Web Site Promoting 101

By Bill Daugherty
Posted Sunday, October 10, 2004

This article is in response to the scores of emails I continuously receive from new web entrepreneurs. Their common theme is: They are new to Internet marketing. They either have a new business of their own or they have signed on as an affiliate for some wonderful new product or service, but they're not getting anywhere. They want to know how to get things going.

My first inclination is to send them the following three words of advice: advertise, advertise, advertise. I know that's too trite for most people's taste, but it's great advice. However I'm sure such an answer would spur many more emails with questions such as; Where? How? How often? When? Really? So, I give them a more detailed answer that I have come to call my Web Site Promoting 101 Reply which always goes something like this.

Dear Frustrated,

Several years ago, the founder of Wrigley Chewing Gum was on a flight from New York to his home in Chicago. The passenger in the next seat recognized the chewing gum tycoon and asked him a question. "Mr. Wrigley, I know your company enjoys over 90% of the chewing gum market. Yet, last week I read where you are increasing your advertising budget by over 30%. With such a large share of the market, why do you continue to spend so much on advertising? Why not save that money or use it for something else?"

Mr. Wrigley replied, "how fast do you think this airplane is flying?" The man answered,"oh, I guess about 600 miles per hour." Mr. Wrigley responded. "I think that's fast enough, don't you?" The man agreed that indeed, it was fast enough. "Well then," asked Mr. Wrigley, "why doesn't the pilot turn off the engines and save all that expensive jet fuel?"

The reason I started my reply to your question about how to promote your web site with this little story, is to illustrate just how vital a consistent flow of advertising is to any business. It doesn't matter if that business is online or offline. It doesn't matter if that business is a small one-person operated web site like yours or a giant like Mr. Wrigley's. To be successful all businesses must advertise, advertise, advertise. If the advertising is weak, in either quality or quantity, the company's revenue will be weak. You must have well written ads and you must get your message in front of a lot of people. Selling is a numbers game.

The Internet offers a wide array of advertising venues: ezine ads, classified ads, FFA (Free For All) ads, email ads, banner ads and links on other web sites. Many of these venues are free and those that are not, are very inexpensive compared to the cost of offline advertising. By the way, offline advertising for your online business can be very effective, but it is very expensive.

In summation, I leave you with my mantra: Advertise, Advertise, Advertise and then advertise some more!

About the Author
Bill Daugherty is the editor and publisher of the marketing and free advertising ezine "E-Power Marketing." Visit his free ad site at: (http://www.freeadsgalore.com)