Driving People to Your Website

Posted: January 12, 2009

Promote Yourself on the Web
by Tim Lesmeister

As outdoor communicators, we should each have a website or at least be featured on a site that promotes our product. That product would be the stories we publish, the radio shows we host, the television shows we are featured in, the art we produce. The Web is a tremendous place to showcase one’s talents. The problem is there are about a zillion websites, so how can people find us?

There is the search engine. If someone goes on Google or Yahoo and types in our name, they should find the sites where we or our work appear. If the site designer included not only the name but some relevant information in taglines for the site, the websites we are featured in will be on the first page of that search engine. In fact, over 90 percent of Net browsers get to their destination from a search engine starting point, so make sure to design any Web pages to cater to the Googlers.

Take every advantage in what you produce to drive people to your website or one that features your work. Every article, every television show, every opportunity to plug a Web address should be in play. On our two-hour live radio show, about once every ten minutes KC O’Dea and I tell listeners to go to KTLKFM.com. The hit ratio can be tracked, and there is always a bump in numbers right after a show. When we were promoting freshwater-fishing.org (Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame) on our regional show, the spike in Web hits was noticeable.

Use other’s websites. I’m on FACEBOOK and promote my radio shows and seminars through this resource. Adam Johnson has a popular television show and a great following in the upper midwest. He’s using YOUTUBE to expand deeper into other markets now that he has taken his show to a national audience.

There are many ways to drive people to a website – using the Web itself, or by using print, radio or television. Don’t overlook any opportunity to make your Web presence known.