Promotion Services

The internet, or web, has traditionally been a place of goodwill and free software. That tradition continues, most notably in the many, many sites that catalog web resources. There are also many subject - specific catalogs, such as our own Library of Web Development, which lists resources for web developers.

Please take great care in choosing places to list your site - fully 1/3 of all submissions to our Library are rejected for having nothing whatsoever to do with web development (e.g obstetrics and gynaecology; Kentucky Fried Chicken; frogs; real estate; pornography; etc). Being off-topic wastes your time and the catalog maintainer's, and irritates them because most if not all of their time is voluntarily devoted to maintaining their catalog. You can also register your site with the major search engines.

But rather than laboriously going to each one individually, use one of the announcement services, e.g

1 Step Web Site Promotions	The most effective method available to generate traffic for your site is to submit it to the resources that people visit when searching for a product or service. The experienced, professional staff of 1 Step Web Site Promotion will take on this chore for you and submit and confirm your listing in the perfect combination of resources.
WPRC Website Promotion Services	The Website Promoters Resource Center offers a variety of web site promotion services. These services are designed to increase the effectiveness of any web site by increasing the publics' awareness of the site.
Ryan Scott's PostMaster	With NetCreations' new PostMaster service, you fill out one form, click on one button and -- presto! -- your announcement is automatically posted to apx 100 of the most popular Web sites and publications on the Internet. Your announcement also goes out to several hundred key editors at print publications, TV and radio stations worldwide.
Broadcaster	It currently submits your URL and information to over 200 Search Engines and other web media, all done by just filling out a few details and hitting the Broadcast button. Then you receive an emailed response automatically telling you where and to which category your information was successfully sent. The service has been developed by Planetweb Systems Limited.
Scott Bannister's well-known Submit It!	Submit It! is designed to allow companies and individuals to easily, quickly and accurately promote and market their Web sites over the Internet. Users can submit, track, report and update their Web site listings to an extensive list of catalogs that have been reviewed and categorized by Submit It! researchers.

An opportunity that many overlook is to put their URL into their signature file (for email and usenet postings). Much of the email I get is from people who obviously have web sites - but I don't know where it is. If there is a fully qualified URL in their message I may well visit it, and if I like it I'll bookmark it or even write about it. But be sure to write it out in full, i.e. with the preceding http:// because some mailreaders (e.g. Netscape's) recognise that and automatically make it into a link. I'm less likely to visit if I have to cut and paste.

You can also get free visibility and goodwill by posting in the usenet newsgroups, e.g to answer questions. Only make sure to follow netiquette and don't go in there with nothing but advertising to offer - and above all, don't 'spam', i.e. post to multiple off-topic groups. If you answer questions intelligently, people will notice. I've collected more thaa few bookmarks from good usenet postings.

Click here to visit WebPromote(tm)

Create a place on your site to maintain links to other sites and trade links with as many other sites as possible. This is one of the most common ways to get people to your site and is a commonly accepted practice. Most site administrators are excited about spreading the word about their own website and doing the same for you.