Promoting Your Website

I. The Basics | II. Advanced Promotion | III. Evaluating Your Promotional Efforts  

Promotion and Driving Traffic to Your Web Site

Well, your web site is finally built. You've worked on your home page integration and tested and fine-tuned the user interface design. The site looks good, your home page includes dynamic content and everyone's happy.

But how do you get people to visit? Promote your web site to your audience.

I. The Basics

How to Promote

Although some people will find your web site by browsing or using a search engine, research indicates the best way to drive traffic to your web site is to give users a specific reason to visit, tell them where to visit and remind them consistently.

• Tell them where to go.
  Always include your URL with your station ID announcement, as in "online, at WXYZ-DOT-ORG."
• Make your site easy to find.
  If you have a "nonstandard URL", hard to pronounce URL, hard to remember URL or long URL, consider purchasing a short, intuitive URL such as www.wxyz.org.
• Make content on your site easy to find.
  
  
  1. State directions clearly and simply, and keep them brief. "Visit our site, and click News."
     
     
  2. Provide a shortcut. If the item that you are promoting takes two or more clicks to reach, put a temporary link on your home page. You may know how to find a particular article or item on your web site in your sleep, but your site visitors don't. Don't make them search for it - chances are, they won't.
     
     Example: WBUR has had great success with this practice - during auctions, they highlight one-to-five of their favorite auction items on their home page, with a direct link to the full listing and bidding information.
     
     
     
  3. Use larger or differently colored images, graphics and headers to call attention to the item you're highlighting.
     
     Example: Sure, there's a "Support WXYZ" button in your standard navigation, but that leads to a bridge page that lists reasons why you should pledge and the benefits of membership. During your fund drive, add a "Pledge Now" button that leads straight to your online pledge form.
• Tell them what they'll find.
  Promote a specific content item or actionable item.
• Create a sense of urgency.
  "Pledge online now and you'll be eligible to win. Find the current weather conditions now. Email your feedback on the story we're airing now."
• Promote often
  Promote your web site a minimum of 12 times a day.

• Promote actions or tasks.
  Give your audience a task to complete. Promoting a specific action on your web site is more effective than just promoting your web site.
  Examples: "Find more info on a news story you heard on air." "Pledge online now."
• Promote specific content.
  Promoting a specific feature of your web site is more effective than just promoting your web site. When possible, involve your programming department in the choices you make.
  Example: In addition to general station IDs, WBUR promotes specific pieces from their NewsRoom and Arts during the day.
• Promote local content.
  Focus on your local content, community services, etc. These things set you apart from other news and radio sites.
• Promote clearly.
  Promote one thing at a time and use words that are clear, simple and compelling.

For stations with limited resources

To help your station more effectively promote your content on-line, on-air and in your community, Public Interactive emails content-specific promotional copy for stations to use on-air and in email newsletters. We also provide additional "evergreen" promos online on the Promotion Support section of the Client Support site. With these simple tools, you can easily tag a broadcast promo with a mention of your web site and include content-specific hooks as a regular feature of your on-air announcements.

• On-Air
  Use your broadcast for web site promotion. TV stations and joint licensees can promote on the TV side as well. For example, WNPR ran these spots on the TV side, about 10 times per week.
  
  Culture Connect Spot 1
  
  Culture Connect Spot 2
  
  Culture Connect Spot 3
  
  Culture Connect Spot 4
  
  
• Direct Mail/Print Materials
  Include your site URL on all marketing materials, fundraising pieces, letterhead, business cards, etc.
• Print Newsletter
  In addition to including your URL in your print materials, feature sections of your web site in your print newsletter.
• Email Newsletter
  In your e-newsletter, include direct links to your local web site (not the PBS, PRI, or NPR's web sites, not the national program sites, not other local sites), feature and link to specific web site content and encourage people to forward the email to their friends.
• Your Live Stream
  We encourage stations to add an audio gateway -- a snippet of audio that plays before your live stream starts.
  Example: WNYC's audio gateway educates their audience about the cost of streaming and provides a call to action - pledging online.

>> II. Advanced Promotion