Once you've finished your page/site, you'll need to
upload it to your web server. If you signed up using the Instant Publisher, open the
instant publisher and select "Update an existing web site". The Instant Publisher will walk
you through the process of uploading your web site. If you do not have the Instant Publisher
you can upload files using an FTP program.
Search Engines and Internet
Catalogs
Probably the most common way to publicize your site and generate
traffic is to submit it to search engines (i.e. Google) and internet catalogs
(i.e. Yahoo!). Most of these sites have a form you can fill out to submit your
site. To save yourself some time, you can try a service that submits your site
to multiple search engines and internet catalogs by filling out just one form.
There are many of these services out there, such as www.submit-it.com. By adding
meta tags to your site, you can increase the relevancy of your pages in people's
searches. Meta tags will be discussed a bit later.
Reciprocal Links
If your page has a theme,
seek out pages with similar themes and ask the webmaster to post a link to your
site. In exchange, you promise to add a link to their site on yours. This is a
great way to get the word out about your site for free.
Newsgroups
Look for newsgroups where you
think people who would be interested in your site might frequent. Post a message
announcing your site and its features. Don't do this too often as it is
sometimes considered Spamming (unsolicited advertising).
Web Rings
If there are other pages that are
similar to yours, there might be a web ring out there dedicated to your kind of
site. Do an internet search for "web ring" and include a keyword related to your
site. If you join a web ring, you will need to add a web ring graphic and links
to your page.
Advertising
If you really want to give your
site some exposure, you can create a banner ad and find a company that will get
your banner put up on numerous pages. The cost generally depends on the amount
of impressions (how many times it is seen) or click-throughs (how many times it
is actually clicked on).