I have a website, how do I get people there?

Once you have a website, the next question is, “How do I get people to look at my site?” There are a variety of options, and the most important thing to determine can be found by asking, “Who am I trying to reach?”

Let’s say your target audience is local. Whenever you advertise or present your image, always include your URL (www.yourname.com). Put it in your phone book ad, newspaper ads, on take-home menus, and post cards to customers. Other options for increasing local traffic include website business cards and direct mailing. Often times just having a little business card or post card at the cash register will increase your website traffic. I find that my clients often take a few to give to their friends.

Maybe tourists are your audience. In this case, you need to advertise in places tourists will see. Hotel lobbies and phone books are good options. You may also want to consider a budget for online keyword purchasing.

When your audience is the world, you’ve got a broad market. You won’t be able to target the whole world with a direct-mail piece. What is recommended is to perform “Search Engine Optimization” on your website, increasing the odds of your site being found quicker when a search is performed on the internet. Marketing using “ad words” through Google or Yahoo! can also be effective at drawing in traffic and exposing your site to the world. Ad Word marketing is a method by which you pay whenever somebody clicks on a link to your site. You can set a budget so that this method doesn’t end up costing too much.

In summary, market your website directly to your target audience. Don’t expect results over night: it takes time to for people to learn about your website and begin to use it. Ask yourself who your target market is, and pursue strategies that will bring your site closer to your intended customer.