What is the best way to promote our website

[TWD-Tony]

I guess we are never going to agree on this are we

Well to give you a real life example - when I first started in business I joined another business forum (the biggest UK one) and it was and still is a very active forum... When people started asking for recommendations for web hosting or web development nearly everyone recommended just one or two people, these were long standing members of the forum with 1000s of post's under their belts... I couldn't get a sniff in - and I actually had a massive arguement with a moderator over it.

It was like a monopoloy - but that is just the way that forum community members are: If you are an active member and post good advice / help people then they will recommend you to others even though they don't actually know for themselves whether your product / service is any good or not.

Word of mouth is a very very powerful marketing tool...

[Brian Turner]

Originally Posted by Sheffy

So the moral to this story is to be a really friendly, actively posting Barney Rumble, then!

Indeed - the more you become an important part of a community, the more likely the community is attentive when you have something to say.

For example, if a writer was looking to promote their book, the last thing they should do is just join communities and then spam ads on them.

Instead, by being an active part of the community, by then mentioning that you have a book if anyone is interested, chances are they would have a receptive audience.

[bumfluff]

Originally Posted by lin robinson

Everybody always says that, as though posters serve the forum instead of vice versa, but if somebody comes by and says, "I'm looking to pay somebody big bucks to deal with this thing for me" and hires people but never comes back, nobody bitches about it.

I guess 'cos that's a two-way thing.. that person gets their job done, and forum members have benefited from them too, which I think is the ideal situation.. the forum isn't here to serve us, and we're not here to serve the forum - it should be mutually beneficial.

[myaffiliateprogram]

What other ways have you tried to promote your site? Are you fully satisfied with your onsite seo and the natural ranks you have got from your site? If you feel that your site could be more SEO friendly then start there included content rich text after that try more niche directories, ask decent websites in a similar industry to reciprocal link.

[marta]

absolutely right!

[niiker345]

honestly if you want traffic you need to find areas or website that relative to what you have to sell and advertise; Tell friends and family.

[Sheffy]

Thank you very much for all your replies. We are now on page 1 of google for catering cutlery and page 2 for Children's cutlery. etc.
I have managed to get some links to the site and have also posted on lots of forums, got a blog plus put another on Bt tradespace with links back to the site , also have some links from other sites and have just done a Knol and linked it to the site. I have been working quite hard...

[oneway4]

HeHeHe I laughed myself into cracked ribs, but hey sheffy if you are still in need of some help to place your market I have a good contact from Canada who actually has a really nice site for Chefs Knives etc in fact any thing that cuts in the kitchen?
If you want more info send me a private messge and I will pass you his info.
Love the ribald remarks it made my day, and proves how a good topic and thread can be develped and made interesting?

[Sheffy]

Thank you for the offer of information about the friend's site from Canada. Were you thinking we could link swap or something? I thought link swaps were not a good idea now?
As regards the rest of the topic and the discussion above, for someone like me it is hard to know what exactly I can contribute to this board apart from ask questions maybe other people would LIKE to ask. I cannot contribute anything much in the way of information as I am on a learning curve.

[oneway4]

I just thought of a solution for the way in which links can be used without causing spam etc?

In my own Forum we have set up a section called the Battlefield, here you can do anything whatsoever?
It states, that it is an all gloves off Topic slot and you can say do and argue to your hearts content?
Without any recourse, because you know before you enter the type of slot you're going into. Therefore you have no redress, to whatever takes place?

Also nothing discussed in the Topic slot can be used in the forum or quoted?
That should give all the disgruntled a good place to air their views without any repercussions, so could we have a grumble or battlefield here as well?