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T O P I C R E V I E WcollshubbyI recently created a website about my astronaut autograph collection (http://members.tripod.com/~brian_space/index.html) and I am now working on one about the history of American manned spaceflight. I know many of you have created similar websites along the same lines, and have had thousands of visitors. How did you promote your website besides submitting them to search engines? Any advice would be appreciated. astronutBrian,Ask Robert Pearlman to put a link here on the collectSPACE website. I'm sure he'd be happy to do so next time he updates the site.BTW...you have a great website. It was your's and Andrew's websites that inspired me to do mine.------------------q:-)Wayne Edelman(The Texican)Joe DaviesBrianThere are many ways of promoting websites, and I guess you have figured out some of the key ones:- links from other sites, registering with search engines and mention of your URL in your email signature.You are obviously very enthusiastic about design space websites which is great, but I do strongly urge you to find a host that doesnt throw up banner ads.Your site is an excellent effort but could benefit from some subtle refinement, and I also urge you to join a web authoring forum where people can advise you of ways to improve SE (Search Engine)ranking, and give you hints and tips. For example your pages have a background that can and does download last, so the visitor is left trying to read yellow text on a white background, if you set the background to a dark color, possibly dark blue as this is the main tone of your background, then the visitors can read the text whilst waiting for the background to download.JoeOdyessy85Heck Im still trying to get mibne promoted. Ive got pics to up and more to write mabey that will help. I dont know if its right or what but I have tried emailing at least a dozen webmasters with sites like mine and the only reply Ive gotten is space.comSo colshubby if you have any ideas send em my way.AndrewcollshubbyI always use meta tags and all, and I have submitted it to search engines, but nothing has come of it. I'm not so interested in getting the autograph page done...it is mostly a reference for me and others. But the page I am working on now is the one I want to promote. I am putting a lot of work into it, and it will be awhile before it is finished. I just want people to see and use it. It is going to be packed with information. I always submit it to search engines, and mention it on news groups and message boards, and e-mail others with sites similar to mine. I guess maybe that's all I can do for now.Robert PearlmanSubmitting your site to the search engines and having related sites link to you are both good techniques for increasing traffic. However, I have found only one proven method to insuring success:Fulfill a niche.Look for what isn't on the web but should be. Create it. And create it well, so that it would be hard for another site to do the same. When I started collectSPACE there were no other sites dedicated to providing resources for space memorabilia collectors. That insured some initial success, as if you wanted the information I had, you only had one place to go.But I couldn't maintain the status quo either. I had to constantly look for new ways to expand the site to meet the needs of the readers. Whether that's creating a FAQ sheet for new visitors or seeking new partners to author guides, the more work I put into the site the more I insure a competitor could not easily crop up and steal my audience.If you fulfill a niche, and fill it well, than everything else should fall into place.Your search engine ranking will increase as your site becomes a destination (though investing the money in having a relevant domain name is also influential). You'll find you no longer need to ask for sites to link to you. Instead they are coming to you, asking for you to link to them. Just remember -- don't set out to create a popular site. Set out to create to a useful, important site. As the movie slogan says "If you build it, they will come."- Robert[This message has been edited by Robert Pearlman (edited September 18, 2000).]Joe DaviesI think that is excellent advice Robert, and perhaps sums up the main failing of most sites on the net, and dare I say it, most space websites. Websites need to fulfill a niche as you so rightly point out, or else add something of sufficient depth and/or quality to a subject area that they become essential reading. I do believe space memorabilia collecting is relatively poorly served on the internet (with some notable exceptions). I wish it were otherwise and have striven to change this and helped several people get their space collections and businesses online. In my opinion one of the nets greatest strengths is also one of its main failings - that of the ease of creating websites. In the publishing world one receives commissions and the copy is edited by an editor/reviewer before appearing in print. On the net few website constructors bother with peer review and the quality of sites bears testament to that. This is one of the main reasons I advocate joining a web authoring forum where one can receive advice, get questions answered and benefit from the opinions and expertise (for free) of experienced web designers. Thus one is not developing in isolation.Joe
BTW...you have a great website. It was your's and Andrew's websites that inspired me to do mine.
------------------q:-)Wayne Edelman(The Texican)
There are many ways of promoting websites, and I guess you have figured out some of the key ones:- links from other sites, registering with search engines and mention of your URL in your email signature.
You are obviously very enthusiastic about design space websites which is great, but I do strongly urge you to find a host that doesnt throw up banner ads.
Your site is an excellent effort but could benefit from some subtle refinement, and I also urge you to join a web authoring forum where people can advise you of ways to improve SE (Search Engine)ranking, and give you hints and tips. For example your pages have a background that can and does download last, so the visitor is left trying to read yellow text on a white background, if you set the background to a dark color, possibly dark blue as this is the main tone of your background, then the visitors can read the text whilst waiting for the background to download.
Joe
However, I have found only one proven method to insuring success:
Fulfill a niche.
Look for what isn't on the web but should be. Create it. And create it well, so that it would be hard for another site to do the same.
When I started collectSPACE there were no other sites dedicated to providing resources for space memorabilia collectors.
That insured some initial success, as if you wanted the information I had, you only had one place to go.
But I couldn't maintain the status quo either. I had to constantly look for new ways to expand the site to meet the needs of the readers. Whether that's creating a FAQ sheet for new visitors or seeking new partners to author guides, the more work I put into the site the more I insure a competitor could not easily crop up and steal my audience.
If you fulfill a niche, and fill it well, than everything else should fall into place.
Your search engine ranking will increase as your site becomes a destination (though investing the money in having a relevant domain name is also influential).
You'll find you no longer need to ask for sites to link to you. Instead they are coming to you, asking for you to link to them.
Just remember -- don't set out to create a popular site. Set out to create to a useful, important site.
As the movie slogan says "If you build it, they will come."
- Robert
[This message has been edited by Robert Pearlman (edited September 18, 2000).]
In my opinion one of the nets greatest strengths is also one of its main failings - that of the ease of creating websites. In the publishing world one receives commissions and the copy is edited by an editor/reviewer before appearing in print. On the net few website constructors bother with peer review and the quality of sites bears testament to that. This is one of the main reasons I advocate joining a web authoring forum where one can receive advice, get questions answered and benefit from the opinions and expertise (for free) of experienced web designers. Thus one is not developing in isolation.
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