Question

Topic: E-Marketing

Can Website Succeed Without Paying Search Engines

Posted by Anonymous on 5/26/2010 at 7:29 PM ET 125 Points
Hi, I cannot spend a lot of money but have started a website selling new age items.
Can a website succeed without paying 100s out to search engines etc.
Can anyone suggest cost effective ways to get my website off the ground and get orders?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted on 5/27/2010 at 3:55 AM Author
    Thank you! It is https://www.ancientmagick.co.uk
  • Posted by Harry Hallman on 5/27/2010 at 8:32 AM Accepted
    Search Engine Optimization is very important. Get some white papers on the subject (just search). Also you want to do link exchanges if you can. Create a Facebook page and Twitter account and post regularly. This will also help with search engines. Also, I suggest you make posts blogs and forums that relate to your products.

    With all this said you still may only get minimal orders. If you don't market I don't believe, in today's Web, you will do well. Do email marketing, collect them in your store and through other methods and send weekly emails with interesting subjects to your list. You might also try to use Google adwords with a minimum amount of money just to test if you can get conversions. If you do the ad cost will be paid for by the increase in sales.

  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 5/27/2010 at 8:58 AM Accepted
    As you've found, simply creating a website doesn't bring in visitors/customers. If you don't want to pay for leads, then you need to get backlinks from websites that are relevant to your customers.

    Also, you need to improve your website. The home page should clearly show examples of what you're selling, not making people click a lot to figure out what you offer. Are you selling just to people in UK, or the world? If the latter, make your pricing world-friendly (show in price that's relevant to your target market). Finally, go through the language for your products. There's typos throughout (for example "...fragrance.Â" on https://www.ancientmagick.co.uk/apps/webstore/products/show/1286303).
  • Posted on 5/27/2010 at 10:30 AM Accepted
    You didn't think that people would flock to your website just because you created it, did you?

    Trying to launch a web-based business without a business plan, and the funding to implement the plan, is not likely to work in today's environment. There is no free lunch.

    My suggestion: Stop implementing and think about your strategy. Actually create a written business plan and a marketing plan. Figure out who your core target audience is, and how you will create awareness of your site and the unique positioning benefit you offer.

    Only after you've satisfied yourself that the business is viable should you make the investment and [re]launch your business in earnest. And if the cost of your plan is more than you have or can raise, then scrap the whole thing ... or come up with a different plan that makes more sense.

    Otherwise you'll spend a lot of time (and some money), only to find that it was all for naught.
  • Posted on 5/27/2010 at 6:48 PM Author
    Thanks, Karen, for that clear advice, and your interest. Your advice is always calm and sensible.

    Thanks, Harry for your straight answer that not marketing will likely breed failure. Though I could agree that money may need to be spent, I wanted advice on what works 0 i.e. where my money would be well-spent. You gave some good suggestions though, I will look at the ad words.

    Thanks, Jay, I agree the front page should immediately show what we offer, we had debated this and it is good to have you confirm our thoughts. Thanks for pointing out my typos too - I am on the case.

    thanks, mgoodman, no, I didnt think they would flock to my site, otherwise I wouldnt have asked this question - however you gave sound advice and this made alot of sense.
  • Posted on 5/27/2010 at 6:51 PM Author
    Thank you all who have responded. It is as I thought, some people think paid marketing is important and some think it is not necesssary if you use other strategies.

    Thanks, Karen, for that clear advice, and your interest. I will certainly look at your suggestions. Your advice is always calm and sensible.

    Thanks, Harry for your straight answer that not marketing will likely breed failure. Though I agree that money may need to be spent, I wanted advice on where my money would be well-spent. You gave some good suggestions though, I will look at the ad words idea.

    Thanks, Jay, I agree the front page should immediately show what we offer, we had debated this and it is good to have you confirm our thoughts. Thanks for pointing out my typos too - I am on the case.

    thanks, mgoodman, no, I didnt think they would flock to my site, otherwise I wouldnt have asked this question - however you gave sound advice and your suggestions made alot of sense.
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