehicle for free promotion. Tell everyone that you are offering a FREE newsletter [briefly describe whatever it's about to indicate value] and it will help increase traffic to your site too!

We DO NOT suggest that you purchase a bulk list of e-mail addresses simply because despite assurances from the seller, the names are NOT people who want to receive your information. The names and e-mails addresses are sold and resold having been stripped off newsgroup postings and generated by software programs that strip off e-mail addresses from web. In fact, in Internet circles, this practice is called spamming and is frowned upon, discouraged and some have lost their connection for abusing the Internet. We have received reports from many people who have paid an "e-mail blast" service to send their message out to 10,000 e-mail addresses. What they got was a lot of headache; the e-mail responses received were bogus and the results were clearly not worth the expense. Better and more effective is to create your own subscriber based e-mail list from your web site. This allows you to distribute useful information to people who VOLUNTARILY ask to receive it.

To create your own e-mail list here is what you will need to do.

1) You will need software to manage your house e-mail list. We recommend using a listserver program that automates the management and distribution of your list. You can get details on an excellent listserver program at www.incor.com. The cost is under $400 and saves you both time and money, especially if you are used to the post office emptying your pockets each time you send product/service information out by regular mail. Once you've purchased your list server you can e-mail your information, as much as you want, as often as you want, to those who've requested it without paying a dime more!

2) Next, set up a structure or overview of what you are going to send to people on your e-mail list. Determine how often you will send it, how long it will be, what you will include that will be useful to people, and other pertinent information. Make sure that what you are going to send out is of some value to the recipients with a combination of ads, information, tips, special offers, opportunity information etc. Let your own purpose and creativity be your guide, but do put some thought into it.

3) Start creating a list of e-mail addresses that you will send your electronic newsletter or message to. You can place a "subscription" area on your web site where people who would like to receive your newsletter subscribe by simply entering their e-mail address. You will need to compile a list of e-mail address of people who have expressed an interest in receiving your information. Warning: if you routinely add e-mail addresses of people who have not asked to be put on your e-mail list, be prepared for a lot of responses from people who will demand politely (sometimes not politely) to be removed from your list. This is definite misuse of what a listserver is intended for (to offer subscribers a choice of whether or not to receive) and is grounds by most ISP's for termination of an account.

4) Make sure you subscribe to a newsletter such as a Worldgram (subscribe by e-mailing: webmaster@worldprofit.com) to see how it is done. This will give you some ideas for publishing your own online newsletter and in doing so be able to promote the heck out of your web site or other offers, products you have.

4. Classified Advertising

Classified Internet advertising is available for free or at a very low cost and can bring exposure to your web site. At some sites you have the option of typing in a short classified ad, clicking on "submit" and your ad appears very shortly on the World Wide Web. These pseudo BBS type places are found by reading about them in newsgroups, reading articles in many of the online magazines or by simply surfing the Internet. Some electronic malls will provide free classified ad placement. In about two weeks they will send you an e-mail message asking if you would like to continue the ad and what the cost will be. Paying for this service is okay but why do it when so many places offer it for a free period of time. Bookmark in your web browser the places you have found that offer free classifieds and place your ad promoting your home page, periodically over and over again.

5. Banner Advertising

Banner ads, hyperlinked banners, are appearing all over the web on search engines, directories and indexes. The keys to an effective banner advertising campaign is
1) strategic placement, and 2) a banner that pulls response.

To accomplish the first goal of strategic placement you are going to want to consider your target market. Who are you trying to reach and where are those people going to be on the web? Know your target market and you will be on the right track. Start doing some research, if you find a site you are interested in placing a banner with, find out if their traffic is the target market you are after. Make sure there is a sufficient flow of traffic so you will get the exposure you want.

Once you’ve found the right site to place your banner where you will get the traffic and access your market you will need to think about the banner itself. Will your banner serve as a gateway to your site, will it promote a specific product, a line of products, a discounted service. What is your purpose other than the obvious goal to get people to visit your site. If you design your own banner you need to know the following basic banner advertising facts:

1) the most powerful 4 letter word is F-R-E-E!

2) Follow the KISS principle (keep it simple silly)

3) Motivate anyone who sees your banner to take action (make them an offer they can’t refuse)

4) Animated (movement) banners attract better attention and get higher click throughs

5) Size should be no bigger than 7 K (400 -600 pixels wide x 80 to 100 pixels high)

6) Never assume viewers will know what do with the banner - tell them to click and in brief offer a hint about what they get if they do!

Some high traffic sites charge for banner advertising but you are guaranteed that more people will see your banner. Other sites that have a related (but not competitive site) may do a banner exchange with you at no cost. Check out the previously mentioned site http://www.linkexchange.com

Banner advertising is hot and effective, definitely try it!

6. Leverage

If you are an expert in a certain topic of interest and have written articles why not make some of them available free at your site? Post a note on your site that your articles are free for others to use, provided they request written permission and include your resource material at the conclusion of the article. Many web entrepreneurs are offering e-mail newsletters (e-zines) and are anxious to find good articles to run. You don't have to limit this kind of promotion to your web site though. If your articles are well written about a timely subject try submitting them to print magazines as well. If they run them in their upcoming issue you will again benefit from some free promotion of your site through your article's resource box. The resource box should contain a brief blurb about you, your expertise, your site URL and your contact information. This is a great way to get free promotion for your site and to get the word out about your services.

Conclusion:

There you have it some solid free ways to promote your web site, use some or all of the methods discussed here to get some hits and increase your results. Good luck and start creating a traffic jam to your site!