Steps to take once your site is launched
by Ryan Cassano

So now you have a Web site…now what? As anyone will tell you, a Web site is worthless if it's not implemented properly. Many people (and developers) assume this post-site process is as easy as submitting the site to search engines. The fact of the matter is, marketing a Web site is hard work, and essentially never ending.

Don't let this intimidate you. It's no different than any other business concept: develop a strategy and system that works. That usually means "testing the waters", but experimenting is OK. The most important aspect is diligently keeping a log on things that do work, so you don't find yourself retracing steps months down the road. The following are some ideas to help you get started. You've probably thought of many of them, but some perhaps not:

RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH
This part can't be emphasized enough, and I'll warn you now, it's perhaps the most grueling aspect but can also be the most fun. Take as much time as you can to see what else is out there. Check out sites that in your industry that are successful. When you do come across a successful site, don't be afraid to send e-mail to a successful online company and ask for tips or advice. You may not get a response, but you'd be surprised to learn that many people are happy to share their tactics and strategies for their Web site. Use common sense though…a direct competitor may not be so inclined to divulge their secrets!

KNOW YOUR TARGET MARKET
Your ongoing online business strategy is going to greatly depend on your business. For example, if you're in retail and own a shop, you may want to consider looking into getting linked to higher traffic local sites, such as the a local newspaper, or the online magazine's such as Nevada County Gold Online Magazine (http://www.ncgold.com). But take it a step further than that. Are you trying to appeal to just a local market, or are you thinking larger? Bigger markets require additional materials and strategies, but the same rule applies regardless of your desired outreach.

DON'T FALL INTO THE "THIS DOESN'T APPLY TO ME" TRAP
Something that I hear very often from business owners is, "I just want a Web site for informational purposes; just a name, address and phone number. I don't want to invest a lot of time into marketing it." Now ask yourself, why? That logic is no different than paying for an ad and leaving it on the sidewalk for someone to pick it up. If no one knows how to get to your name, address and phone number, your site isn't doing its job.

CONSIDER DIGITAL MEDIA TO COMPLEMENT EXISTING MARKETING MATERIALS
A popular method of marketing is e-Business Cards. Think of these as your business card in digital format on a CD-ROM. These can be great marketing materials for mail-outs and can easily be reproduced. They can be applied for showcasing a specific product or service or just provide information on your business in general. It may sound petty, but think of it; people enjoy novelty and are much more likely to look at a mini CD than a plain piece of paper, or random e-mail.

Another idea is having a newsletter for your business. This pinpoints your audience because they have willingly requested updates and information about your business. What more can you ask for? There are many free tools out there to manage newsletters and e-mail subscriptions. You can use plain text e-mail's or spice them up with HTML, matching your Web site's look and feel. This of course builds company branding.

FIND OUT WHAT WORKS
There are countless sites out that focus purely on building a successful online business. Check in with these sites regularly and see what they're saying. You'll quickly determine which ones offer useful and fresh information and which ones don't. One particular site that I find very helpful is Ralph Wilson's Dr. e-Biz site (http://www.drebiz.com/). Much of Ralph's advice is free and very relevant to the small business online.

I mentioned search engine submission before. Many people think that submitting your site to search engines is adequate follow up to launching a site. Believe it or not, statistics say that the Internet is growing at such a rate that search engines are currently only indexing 10% of it! This isn't to say you should not bother with search engine submission, because you absolutely should. But just be aware that search engines are far from a complete solution for generating visibility or traffic.

Despite the seemingly ineffectiveness of banners, developing networks and affiliates can be very effective (obviously, otherwise no one would be doing it!)

Remember, know your audience and your site's purpose. If you can remain focused on that, you'll save yourself a lot of time and money in ongoing marketing efforts.

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