By Michelle Rebecca
Starting a website is easy; driving traffic can be a little more difficult for many that are just getting started doing business online. There are many people out there that will offer plenty of ways to advertise a website, however many of these options can cost a pretty penny over time. In addition to the initial website costs, many businesses can be inundated with online marketing fees. Finding ways to drive traffic with grassroot techniques that are free is an excellent option for those on a tight budget.
Search Engine Optimization Tips
There are entire books and even companies that are dedicated to teaching SEO techniques. However, there are many things that business owners can do on their own to increase website visibility on search engine sites. While all take time and effort, many are free to do.
Keywords
Searches are done primarily with keywords. Therefore the first major step in being found online is to make sure your website is matching searches being made. Common words that relate to the product or service along with local references such as town names, counties and landmarks should be sprinkled throughout a website where they add value to the content. Even if keywords were entered throughout the site and included in the original website pricing, they need to be updated periodically.
Content
Keeping content on a site fresh and intriguing is another aspect to SEO. A blog page can be a great way to add new and interesting information related to the products or services on the site. Try adding new content at least once a week consistently.
Links
Linking a website to as many other high quality sites as possible is a great and often free way to increase exposure online. Links can be added through the Internet in many ways. Having social media sites that are linked, social bookmark sites and other posting sites that all have a link back to the website are all great ways to increase traffic. Some free websites to check out are Squidoo, Hubpages, Dropjack and Onlywire. Use caution with links, and avoid directory sites that are simply “linkfarms.” Those links will do you more harm than good.
Free Ads
Putting classified ads out online for a business site is often free and worth the effort. Sites like Craigslist and US Free Ads are great ways to advertise with no fees involved. Try putting ads under many different topics that are related to the website to get the most exposure.
Video
Another technique for driving traffic is to create interesting and informative videos related to the products or services on the website. YouTube is the most well known video site, but there are others, including Vimeo and Shutterfly.
The trick to building traffic online on a small budget is to be willing to devote time and effort to creating as much exposure as possible. There are literally hundreds of websites that are free to join that can drive traffic and improve search engine rankings. As with all marketing efforts, these are ongoing processes that need to be updated regularly to be effective, but with time and creativity, they can add many new visitors to any site!
