So, your new web site is on line, Yahoo! and the rest of the usual search engines and databases have been updated and now you're just waiting for the cards and letters to start rolling in.

so you wait... and wait... and wait...

What else can you do? A LOT.

Like all advertising, your success relies on exposure. The more people who see your information the better. There's an old axion in marketing called the 10-4-2 rule, and it goes like this:

Show 10, talk to 4, sell to 2

In order to show 10, you need to somehow guide them to your site. While it's true that someone specifically looking for your product or service can find you through the usual search engines, many sales are made to buyers who set out looking for something else. How many copies of the Enquirer do you think are sold to people who go to the store looking specifically for a trashy newspaper? The answer is very few, but sales are in the millions because the product was placed in a good visibilty area, and it was easy to just take a look.

Your new site is readily visible to millions, now if only you could point it out to everyone, making it easy to "just take a look".

One way to accomplish this (I've discussed other ways in previous articles) is to have links to your site from as many other sources as possible. There are a number of different variations to this theme:

Sites that sell complimentary products are very often willing to post a link to your site. Ask! Send the webmaster a short note complimenting their site, and ask if it would be appropriate for them to include a link to your site.

There are numerous private sites that contain all manner of lists of links relating to the author's likes (and dislikes). These sites can be located through some creative searches using search engines such as Alta Vista (http://www.altavista.digital.com/). Simply sending an E-mail suggesting the addition of your site can get results.

The reciprocal link is another good opportunity. Many sites that are willing to list your site will ask for reciprocity. This may mean you will have to set up an area on your site to post these reciprocal links. One word of caution: "off-site" links do just what they sound like they do; send people off of your site. Any off-site links you wish to list should be kept in an area accessed only after visitors have had the chance to see your message.

A step further than these opportunities is a new service called "The Link Exchange". By hosting members advertising banners at the top of your page, you earn time for your advertising banner at the top of other member pages. The only thing you need is a compelling graphic banner, and the willingness to host other banners. QGM can provide more information on the link exchange and/or prepare your banner if requested.

In summary: Beg a link, Return a link, Exchange a link. The more links and exposure your site gets, the more rewards you will reap.

The Author, Gary E. Torello, is President and founder of QGM, an Internet based marketing company that specializes in assisting other businesses get the most out of their involvement on the Internet.

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