02.08.08
How do I get My Jewelry Website Noticed?
I’ve asked this question myself and I’ve seen it asked a ton of times recently. I know some people guard the answer with their lives, hoping to throw off their competition. But the information is easy to find by doing searches. So, it really is not that big of a secret. I have also seen that answers do vary from place to place. Well, here is a quick rundown of what I know so far….
1. SEO
2. Forums and Blogs
3. Social Networking
4. Write your own Blog
5. Signature Link
6. Pay for it
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is how you get the Search Engines (SE) to notice you. Keyword and Tags and all of that. If the SE can’t find you neither will customers. You can do a search on this and find an abundant amount of results. I have gone to www.seo-news.com and found it to be updated regularly, it’s free to join, it has good links to other helpful information and sites. They do offer services for a fee, but that is for you to decide on.
FORUM AND BLOGS, I would start with your favorite magazines and see if they have forums and blogs on their sites that you can join. Do a search for any that relate to what you are selling or interested in and join them. Try www.craftster.com or www.theswitchboards.com for crafts. These sites will provide you with information for our market and most of all suport. Do not discount the business sites either, www.onlinemerchantnetwork.com through PayPal has a great forum there and you will get a ton of great advice, help, and support from veteran business people from every kind of business. Blogs are very subjective, in my opinion. Search through a forum you join or do a blog search on the topic relating to your website.
SOCIAL NETWORKING sites are great too! Places like MySpace, Facebook, Multiply, StumbleUpon, Squidoo, to name several are all great places to post information about you and your business. Here are the links to my sites so you can see what I am talking about:
www.myspace.com/handbeadedbykellymalouf
www.kelly2u.multiply.com
www.crafterschoice.multiply.com (a group I run on multiply)
www.handbeaded.stumbleupon.com
www.squidoo.com/kellymaloufshandbeadedjewelry
Some of these sites you may need an account to view my information, but that is ok, it’s free to join. Some of these sites may also allow you to sell your items from your site page (there are fees). These sites are a great way to market your product and site to anyone who may be interested. They provide a link to your site from theirs. A way for customers to find you.
StumbleUpon, Squidoo and others like them allow you to have your site seen by the many members who choose that interest in their profiles. Members vote if they like your site or page or don’t like it, and members have the ability to leave comments good and bad.
With these sites you not only get a link to your site, you also have the added opportunity to join groups, forums, blogs and to network.
WRITE YOUR OWN BLOG set up a Blog and connect it with your site. Make sure you are not writing about your annoying neighbor but about your business or topics relating to your business. You need to offer something of value to your customers and potential customers. Check out other Blogs relating to jewelry or crafts to see how they are doing it.
SIGNATURE LINKs in your emails, and in forums and blogs. Anywhere that allows you to put a signature to your site do it. BUT, be carefull of what you write and post in forums and blogs. Some of these become viewable by everyone. Put it on every email account and it will be there everytime you send an email.
PAY FOR IT advertising is something I have not done yet. There are many ways to do this. Google, Yahoo, they all have ways you can pay for advertising and pay for high ranking. It is your decision on how you want to proceed with that. Since I have not done it I can not tell you if it is worth the price or not. I’m sure if you join any forum you may find your answer.
By doing all of this, even some of it, will help. I should tell you though, it is time consuming to join these sites, add your information to them, and participate. But the effort is worth it if it gets you noticed.
I hope this has helped for now. As I find more information I will relay it here. If you have a suggestion or even a comment on what I provided, let me know.
Until then, Happy Networking!
