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Now that you've built your new website you can sit back and let it do all the work, right? Well no. Unlike in 'Field of Dreams' if you build it, they won't necessarily come, at least not until you ask them to! That's where web site promotion comes in. Web site promotion provides that vital link between that great site you've built (or had built)and everyone that you want to come see it!

Often new site owners either don't know that they need to promote their new site or they follow the trend of only promoting their site on the search engines like Google and MSN. While it is always important to get your site listed with all the major search engines (and most of the smaller ones), you might be overlooking a vital part of promoting your site, promoting your web site locally.

A small business will often it's website to provide 'Showroom' for their products, information about their business, and directions to help potential customers find their business. Their main goal often is to attract customers locally or from nearby towns and cities, so some additional strategy is useful in promoting their site.

Local website promotion checklist

1. Local Newspaper:

Many local papers have a section to introduce your business to the area. Write a small article about your business and submit it to the newspaper.

2. Press Releases:

This is a formal release about your business. There are many places on the Internet that will publish press releases for free. This can be a good way to be sure your business can be found on the Internet. Often local papers will also run these releases.

3. Niche Marketing:

For local businesses, be sure your keywords (both in your content and in the Meta Tags) include local cities and towns. When some one types in 'Used cars' in the search box it will return thousands of results.

When they narrow it down to 'Used cars 'YourTown'', you want your web site to be high in the listings.

4. Email Signature:

Most email programs allow you to add a signature to the bottom, include your web site address. This allows you to tell a little about your business and maybe announce a special your company is having. Keep these short and to the point.

5. Business Cards:

Be sure your web site URL is on all paper correspondence and on your business cards.

6. Phone book:

When you put your listing in the phone book for a little extra you can add your website URL, which may also be added to the yellow page phone directory. Google keeps a yellow page directory based on phone number listings, in time your business and URL will be listed there.

7. Be Creative:

The more often someone sees your web site URL the more likely they will remember it when they need your product. Find ways to display your web site URL in your store and any other place the public may see it.