The 9 Free Things Every Site (or Lens!) Should Do

Rule #1: If you have a site or Squidoo lens, you want more traffic.

Rule #2: You don't have enough money to buy as much traffic as you need.

Rule #3: You've already made your site/lens as compelling as you know how to.

So, what now? Read on for the (free) details.

1. Register with technorati

It helps track blog posts and site changes

It's free and it only takes a few minutes. Technorati and Google both track all the changes you make in your Squidoo lenses and your website, but it helps if you sign up.

Technorati: You might need your tech person to hold your hand on this one.

The secret shortcut of online promotion

...is that there is no secret shortcut. Step by step, bit by bit, link by link, you build something important and powerful.

Hurry, but don't rush.

2. Become a Digger

Digg is a site that lets the mob find the good stuff

Not only is contributing to the community a good idea, but it pays off in traffic back to your best stuff. (Watch out! If your stuff isn't good, it will get buried).

Digg: Once something you do gets "Dugg", be sure to link to that on your site, so that others can Digg it as well.

Bonus #2a: Start an argument

It turns out that arguments and debates and comments are a great way to get people coming back.

Do you need connections to succeed online?

Fetching blurbs now... please stand by

Yes! It matters who you know.

Marci-Leigh says:

The best content will never been seen without connections.

Posted July 04, 2009

adezalfa says:

yes ,it's impossible success without connection with other people

Posted July 04, 2009

LimitlessGuy says:

Since i typed something here... Then it works!

Posted July 04, 2009

No! Great content and hard work are the secret.

worktogetby says:

Starting an argument on a page where you are trying to promote a product just distracts from the product....

Posted July 04, 2009

taris says:

for me, it depends on your content
if you have a unique content that can attract readers you'll succeed even without connections.

Posted July 03, 2009

Auris says:

Connections may help but not a necessity - good, original & compelling content will provide a solid platform from which to launch a successful online venture

Posted July 02, 2009

live-long-and-prosper says:

It doesn't really matter who you know. Just as long as there are many

Posted July 02, 2009

Juan_A says:

Connections are important, but you cannot really sustain them unless you have good contents. Both are necessary, but in the end it is all about the content.

Posted July 01, 2009

3. Build ANOTHER Squidoo lens

Every blog, every organization needs one

A lens (you're reading one) is an organized directory that makes it easy for people to find your good stuff. It's free and you should have one... it will bring you credibility and traffic.

Already have a lens? Make another, and link 'em together. Up your discoverability factor.

Get started: Or you can click the button on the top right that says "build a lens".

4. Get your team, or customers, or friends to spread the word

It's not a top down world any more, folks

It only takes a dozen or two people to post something to Reddit, or StumbleUpon, or Delicious, or other social news and bookmarking sites to get a lot of attention to your work. Stop worrying about getting listed in the New York Times and start talking to your friends instead.

StumbleUpon: A great way to get discovered, just by being remarkable.
Del.icio.us: Tag your favorite links and lenses.
Reddit: It's like Digg, but different. Great stuff rises to the surface, so make something great.

5. Issue a press release

But only if you have something to say

Press releases aren't just for reporters. News readers (like Google News) read the press releases for the good stuff. So if you've got stuff, issue it as press release.

PRLeap: There are plenty of other services... some that are even worth paying for.

6. Get a sister site for testing

When the IT folks complain too much

Most big organizations have a 'frozen' site. No testing, no little experiments, no landing pages. You don't have to fight them. Just get some low-cost or free hosting and experiment with some pages that come BEFORE your firewall.

GoDaddy: Not free, but close. So, you could build a page here with a different domain, run some Google ads to put traffic to that page and see if you can convert some of that traffic into clicks to your site. You won't know if you don't try, and this is cheap enough that you can try.

7. Google Analytics

You won't know what's working unless you measure

If you've got a lens, don't worry about this part. Squidoo handles it for you! Just check your stats page for daily info.

Google analytics: Useful and addictive and free.

8. Don't be boring

If it's so obvious, why are you ignoring it

Every single one of the hundreds of millions of web surfers has billions of choices. And they're not choosing you. Why? Well it could be that they don't know about you. But it's way more likely that they don't care.

Purple Cow: You have no right to traffic. If you're lucky, and GOOD, you earn some.

You'll earn it when you do something daring, interesting, useful, provocative, free, compelling, emotional or urgent.

Hurry.

9. Facebook, Flickr, MySpace, LinkedIn, YouTube

It's kind of unfair to put all these together, because they each deserve their own writeup.

What hot community are you already part of? Are you on Facebook, Twittering with your friends, getting Adds on MySpace, or swapping pics on Flickr? Link back to your favorite sites and lenses from those profiles. Link hither and yon and back again, and you'll generate your own little traffic economy. Nice.

Flickr: What if you used pictures to help tell your story?
Twitter: The social conversation site of the moment. What if you twittered your latest lenses for your friends?
Facebook: The perfect place for flaunting links and lenses.

The Squidoo Answer Deck

The 9 Free Things Every Site (or Lens!) Should Do

1. Register with technorati

It helps track blog posts and site changes

The secret shortcut of online promotion

2. Become a Digger

Digg is a site that lets the mob find the good stuff

Bonus #2a: Start an argument

Do you need connections to succeed online?

Yes! It matters who you know.

Marci-Leigh says:

adezalfa says:

LimitlessGuy says:

jyotitis says:

ps4all says:

No! Great content and hard work are the secret.

worktogetby says:

taris says:

Auris says:

live-long-and-prosper says:

Juan_A says:

3. Build ANOTHER Squidoo lens

Every blog, every organization needs one

4. Get your team, or customers, or friends to spread the word

It's not a top down world any more, folks

5. Issue a press release

But only if you have something to say

6. Get a sister site for testing

When the IT folks complain too much

7. Google Analytics

You won't know what's working unless you measure

8. Don't be boring

If it's so obvious, why are you ignoring it

9. Facebook, Flickr, MySpace, LinkedIn, YouTube

What's tip #10?

Add your own idea here.

What's the unsung tip?

Tell readers of this lens which technique is the one they shouldn't skip

Free eBooks and posts worth reading

If you're not doing this stuff, you're not really serious.

by sethgodin

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