Amplify your company's visibility online with the help of these sites.
Google says it well: “The best way to get other sites to create high-quality, relevant links to yours is to create unique, relevant content that can naturally gain popularity in the Internet community. Creating good content pays off: Links are usually editorial votes given by choice, and the more useful content you have, the greater the chances someone else will find that content valuable to their readers and link to it.” Yes that’s about the crux of it, ‘giving’ rather than getting is the all-important ethos when a new domain aims to establish a web presence, but what other means are there to gain a foothold online?
Google Plus pages litter the web, but are they actually worth their weight in gold? They allow you to link to your site – which is handy indeed resulting in a following that can quite possibly aid and abet your presence in web searches. At the end of the day, it’s well worth the time investment – if there’s even a minimal chance of it directing visitors to your carefully chosen media. Just remember to share blog posts on relevant (yes we said relevant) community pages to raise your chances of gaining those essential +1’s.
Don’t forget to make use of Google Places, as part and parcel of your web strategy. You can link to just about anything (maximise use of key words here and link them to your domain), including your Google Plus page – don’t forget this vital link, an error all too easy to make.
Is one of the front-runners when it comes to increasing your visibility via Search Engine Optimisation. Whilst you can pick up many and varied tips from the site’s blog with helpful posts on Design Thinking and Creating Additional Value, you can also register and gain access to the expertise of founder Aaron Wall who waxes lyrical on all manner of SEO terminology, from pay per click ads, tracking results, website credibility right through to videos and audio marketing tools.
Have you set about creating a LinkedIn company page? If not, why not? Yes your personal CV on the world’s largest business networking site may be a vital tool, but there’s a whole lot further you can go, with detail, images and further links on the company you’ve worked so hard to establish. Set aside some time to set it up – and just see how it rewards you.
The website that is just replete with information about the latest startups is well worth checking out when it comes to securing some much needed visibility for your own domain. Free advice, an abundance of tools – but perhaps the strongest USP is the ability to commune with other startups who can give you a helping hand on your way up.
AWARDS IN GENERAL
Does it need to be said? Well, yes to be frank – because it cannot be underestimated how significant it is to enter (and hopefully win) awards. There are plenty of choices (Everywoman, Smarta 100, Startup Awards). Boost Marketing will help you in the process of compiling submissions, but perhaps the most prevalent (naturally) is the upcoming Good Web Guide Awards, now in their fifth year, they provide an excellent way for online enterprises to gain recognition and galvanise support. Once again, industry experts are joining the judging panel, including Tom Chatfield, author and commentator on digital culture; Julie Hall of Women Unlimited, Mark Pearson, founder of MyVoucherCodes and Kate Russell, tech reporter and BBC Click's website diva, amongst others. The judges will assess entries on the quality of design, usability, content and product or service evident within each site put forward. Holly Tucker of Not On The High Street has kindly agreed to present the Awards on 19th November in London. Enter here.
No list of this nature would be complete without Buffer, with all its attendant attributes. Once you’ve found your content, you can upload it in one go to the site and it will drip feed it across your social media channels throughout the day. There are also detailed analytics as well as 900,000 happy customers. No surprise - as it's a vital tool in the battle for visibility.
Footprint Live is another site that is incredibly useful when monitoring whether your efforts to increase traffic have had the desired result. A real-time website traffic monitor that goes way beyond the call of duty, the site is full of well thought out options such as the ability to set up a demo account, as well as search your IP addresses via Google Analytics. Yes individual real-time tracking is what it’s all about – and boy is it a detailed picture.
DON’T FORGET
It may seem obvious but how many businesses really make full use of Pinterest? If you’re one of the ones who need to commit more whole-heartedly, then make use of a whole host of other websites and add-ons. Take url2pin.it for example, which allows you to share a screenshot from your domain rather than pulling single images. Share As Image is also worth a look - allowing you to highlight text from the web, turn them into a picture and then pin. And finally there’s also Pinstamatic which allows you to add all manner of content including locations, music, quotes and even calendar dates (amongst others).
Need we remind you of the powerhouse that is Instagram? Probably not, but it’s worth reminding yourself of some cardinal rules; no explicit material (it will get taken right down), leave a reasonable amount of time between posts, carefully word your hashtags, use the 1-2-3 rule (post one, comment on two, like three) yes it’s all about fighting selfish behavior, oh and use the brilliant Line Camera app to really make your posts stand out, for a perfect example check out: Lucywillshowyou – the girl gives good Instagram.
September 2013.
September 2013
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