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Your website is ready to go - it's been tested, re-tested and launched into that great World Wide Web. But do you have a marketing plan to go with it? According to the Canadian Tourism Commission (November, 2002), it's the equivalent of printing brochures and locking them away. Here's how to avoid "locking away" your website... The internet savvy traveller has a wide range of search engine options in such a vast virtual universe. That said, what is the most effective way to market your website on a shoestring budget? You can start by taking the initiative and submit your website to such engines as Infoseek or Yahoo!. Alternatively, there are other search engines that use "spiders" which are unique programs designed to index your site, which is ranked according to a series of "tests". These tests (example: "freshness" of the content, usefulness, level of interactivity) will then rank your site accordingly. The Google search engine uses spiders. Other search engines have criteria which check to see how many other websites link to yours - the rationale is that your site must be very important if other company/individual sites are linking to it. You may have heard how important it is to insert keywords into the source code of each page of your site. Many search engines charge for keywords on a pay per click basis. This is anchored in the belief that you want to own a particular set of keywords (example: "west coast whale watching", or "tofino surfing") assuming that your desired e-traveller will type in those words. Check out www.Overture.com - this organization runs search engines and directories for the major search engines on a pay per click structure. In Overture.com you can calculate how much money it would cost to "own" a set of keywords and also see if your competitors are bidding. How it works is every time an e-traveller clicks on your website via any of these major search engines, the amount of money you bid will be deducted from your budget. As bidding for keywords changes frequently, you should constantly review your keywords. If you consider your website your prime marketing vehicle, your business has the potential to flourish on a few carefully researched and chosen keywords on a tight budget. Courtesy of Greg Klassen, Canadian Tourism Commission. November 2002. |
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