I am Just starting

[livingtoxinfree]

I am just starting in my home based business. I have been really working for two months but I feel like I am getting nowhere. DOes anyone have any suggestions on forums, articles, etc.. I would love advice. Thank you.

[Debbi]

hello -

what services/products are you trying to market? or are you looking for a niche to begin to work from?

[livingtoxinfree]

I am an independetn distributor for a organic cleaning supply company. I am doing well with my market here at home but would like to see about nerwork marketing on the internet. I am not sure what to do or how to design a website. thank you

[Audrey]

Let's get you started with making a signature. This will let folks know who you are and what you sell.

Here are two great lists...I'm so bummed I don't have the authors names with them. If anyone knows the authors of either of these lists, let me know and I'll edit the post to include the authors names:

1. Write and submit articles to the article directories.

2. Leave comments on other people’s blogs with a backlink to your site.

3. Answer people’s questions on www.answers.yahoo.com.

4. Post in forums and have a link to your site in your signature.

5. Write a press release and submit it to www.PRWeb.com.

6. Advertise your website in the appropriate category on www.CraigsList.com.

7. Give an unbiased testimonial on a product/service that you have used in exchange for a backlink to your site.

8. Start a blog and submit it to the 100’s of free blog directories.

9. Manually submit your website to the major search engines.

10. Optimize each page of your website for a particular keyword or search phrase.

11. Add a link in your email signature to your website. It’s a free and easy way to get a little more traffic.

12. Make a custom 404 error page for your website redirecting people to your home page.

13. Use PPC search engine advertising.

14. Add a “bookmark this site” link to your webpages.

15. Have a tell-a-friend form on your site.

16. Send articles to ezine publishers that includes a link to your website.

17. Hold a crazy content and make it go viral.

18. Give away a freebie (ebook, report, e-course) to keep people coming back to your site.

19. Add an RSS feed to your blog.

20. Submit your site to any related niche directories on the net.

21. Participate in a banner or link exchange program.

22. Create a software program and give it away for free.

23. Purchase the misspellings or variations of your domain name, or those of your competitors.

24. Buy a domain name related to your niche that is already receiving traffic and forward it to your site.

25. Pass out business cards with your domain on them everywhere you go.

26. Start and affiliate program and let your affiliates send you visitors.

27. Start a page on social bookmarking sites such as www.MySpace.com.

28. Submit a viral video to www.YouTube.com

29. Conduct and publish surveys to your website.

30. Find joint venture partners that will send you traffic.

31. Start your own newsletter or ezine.

32. Use a autoresponder or email campaign to keep people coming back to your site.

33. Purchase ads on other sites.

34. Send a free copy of your product to other site owners in exchange for a product review.

35. Sell or place classified ads on www.eBay.com with a link to your site.

36. Post free classified ads on any of the sites that allow them with a link to your site.

37. Exchange reciprocal links with other related websites.

38. Network with other people at seminars or other live events.

39. Purchase advertising in popular newsletters or ezines.

40. Advertise on other product’s “thank you” pages.

41. Create a free ebook and list in on the “free ebook” sites.

42. Buy and use a memorable domain name.

43. Do something controversial.

44. Create an Amazon profile and submit reviews for books and other products that you have read.

45. Start a lens on www.Squidoo.com.

46. Use a traffic exchange (low quality traffic, but can sometimes be worthwhile).

47. Get referrals form similar but non-competing sites.

48. Create and sell a product with resell or giveaway rights and include a link to your site in it o others pass it around for you.

49. Email your list. If you don’t have one, get one.

50. Buy a pair of sandals; get your website engraved on the bottom and walk on the beach, stomp in the mud or play in the snow.


1. Sell on Ebay
2. List your business on your Ebay about me page
3. Get your site listed in all the search engines
4. Use pay per click on Google and yahoo.
5. Post comments to posts on message boards and forums
6. Write your own comments and posts on message boards and forums
7. Create your own message board or forum.
8. Use yahoo instant messenger
9. Write a Blog about your business.
10. Post comments to other people’s blogs.
11. Write articles and post them in article directories.
12. Write a newsletter
13. Visit chat rooms
14. Attend online networking events
15. Write lenses at squidoo.com
16. Host an online party.
17. Register multiple domain names for your site to increase visibility.
18. Create a Swiki.
19. Create a RSS feed with your articles.
20. Create a podcast.
21. Write an eBook.
22. List your site in online directories.
23. Develop a poll and ask for people’s opinions.
24. Create free software and put your ad in it.
25. Offer a free ecourse.
26. Visit Amazon.com and write reviews of products
27. Make lists of books on Amazon.com and include information about you.
28. Create another information based website.
29. Create an article directory.
30. Visit personal websites and leave your comments in guest books.
31. Create free websites and offer original content.
32. Create helpful lists and post them online.
33. Post comments to news stories online.
34. Run ads online.
35. Join yahoo groups and actively contribute.
36. Join Google groups and actively contribute.
37. Create a MySpace profile.
38. Post to MySpace forums and bulletins.
39. Create a yahoo profile
40. Create a MSN profile.
41. Review products online from sites such as epionions.com
42. Offer your products for free in exchange for an online review.
43. Have a contest.
44. Sponsor a contest on another site.
45. Have a free drawing.
46. Promote your free drawing in free stuff directories.
47. Find directories for your local area and list your website in them.
48. Join Ryze and participate.
49. Join social book marking sites and add in your sites.
50. Submit an online press release.
51. Find out if your town has a Wikipedia site and link to your business from it.
52. Find websites for groups of which you are a member or alumni and add your link.
53. Get your link listed in the online version of alumni magazines for your university.
54. List your blog in all of the blog directories.
55. Create a FFA directory with your ad on the page.
56. Trade links with similar non-competing sites.
57. Offer to trade products for advertising with other business owners.
58. Do Ezine advertising.
59. Write articles for Ezines.
60. Write as a guest writer for other blogs.
61. Create a FAQ page about a popular topic and post it.
62. Join other networking sites such as Adland Pro.
63. Join a web ring.
64. Join a banner exchange.
65. Join a traffic exchange.
66. Create public folders on backflip.com
67. Write your own Ezine.
68. Create your own yahoo group about a popular topic and encourage others to join.
69. Use an auto responder to offer free reports and advice.
70. Create your own Wiki.
71. Join ecademy.com
72. Write a blog about another topic unrelated to your business.
73. Create a .com website for your name.
74. Create videos and post them on youtube.com
75. Tag and Ping your blog posts.
76. Tag your blog posts on social networking sites.
77. Brand yourself online and include your brand everywhere.
78. Get your own chat room and host business related chats online at certain times.
79. Join, post sites and vote at listible.com
80. Install stumbleupon.com’s browser bar and use it to add your sites and to visit other useful sites.
81. Spend some time every week exploring new sites and online opportunities.
82. Post and contribute to Yahoo Answers.
83. Write a book and sell it online.
84. Order return address labels with your website and put them on all mail.
85. Order stationary and sticky notes with your website and put them everyone.
86. Order bumber stickers with your website.
87. Order t-shirts with your website.
88. Open a café press store and sell items marketing your products.
89. Contribute to other people’s wikis.
90. Create free puzzles and post them online with your link.
91. Post photos to a flickr account.
92. Open up a picturetrail.com account and post your photos and links.
93. Create your own website directory.
94. Post your RSS feed to RSS directories
95. Begin your own online radio show.
96. Use a signature line in all of your emails.
97. Post a story at digg.com and include your website.
98. Write an online tutorial and include your link in your bio.
99. Offer free samples.
100.Write articles for online magazines.
101.Put your website everywhere.

[mom2my4kids]

Audrey on the answers at yahoo, can you ask questions like offering your biz without getting reported for SPAM? Or how would you promote your site there?
Thanks Becky

[Audrey]

Offering your business is not the same as asking a question.

When you answer questions, as I'm doing now and add your sig line, folks get to know you as an expert.

Same with talking on blogs. I participate in discussion on a few blogs for the very same reason.

[NaturalGifts]

Audrey, Those are some awesome lists.. :)
Wonderful tips and advice. Thank you for sharing. :kewl:

[Audrey]

I only wish I could give credit to the authors.

[cleve1]

What a GR8 list ..!!! Evryone can learn from it.. Thanks

[cmoore]

I just got started as well and just joined this group! The support and help is awesome! I worked in real estate for a little while and no one helped anyone (there are a lot of paranoid people in real estate!), it was a tough business! That is one of the reasons I was so hesitant in trying my own thing again! Thanks for all the help!

[Terri-Avon]

WOW Audrey!!! Great lists. At least you want to give credit where credit is due. I'll have to remember and try some of those things!

[workready]

I just joined in and hoping to get a good job I can do online and get paid for. I don't know how to do web-designing, but I will make a good worker for jobs like data entry, filling in forms, writing ( I am a very good writer), etc and will be glad to be linked to a good online data entry job. I will really prefer the type that won't ask me to pay money upfront, and I am willing to let go of the amount I may be required to pay after getting paid my income from the job. I will gladly ask the company to take their fee from my first earnings if i have to pay something for the job being gotten. Thanks a lot and I do hope i can get what I am looking for in here., which is simply earnings that can lead me to financial freedom ( the definition of this is relative ) and happiness. Thanks.

[tam2005]

Wow Audrey...great list there! Thank you very much for sharing! :)

And workready...I replied to you in the "Introduce Yourself" board here...

http://www.freelancemom.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11402

Hope it helps. ;)

[Katco]

Wow Audrey what an awesome list!!!! :thumb:

[Audrey]

Thanks...I've never the authors of either of them.

[mhobbs25]

14. Add a “bookmark this site” link to your webpages.
19. Add an RSS feed to your blog.


Audrey--these are all some great ideas! How would one go about doing numbers 14 and 19?

[judilynn]

Welcome to FreelanceMom. It is a great place to get support and great information.

The one thing you have to keep in mind, it isn't an over night thing. Networking takes time. For some things more time than others. For some things, it happens in the blink of an eye. Patience and persistence pays off.

Finding a support network helps a lot too, ie freelanceMom :)


And Audrey, WOW! going to print this list out and keep it on my desk!

[Audrey]

Chrsity,

Adding the bookmark is a script. If you do a websearch, you'll find some free scripts.

I use blogger.com and there is an RSS feed on it. I'm not able to help otherwise.

Lori should be along soon and might be able to provide some better answers.

[SOHOdesignprint.com]

50. Buy a pair of sandals; get your website engraved on the bottom and walk on the beach, stomp in the mud or play in the snow.

OMG!! I have to do that!! I love it. Great advice on the other points too.

Kira

[lottomom]

WoW! Great List A++ Thanks for sharing!