Marketing Tips and Tools

[jjarrett]

Once you build that new website, you want to get some traffic to it. We want to stay away from anything too complicated here, so I'm going to give you some easy tools to help you get the job done.

Search Engine Optimization

The first thing you want to do is create a sitemap for your site. The easiest way to do this is to use SitemapsPal. I tested this tool, and it does a pretty good job of spidering SS sites.

Next, submit to the major search engines. You want to manually submit to the 3 major search engines:

Google

Yahoo

MSN

Next, grab the smaller search engines. The easiest way to do this is to use Web CEO.

Web CEO is a complete search engine optimization suite you download for free. You can use it to submit to search engines, optimize your sites, build link popularity, find keywords, and a whole lot more.

When you download this software, make sure you grab the Quick Start Manual from the site. You'll be up and running within an hour.

Social Bookmarking

Bookmarking your pages can help you build backlinks, and get out the news about your site. Two sites you can use to make it easy:

Digg
OnlyWire

You will need accounts for all of these sites, but it's free, and once you get set up, it's easy to get your bookmarking done.

Write a keyword rich description and title, and include the appropriate tags.

RSS Feeds Submission

You can submit your RSS feeds to RSS feed directories. There are a lot of tools out there to do it, but this one is free:

Daolnwod RSS Submitter

Directory Submission

Building backlinks is still important, and it can help you get your site indexed too.

Brad Callen offers a nice free tool you can use to submit to directories. It's not automated, but it works really well.

Directory Submitter

Social Marketing and Video

This is a really hot category right now, and if you look at the top 20 sites on Alexa, the ones that get the most traffic, you'll find plenty of sites where you can create your own page and advertise your stuff.

You will need an account with each of these sites, but it's free.

Here's the most important:

Yahoo 360 - Yahoo also offers video.

You Tube - Video, Create your page.

Live Spaces - Blogging, social networking.

Google Video - If you want to network socially on Google, use Orkut.

MySpace - Social networking, blogging, video, create your own page.

Facebook - Social networking, create your own page.

Hi5 - Social networking, create your own page.

Blogger - Blogging.

Skyrock - Social networking. Great place for musicians.

Friendster - Social networking.

Article Marketing

This is, of course, my favorite technique because I'm a writer. You can use it to build backlinks, raise your rankings in the search engines, brand yourself as an expert and drive targeted traffic.

My favorite tool for marketing is Article Marketer. You can submit up to 3 articles a week, and they will submit it to 30 sites and 12,000 publishers for free.

This is so effective that recently I was interviewed by the Senior editor at Windows Office Live, and my articles have been published in over 40 countries. I know this because of the emails I get from my readers. I've even been seen in print in India.

Top Article Sites

Ezine Articles
Go Articles
Search Warp
Article Dashboard
Idea Marketers

Miscellaneous Free Tools

Blog Comments

Although some sites use the no follow tag, this is still a valuable way for you to connect with others who are interested in your topic. These three tools will make your job easier. All free.

Comment Kahuna
Comment Sniper
Comment Hut Lite

Other

IM Buzz Software - All of this software is free. You have to sign up for their list, but it's worth it. Here's what you get:

Keyword Buzz - helps you do keyword research. Fast and easy.
Blog Buzz - blog comment posting software.
Forum Buzz - Great tool for keeping track of all the forums you are marketing on, as well as your logins, and you can even write forum posting messages ahead of time.

This should get you started. If you have questions, comments, or there is something you want to see, please ask. I'll be happy to help.

Jinger

[jjarrett]

The other day I posted a link to Sitemapspal.

However, after I did it, I had a problem of my own, and I kept getting a crazy redirect, making it impossible to build my sitemap.

So, I went over to Google to see if I could find something else.

I found this, and I've integrated it into my sites. It's easy to set up, it's free, and it works like a charm.

Automatic Sitemaps

The only problem I did have was that I got a 404 when I first tried to install it.

I added the .htaccess file to my main site to the directory, and it fixed it.

I'm including that file here for those who can't write their own, or to help you. Unzip it, and put it INSIDE the autositemap file.

For those who wanted an automated sitemap solution, this should easily solve it for you.

For those interested in other ways to create sitemaps, here is the link to Google:

Google Sitemap Tools

Hope this helps. Jinger

[successtrax]

Jinger:

In the above post you indicated you were including a .hta acessfile for us to use.  I could not find it in the above post.  thanks for your help Jinger it is greatly appreciated!

successtrax

[kiboko]

Hi Jinger,

thanks for the sitemap info.......just what I needed.

But without the .htaccess file you mentioned - I am lost.  So please help and provide it.

thanks in advance,
kiboko

[jjarrett]

I attached the .htaccess file because I didn't think that it would show up here.

Take this code between the lines and paste it into an .htaccess file. Upload it into the autositemap directory and everything should redirect correctly so that you can create your sitemap.

************************************************
AddHandler server-parsed .html
AddHandler server-parsed .htm
Options +FollowSymLinks
RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME}       !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME}       !-d
RewriteRule ^([A-Za-z0-9-]+)/?$  cat.php?pagename=$1 [L]
RewriteRule ^([A-Za-z0-9-]+)/?.html$  cat.php?pagename=$1 [L]
RewriteRule category(.*)/(.*)\.html$ /cat.php?Start=$1&pagename=$2 [L]
RewriteRule category(.*)/(.*)/$ /cat.php?Start=$1&pagename=$2 [L]
RewriteRule page(.*)\.php$ /item.php?item=$1 [L]
********************************************************

[CloakAndDagger]

Well I have found on my domain where I set up SS the traffic jumps
after completion of store ...

Almost seem like the thing has a pinger built in ?

[jjarrett]

I think that might have to do with the fact that the pages are search engine friendly, and if your site's been around a little while, Google, Yahoo, and MSN show up every once in awhile to check it out because they've indexed you before.

Frankly, I've been so busy between "building my empire", running the marketing campaign for another company, and wrestling with my .htaccess files that I haven't had time to check my traffic. I have seen some new sales though.

Pretty awesome feeling.

Let me know if there's some tips on marketing you want to see, CloakAndDagger.  I'll see what I can do.

Jinger


BTW, about the sitemap: make sure that you put the graphic in each of the template files for SS. If you have subdirectories under your main directory, add the graphic to each of those pages. That will get your site thoroughly indexed automatically.

This script is approved by Google. Otherwise, they wouldn't have it on the Webmaster tools page.

[rmanville]

I've installed AutoSitemap, configured it and uploaded your .htaccess file to the autositemap folder, but I'm still getting 404 - Not found when I go to http://www.mydomain.com/sitemap.php.  Is there anything else that you did to get to to work porperly?  Did you mak any changes to the .htaccess in the root or anything else?

- Rick

[CloakAndDagger]

Well I do use a backlink submitter to get links . What are you using ?

[successtrax]

jjarrett:

Thanks for the info on sitemap.  I have a couple of questions if you do not mind:
1) in the install manual it says the following
  Open the file autositemap/config.php.dist (shown below) into a text editor, and then save it as autositemap/config.php after making any changes as required for your server. Click here for a description of each variable.

  $config_baseHREF = "http://www.";
  $config_databaseServer = "localhost";
  $config_databaseUsername = "";
  $config_databasePassword = "";
  $config_databaseName = "";
  $config_databaseTablePrefix = "";

when remaning should it be config.php?
all the information on dababase is that the mysql database info you set up for SS or is it something that my hosting account would supply?

2) the manual indicates to

   Upload the files and directory structure to your web server.

Are thes files uploaded to public_html or the actual SS site you have installed?

Thanks,  I hope someone can help me.

Rick

[shiratori9]

jjarrett,

I copy the code and paste it into an .htaccess file. Upload it into the autositemap directory.  It still show "404-not found".
When I paste it, should I just paste it under the existing text or delete existing text and paste it?  

Thanks

Ryan

[royalmice]

Same here.

i am getting a 404.

Have some questions :
The database, do i create a new database for sitemap or am i suppose to use the SS database. I created a new one for site map

The htaccess:
I copied and pasted the code given above, saved it in the .htaccess in the AutosiSitemap folder

Uploaded the whole bunch ran the autositemap/setup.php, all o,km except tables, rebuild as suggested.

Still all i get is 404 error

Hope someone can help us out here

[jjarrett]

You save the file as config.php. If you don't, it won't let you install the script.

You upload the files inside of your store stacker install.

If you look at the button code after you've installed it, you will notice that it looks like this: /autositemap/autositemap.php

If you don't install it inside SS, it will never see that and add the page to your sitemap.

Jinger

[jjarrett]

According to the instructions at autositemap.com, you can either create a new database for the install, or you can add it to your current db. I added it to mine.

If you don't create the config.php file and upload it before you install it, it won't work.

Add this to your SS .htaccess file:

RewriteRule ^autositemap(.*)$ - [L]

I think there needs to be something else added to the .htaccess file, but I'm not sure what yet.

Jinger

[jjarrett]

Sounds to me like you are pasting it into your SS .htaccess file. Don't. Create a new .htaccess file and upload it INSIDE of the autositemap file. That's what worked for me.

Don't forget to create your config file. Sounds like that may be what's causing the trouble.

Jinger