I'm trying to get my electrical web site out where people will know who I am. Anyone know what is the best way to accomplish this?
Thanks for the input.... Steve..

Steve,

You have three basic options:

1) Pay someone to optimize your site and submit it to the search engines.
2) Optimize your site and submit it to individual search engines yourself.
3) Optimize your site and use a promotion service to submit it to many search engines at the same time.

Obviously, the first option is the best option if you can afford the expense. You might spend a couple of hundred dollars up front and an annual maintenance fee ($50 to $150) to have your site submitted on a monthly basis by the service after they have made the modifications. Just about any credible web site designer can do this type of work for you. Check references and ask to see search engine results before signing on. The yellow pages are a good place to start if you don’t know anyone now.

Avoid option two, although free, it is a lot of work.

I have used option 3 with excellent results. The selfpromotion.com is a service that is completely free unless you decide you would like to send operator some money. Keep in mind that you have to resubmit your site often to keep its ranking high.

The addme.com service is an excellent deal. For $50 annually (current discounted price), you can have your page submitted to the major search engines and indexes every month. They also have services to check your site design and generate META tags. They don’t actually modify your site, but provide you with the tools needed to do this yourself. If you don’t have time to keep at the task of regular site submission, this would be an excellent choice.

On each site, there is an abundance of information that you can use to help with the process. Pay particular attention to the site design issues relating to META tags and the recommendations for site optimization. A site with proper META tags will get listed faster and rank higher than one without them.
http://www.selfpromotion.com/ http://www.addme.com/

Good luck,
Bob

Bob, thanks for your input. I'll check the sites out you gave..Steve

sparkync

Let"s see the site, please post the address.

Joe my site is: webpages.charter.net/stevencenterelectric/
steve.html

I know it's pretty long.. My son built it for me for a Christmas present. I may be adding to it later. Thanks for input...Steve..

SparkNYC,

You can lay claim to www.StevenCenterElectric.com for $16.00 a year at places like BuyDomains.com . You also get free email forwarding to the mailbox you choose and free "re-directing" of www.StevenCenterElectric.com to where your web pages are actually stored.

Then you can put www.StevenCenterElectric.com on all you litterature, the truck, etc.

Al

[This message has been edited by ElectricAL (edited 10-25-2002).]

..... no spaces ......

http://webpages.charter.net/stevencenterelectric/steve.html

Steve, the first thing you will have to do, is add this site to your links. I'm trying to get it done on my companies web site.

If you don't, you have no idea of the repercussions that will follow.

Roger

Roger, I already have part of it on my site. Under the safety links Electrical Safety.com I really do think this is a great site.....

Joe, I didn't exactly understand your reply. Wonder if you could elaborate??

(Roger)

SparkyNC,

As ElectricAl says, it is quite easy to get a Domain Name forwarded to a website. That is true of our "FREE" Websites offered here at ECN too. AS an example, www.WeDoElectric.com goes to the same place as www.contractor.Electrical-Contractor.net
(I am not sure what the charges are for this on the ECN sites as those services are provided by a third party)

Additionally, it is helpful to trade links with compatible websites that 'customers to be' might frequent. We may soon have some more opportunity for that here at ECN. We're going to fill up our 'State' pages with pertinent localized information and will probably post reciprocal links of Businesses in appropriate categories. We just haven't figured out how it should all work yet.

Bill

[This message has been edited by Bill Addiss (edited 10-25-2002).]