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Web Site Promotion With CyberContact

Designing Your Site To Attract Visitors
Your Web site promotion campaign begins with the design of your site. Why? Because the design of your HTML pages affects how your site will score on the search results pages of the search engines. Appearing at the top of search results pages translates into more hits and more traffic. Plus, certain parts of your HTML pages control the way your title and description appear on the search results pages, and you want these items to be appealing so that searchers will click on your link.

Designing your Web site is beyond the scope of  this guide, but I just can't leave you empty handed here (... the Mother Teresa part of me). So first go and read The Art Of Web Site Promotion by Jim Rhodes, then read  A Lot Of  What You Need To Know To Build Site Traffic by Jim Wilson (These two are my favorites). Now go and browse among the scores of articles at the Web Marketing Info Center .

Promoting Your Web Site
Now, after you've done some reading,  we're ready for work.
In promoting your web site you should go in these three routes:

1. Submit your URLs to search engines, directories and other listings.
2. Send press releases to magazines and online publications.
3. Trade reciprocal links with other sites.

First you need to build your database of  places where you can list your site. For a list of such places try the WebStep Top 100, they even rated each listing for you.  (This is important, IÆll cover it later). A good source for listings is Yahoo's announcement services section.

Now follow these steps:

1. Create a database of listings
Open CyberContact and assign a record contact for each listing. In the main screen enter the information regarding the listing: name and e-mail address of  person to contact (usually you will enter in the name field "webmaster" or "support"), URL of the home page, name and description of the site, etc.

 Don't forget to categorize each record. CyberContact allows three category entries per contact. In the Category 1 field you might want to enter "Site Marketing",  in Category 2  "Search Engine" (or "Directory" or  whatever applies) and in  the Category 3 field,  perhaps you'd want to rate each listing, possibly using stars (4 star, 3 star, etc.), or simply, A, B or C.  Why is this important?  Because 20% of the listings will bring 80% of your visitors. Categorizing your listings allows you to filter a list of your best producing listings so that you can work on them separately, investing more of your time and effort where it brings more results.

Tip: Work with your browser while CyberContact is open in the background. Instead of typing - select text from your browser, copy it using right mouse click or menu edit commands, then switch to CyberContact (I use Alt+Tab from the keyboard to do that). Now paste in the relevant fields (again using right mouse click or edit menu commands). This process will not only save you time, but will also prevent typo errors.

2. Place a direct link to the submission page
After you finish entering information in the main screen, go to the Links Tab and place the URL of the submission page of that listing. This will give you a direct access to that page when you need it, no need to pass through the home page.

3. Submit your URLs
Now it's submission time. In CyberContact go to the Links Tab of each record, select the submission page link and click the Go to Web Page button. This will open your browser and take you directly to the submission page. Be sure to read all instructions before you place your submission.

4. Create two activity items
After you submit your URL and other required information, switch back to CyberContact. Go to the Activities Tab of the listing to which you have just made your submission and create two activity items:  One, a completed activity (name it: Submission) to record the submission itself;  Two, schedule an activity to be done in 30 days (name it: Submission Follow Up) to remind you to check on this submission.

5. Follow up on your submission
After 30 days it's time for your follow up check. Use the Activity List button on the main toolbar to view and browse all due activities. Double click an activity to go to the contact record. In the main screen, click the button to the right of the URL field.  This will open your browser and take you to the listing's home page on the Net.

6. Check your listing
First, search to see if your site is listed (yes, it could get lost). Then check your site's description. You might find it completely different from what you submitted (it happens frequently with Yahoo).  If you don't like what you see, contact the administrators and ask them to change your listing.

7. Document your listing
It is a good idea to save a copy of the page of the directory or search engine where your listing appears. To do this:

a. In your browser, search for the page where your web site is described.

b. Save the page to the c:/cybercontact/docs directory on your disc (use the Save As... command from the edit menu on your browser).

c. Switch to CyberContact and go to the contact record representing that directory or search engine.

d. Go to the Documents Tab and insert a link to the file you have just saved (look for it in the c:/cybercontact/docs directory). This will allow you to access that page from the contact record within CyberContact.

8. Maintain your listings
Web Site promotion is an ongoing process, it does not end when you submit your site. Use CyberContact to manage and monitor your listings. Schedule activities for follow up checks. File your e-mail correspondents with site administrators. Use the Notes Tab to record and keep track of things such as contact information, thoughts, ideas, reminders, phone calls, memos, etc.  While maintaining your listings, consider  paying special attention to your 4 star listings, those search engines and directories that bring you most of your visitors (your log files will tell you who they are).

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Send Press Releases To Magazines And Online Publications
Magazines and online publications are always on the lookout for new and interesting stories. Mention of your site in such publications can bring you scores of visitors. The way to be included here is to send announcements and press releases upon launching your new web site and whenever you have something new that people might want to hear about. If you are new to the world of Public Relations go and read A Publicity Primer. An excellent list of public relations resources is Tips on Press Release
Writing and Effective Media Relations.

Here is how you can use CyberContact to manage your publicity on the web:

1. Build a list of e-mail addresses
Build a list of e-mail addresses of magazines, online publications, editors and reporters  that you think might be interested in your line of business. A good source for finding e-mail addresses is the magazine and publication lists at E-mail: Media. Another resource for media e-mail addresses is Ecola Newsstand.
Assign a contact record for each publication . Use the category feature to classify each record and don't forget to rate each one (the 20/80 rule applies here too).

2. Send a press release
a. Open CyberContact. Use the filter feature to filter your contact list to produce a list of contacts you want to send a press release to (use the categories as criteria).

b. Open the e-mail composer and paste in your press release text.

c. Press the Send To All button. This will send your e-mail message to every address on the filtered list.

3. File your insertions
 When you get mentioned in a publication, save the page to your disk and then in CyberContact,  make a link to it from the Document Tab of the relevant contact record. You will need it for future reference. When you need it, you can use the Document List screen to browse and search for any document stored in your system.

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Trade Reciprocal Links With Other Sites
Trading reciprocal links means that you approach other sites asking them to place a link to you in their site in exchange for a link in your site.

Naturally you would want to approach busy sites that attract visitors with similar interests to your own. One good way to find such sites would be to go to a search engine and type in one of your keywords. The sites that appear at the top of the search results page would be good prospects.

Bear in mind that your site must contain interesting and useful information in order for others to agree to trade links with you.

Here is how CyberContact can help you manage your reciprocal links system:

1. Build your list of linked sites
Open CyberContact. Assign a contact record for each site that agrees to trade links with you.

2. File all e-mail messages, sent and received
File all the e-mail messages you trade in the process. This will help you keep records of requirements or conditions required by you and your counterpart. By the way, there are two ways to file messages in Cybercontact, one is in the form of an e-mail message in the E-mail Tab and the other is in the form of a text file in the Document Tab.

3. Attach  a copy of the page where your link appears
In the Document Tab attach a copy of the page where your link appears. This is for reference and monitoring purposes.

4. Schedule regular follow up checks
Go to the Activity Tab and schedule a follow up activity. You would like to monitor your links to make sure that the link is not missing and the URL is correct.

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To Sum Up ...
Web Site promotion is an ongoing process, it does not end when you submit your site. Your promotion efforts must be followed up frequently, that means visiting hundreds of sites.  You just can't keep track of it all in your head. That is why you need CyberContact.  It will help you manage your site promotion efforts professionally while achieving the results you are aiming for.

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