The link request note.

There are a number of examples of link request emails on Internet, but my advice is that if you are going to use them, make sure you modify them each time they are sent to different sites so they at least appear original. I receive a certain template note regularly and disregard it, as it appears to me that person sending it has not reviewed my site properly and really doesn't take process seriously. If another web master points towards a certain article or section of my site, it motivates me to review what web master has to offer my site visitors.

Bearing that in mind, here's a sample note that you can base your requests on:

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Greetings [Name],

I visited your web site, [Web Site Name Here] and found some great information regarding [Insert Subject Here]. I thought you might be interested to know that we have a web site dedicated to [Your Site Details]. This kind of information would be a great addition to your resource center and I'm sure your visitors would gain from it. [If you have linked to other site already, mention it here and give URL of link]

We were hoping that you might consider linking to us and invite you to review our site at your convenience. [Depending on situation, insert further offer of reciprocal linking, banner impressions or exchange of services here]

If you determine that a link to our site is appropriate, please add it at your discretion, or might we suggest following link and description:

[Your site name and URL] - [Your site description - keep it brief, focused and not too much hype]

If you'd like to discuss this further, please feel free to contact us at [Your contact details].

Thanks!

[Full official signature lines here]

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This example is brief, to point and courteous. It respects other site owners time and intelligence. Remember to modify each note slightly to avoid "template" stigma.

Be prepared for rejection.

Don't get too upset if you are officially denied a link, even if response is rude, as they sometimes can be. If you do receive a nasty email back, be happy in fact that you went about request in right way, and perhaps that web master was having a really bad day as we all do at times. Leave it for a few months, then try again, outlining some of improvements you have made in your site that are relevant.

The promotion strategies you put into action from outset define your standing in online community and in time ahead, so don't blow it. Be careful in using hype marketing techniques offered by some, they may have worked for them, but they may not work for you.

Market leap Link Popularity Analysis Tool

Link Popularity is simply a way to measure total number of links that a search engine has found for your website. Link Popularity is getting more important all time. With so many websites optimized to any keyword or phrase number of websites containing links to your website is another factor search engines use in determining your ranking. In short more popular you are higher your placement.

There are several tools and sites that you can use to determine your link popularity. One such site is http://www.marketleap.com/publinkpop/

Power Linking

There are several very good resources available on linking. I believe that "Power Linking", by Jack Humphrey, is best. He offers an excellent five day power linking course, which you can get free by sending an email to powerlink@listwarrior.com

Albin Dittli is the owner of http://www.The-Home-Business-Center.com, where you can get free content and your very own money making website that is 100% ready to take orders and pull in massive profits for you immediately. You can subscribe to his free eBiz Marketing Tips ezine by sending an email to moneystrategies@listwarrior.com.

Check average response time for a contact from your Website. One of top complaints about major company sites is that e-mails are not answered in a timely (hopefully 24 hours or less) manner. 5. Does your Website support your internal operations and employee needs?

This question relates to whether you're making best use of all available technologies, and integrating them with your online operations.

Example applications to consider include:

* Instant messaging, fast becoming a serious business tool * Knowledge bases - continually updated databases that can provide automated customer support on a 24/7 basis * Streaming media, perhaps for just-in-time training or on-the-spot manuals for your operatives * Intranets and extranets, which are really just fancy names for password-protected employee and client areas

6. Does your Website integrate fully with your "real-world" activities and processes? One of most frustrating visitor experiences is to complete a form, an application, or to submit a search on your Website, only to receive an error message.

Customers want security of an e-mailed purchase confirmation. They want to know that they'll be taken off your mailing list quickly and without need for multiple requests.

With complexity of technology and programs today, sometimes a change to a seemingly unrelated system can wreak havoc. Do you regularly check all input forms and processes on your site to ensure that no unexpected gremlins have crept in?

7. Does your Website provide you with a justifiable return on investment? This is probably most important question of seven, and possibly also most difficult.

That's because answer depends on a clear understanding of goals of your site, both in direct financial terms, and in other less tangible benefits, such as name recognition.

The keys to evaluating ROI, to improving your site, and often to further business development ideas can be found in your traffic reports. These show what visitors are looking for, how long they spend on site, where they go, where they leave, and what rate of response you get to various calls to action.

These reports can be daunting - a mass of figures, graphs and URL's. But I'd strongly suggest that someone in your organization should understand them. Otherwise, you're shooting in dark with your Web investment.

(c) Copyright Philippa Gamse, 2003. All rights reserved.