11 replies to this topic

[ZekeLL]

Hi guys, I am new here and I need some help from you.
I want to list here 8 ideas I had to promote my website and want to know if you guys tried some of these and what are your thoughts.

It is important to mention that I own an e-commerce website where we sell designer leather goods, such as handbags, coats, leather jackets, boots, briefcases, belts, wallets, etc. It's all high-end stuff.

OK, here's the list of ideas:

1) List my featured items on eBay, with different types of highlighting, for testing purposes.
2) Use PPC services, such as Google AdWords, Yahoo Search Marketing, MSN AdCenter
3) Comparison Search Engines (Shopping.com, Yahoo Shopping, BizRate, ShopZilla, NexTag, Froogle, PriceGrabber, etc.
4) Through text ad links, on other people's blogs (preferable fashion-related). I was thinking of using two services: PayPerPost.com and TextLinkAds.com
5) SEO
6) Posting on different forums and online communities
7) Posting on directories: DMOZ, Yahoo Directory, Business.com, JoeAnt, Skaffe, and many other niche-related directories.
8) Through local search engines: Yahoo Local, AOL Local, Local.com, Google Local.

Well, that's about it. Now the questions:

A) Have you guys tried any of these techniques? What kind of results did you get?

Do you recommend any other idea to promote my website online?

Thank you so much for your help!!! Let's see who's more creative and can come up with other ideas!

Zeke

[BBCoach]

Done all of that with varying results.

Most affective are (best to worst):
1) SEO - Organic rankings
2) PPC services, such as Google AdWords, Yahoo Search Marketing, MSN AdCenter
3) Bona fide email campaigns with an inhouse listing of customers that want them. DON'T SPAM!!!
4) Featured items on eBay, with different types of highlighting, for testing purposes and broader reaching sales.
5) Local search 2: Yahoo Local, AOL Local, Local.com, Google Local.
6) Posting in industry specific forums and online communities
7) Posting in directories: DMOZ, Yahoo Directory, Business.com, JoeAnt, Skaffe, and many other niche-related directories.

Least affective and trying to convince clients to stop using:
1) Comparison Search Engines (Shopping.com, Yahoo Shopping, BizRate, ShopZilla, NexTag, PriceGrabber, etc.
You'll wind up competing with your own products in the SEs and their traffic tends to have lower conversion rates. At least in my primary client's industry. Except Froogle & Yahoo Shopping which you should definitely be doing. Also, check into MSN's new offering for products.

2) Through text ad links, on other people's blogs. I was thinking of using two services: PayPerPost.com and TextLinkAds.com
Those are old school "affiliate models" with a new wrapper and are not very affective. Especially blogs like that. Requires high traffic with your target market.

Ideas:
1) Monthly catalog mailed. Still a tried and proven method. Think about using catalog clearinghouses for lists.
2) Don't forget Wikipedia.
3) Look at writing articles for the new Google Service Knol when it becomes available. Here's a link for more info Google Blog
4) Don't overlook taking advantage of YouTube and other video outlets for product evaluations/demos.

And most importantly have fun doing all of that hard work! Good luck!

Edited by BBCoach, 19 January 2008 - 01:12 AM.

[Jill]

Good stuff, BBCoach!

[BBCoach]

Thanks Jill. Ate something bad last night and couldn't sleep so I figured I'd appease the demons by giving something back. Normally I wouldn't give that info away for free. That's years of trying and stumping my toes and sometimes very expensive lessons learned the hard way. It should save someone a lot of frustration, time and money if they'll work to understand each and properly utilize their resources for maximum benefit; but you can only lead a horse to the water.

[Jill]

Well, I appreciate you giving it to our demons instead of some other forum's demons!

[Analyzed Marketing]

Hello, I just thought I would put in some input from my behalf. BBCoach had an excellent answer to your question with some great advice. One thing that he did mention that I believe may not be looked at because of the time it takes is SEO (search engine optimization). I completely agree with his saying that it is the most affective...but this is in the long run.

Myself, I tend to get good short term results from posting articles to article directories that are targeted to the specific niche along with pay per click services. I mainly use Google Adwords for pay per click but that is only because of time constraints. Then once I start to see results coming from the seo I can slow down on the articles as the traffic will become more consistant through search engine results.

I just wanted to make sure you knew that yes SEO is the most affective traffic generator but it is also the most long term in seeing results. So you should combine both it and short term methods in order to begin to see both quick and long term results.

By the way...i am assuming that you have good content at your website so visitors you receive will like the site.

I Hope I've helped!

Edited by Analyzed Marketing, 04 February 2008 - 11:05 PM.

[Jayson A]

Try developing an application for your facebook or mysapce account that promotes your product line

[BBCoach]

A&M, yes I agree that SEO is a marathon and not a get rich quick thing to do. Anyone that's been doing SEO for any length of time would also agree.

Try developing an application for your facebook or mysapce account that promotes your product line

Jason it is being revealed that social networking sites were more marketing hype than anything else. All of my experiments and all of those of friends and even Google and BlockBuster Video are finding them less than desirable for generating revenue. I'd recommend for newbies to focus on the top 4 items I listed as being the most effective and worth their time and money. Unless you have something that would definitely market to a young crowd on either of those two site it ain't worth it. However, something along the lines of any product involving Hanna Montana would be a winner. Pre-teens and teens love that girl and anything about her.

[Jayson A]

I agree, i just read somewhere that Google ads on myspace have become an epic fail for the 900million G' invested. So what does that say about myspace ____ (insert witty comment here)

[ScottSalwolke]

I'd give some thought to using Craigslist. First find the keyword phrases your prospects are using and then incorporate a couple of these into Craigslist ads. They don't cost anything and are often indexed by Google within a couple of days. I've done it for services and found they ranked in the top 20 for some competitive terms. And depending on the location you use the ad could be up for as many as 45 days.

[vacationofwealth]

Craigslist nowadays is impossible. Many keywords you might use in your ad to piggyback traffic are used by many others and some of them are actually on the banned list at craigs central. They have really been getting vicious with stopping spam posts and they should because now it is getting ridiculous with people selling bogus systems on how to autpost etc. I think craigslist has gotten to big for their briches!

[Jill]

Craigslist was never meant to be a place to get links, nor should it be. They're not getting too big for their britches as their purpose for being is not for crazy internet marketers to get links!