Just the facts...
Pre-Promoting:
Double and triple check your site for spelling, grammatical errors, and broken links. (You need to physically view each page because a checker can only verify that there is or is not a code there - it cannot identify typo's)
Insure that (at the very least) your front page loads in less than 30 seconds with a 28.8 modem. A good place for this is Web Site Garage. They can also lighten your graphics for you. All you have to remember is that when you save them to your hard drive, you will need to convert the graphic from a .cgi format to a .gif or jpg format. Or when you upload the graphic, change your FTP software from ‘binary' to ‘asci'. Then of course, remember to change the link info to match the new name.
Make sure your web site is ‘easy' to navigate with links on each page/section to other pages/sections (so one can go forward or backward). At least one set of links needs to be in html version 3.0 (usually at the bottom of the page).
A ‘browser friendly' web site will ensure repeat visits. Remember, all browser are not created equal. The three top browsers are Netscape, MSIE and WebTV. AOL on it's own (without their added ‘in conjunction with Netscape', AOL alone cannot read HTML) This is not an easy task. Keeping your coding to the HTML 3.0 standards will help.
Make yourself a ‘Log Book'. Mark off a column for the date, time, count, and a larger column for notes.
Put your counters html code on each page, making all counters hidden or invisible with the exception of your front entrance page. And link all counters to the same data file. Then if you have a visitor that comes in through a 'side door' so to speak, they still get counted.
Make up a spreadsheet listing all the things you will need in the advent you add/change or delete pages on your site. Sample here.
How to Advertise:
Highly recommend manually adding your URL to the individual search engines. You will achieve much, much better results.
Note which category you have chosen, when your are listing your URL, and be sure to record it on your spreadsheet.
When applicable, join Web Rings associated with the contents of your site. The Web Rings can all be assigned a page of their own titled ‘Web Rings'. Just make sure you have links to major pages of your site.
Visit competitor sites. Sign their guest book or contact the webmaster. Request a reciprocal link back .
Apply for any Awards (but only those that are actually earned - not those that are handed out for the taking).
Request submittal of your site to related e-mail news letters (e-zines). Often a contributing article (relating to contents of an e-zine and your site) will cinch a referencing link to your site in their next mailing.
Find a really good list of search engines site such as Virtual Promote. Book mark the site, print out the list and out it in a safe place. Then as you add your URL to the particular site, ( make your notes on your spreadsheet) check mark the site you left off at. Then donate an hour or more each week to whittle that list of 500 plus search engines down to zero.
Stay on top of changes each major search engine makes in their listing operations. Act accordingly, and check back with the major ones often. I understand your listing can mysteriously disappear.
Try to keep graphics at or near the middle to bottom of the page. Give your visitor something to read while they are waiting for graphics to load completely. Always save scanned in photos as jpg's. It is a compressed file format that will cut the load time by some where between 30% and 50%, and thus cuts down on your visitors waiting time.
When viable, add something to attract visitors such as All Yours offers their Free E-mail Postcards for your web site. This way when a card is sent from your site, the recipient has to also go there to retrieve it.
Continually add to, maintain, update and/or remodel your site. Don't let it become stagnant.
Encourage visitor feedback. Personally reply to all Guest Book signatures. Make sure you have a mailto: link on each page, so visitors can e-mail you. Answer all e-mail ASAP. I guarantee 95% will return to your site.
WARNING: the above ‘alone' will generate spam mail to your e-mail address. Spammers have developed spiders that crawl the web searching and gathering e-mail addresses. To avoid this problem, add this Java Script as your e-mail link. Just cut and paste, and substitute your information in place of yada. This will stop one source of e-mail spam.
K.I.S.S. is the absolute best way to go in the long run. Java Applets are great, but a large amount of browsers cannot read Java Applets. The same goes for Shockwave, etc. Stay with HTML 3.0
Do Not...
Do not over use (more than 5 to 7 times - this includes the various use of Caps and adding an ‘s' on words) key words either in your tags or your page. Some search engines consider this as ‘spamming' and will drop and/or ban your URL.
Do not make ‘ghost pages' or ‘ghost fonts', this will result in the same actions taken as above.
Do not mislead. Don't tell the search engine you offer something free, when you do not. Here again, if caught you will be dropped and/or banned. Plus, you want re-peat business. I can assure you, visitors will not be back.
No Spam Java Sript
Spreadsheet - Promotion Tracker
Promoting Tips & Tricks
Basic Beginner/Intermediate Design Resources
Home Page
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No Spam Java Sript
Spreadsheet - Promotion Tracker
Promoting Tips & Tricks
Basic Beginner/Intermediate Design Resources
Home Page
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Last updated February 8, 1998.