Networking with Reciprocal Links as a Promotional Technique

This page is mostly about networking with reciprocal links as a promotional technique. I've created this page in an effort to reinforce that websites are about communicating with other human beings. By communicating with other website developers and interested parties you can develop mutually beneficial relationships. You might build a network of great new friends. With reciprocal links you might bring more traffic to your site. It can be a good promotional technique ...

Reciprocal links were one of the very first internet marketing techniques. By reciprocal link I'm referring to the idea that I give you a link on my site if you give me one on yours. If your goal is to build major traffic to your site, then networking with reciprocal links won't be anywhere near as effective as spending the same amount of time focused on enhancing your search engine positioning. On the other hand, trying to develop reciprocal links puts you in contact with real people which is alot more interesting than worrying about cryptic search engine algorithms. Networking with reciprocal links is also a much easier to master promotional technique.

If you're really ambitious you probably don't have time to develop reciprocal links. You're time is better spent contemplating promotional techniques like mastering the search engines. You may have no interest in having any links to pages outside of your own site - a "they are my visitors and I don't want to loose them to another site" attitude. Fair enough. If on the other hand you think having links to other sites makes your site more useful to your visitors then read on - I'll give you some ideas on how to network effectively ...

Search out sites that have subject matter similar to that of your site, or content of interest to your site's visitors. Communicate with the webmasters of those sites. Advise them what you honestly like about their sites. Ask if it's okay for you to link their site from yours. Tell the why you want to - that the link would be useful to your visitors. Invite them to check out your site and let them know you'd welcome but don't require a reciprocal link.

They will respect the not-so-common courtesy you've shown them and some will respond favorably to your requests. Of course you'll likely have your best luck if you target those sites that are actively maintained and that have links to pages other than their own. Be forewarned many sites aren't actively maintained and their webmasters' might never even read their email let alone respond to it. Consider yourself lucky if you get a response; but, please don't be upset if that reply says they don't want you to link to their site. Assuming your site isn't totally lame, their request may have little to do with your site. Although the rejection might sting like a slap in the face, recognize that there can be any number of reasons why your link is not wanted. For instance, most hosting companies charge extra if hosted sites exceed a set limit on data transfers. In such cases having lots of hits can be a curse rather than an accomplishment, particularly for noncommercial sites that have no sources of revenue to offset the costs. If you're paying those charges - switch hosting companies!

If you do get a request to refrain from linking to some particular site, please respect their wishes and don't hold it against them. They don't "owe" you any explanation and please don't put them on your enemies list. They are most likely just trying to exercise some control over who they are marketing their site to. Just imagine this scenario: they are trying to line up Cadillac as a sponsor, they might not want a steady stream of your visitors from your website: live-on-5-bucks-a-day.com, diluting their usual visitorship of corporate CEO's - its nothing personal. Cut them some slack - you'll at some point expect the same courtesy from others when you find, for your own reasons, it appropriate to ask someone not to link to your site. Don't waste your energy speculating - move on ...

Develop a profile of the kind of person you think would be interested in your website. Think of other kinds of sites that would also interest that kind of person. Search out those kinds of sites, and target them for reciprocal links. Let the webmasters of those sites know why you think their visitors might be interest in your site. (The connection might not be as obvious to them as it is to you). Remember networking is about communication - communicate with them.

Your success in growing traffic to your site using this promotional technique will largely depend on how much work you put into it. Networking with reciprocal links is very easy to do but most webmasters just don't do it enough. Just as salespeople often have to force themselves to make "cold calls", commit yourself to "networking" by emailing at least one request for a reciprocal link each day. Given a bit of time, the traffic to your site could grow exponentially. Note that if hundreds of sites have links to yours, you benefit from whatever marketing is being done for all those other websites. Furthermore, you also benefit when search engines rank your site higher because alot of other sites have linked to it. Networking can make a difference.

In addition to sites with similar content, and those that have visitors that match your visitor profile, you can target hundreds of sites that feature collections of links. You can find sites that feature "cool" links. You can find sites that feature regional or local links. Find sites that confer "awards" on worthy sites - look for the ones that maintain links to all the sites they've given awards to, unless your actually interested in the so-called award. Also you should make the effort to sign those guestbooks on sites you visit - many give you the opportunity to provide the URL to your site. Don't expect any one link to bring you any appreciable increase in traffic. They probably won't. However, by keeping your eyes open, you might just find that one site that will be the motherlode in bringing targeted traffic to your site. Eureka!

Your visitors can be soldiers in your campaign to let the world know about your site. As a promotional technique simply invite them link to your site. You can make doing so very convenient by providing an attractive button or banner that they can use. Some webmasters use a variation on this idea. As I have done here for this site, they give the visitor the html code that can be cut-and-pasted into the visitor's webpage. The advantage of this promotional technique is that because the graphic file remains on the webmaster's server it is possible for the webmaster to more easily determine what sites are linking to his or her site. Also, the webmaster can update the graphic at any time should they have a good reason to do so. ( Please don't do any kind of bait and switch - encouraging a link to one thing only to dramatically switch the content to something else they would never have voluntarily linked to in the first place. Such unethical promotional techniques will make you very real enemies. Remember they might be even more "creative" than you - you'll live your life watching your back ). Be nice ...

You can also ask your visitors to recommend your site to others by putting a form like the one below on your page: Go ahead and try it by recommending DesignStop.Com to a friend - it works. I won't sell or give away the email addresses you submit. You and your friend won't find yourself subscribed to any newsletters or receive any junk mail as a result of your participation. If you want to see the type of message your friend will get before you try it click here.

Do you like DesignStop.Com? Please tell a friend!
	Name	Email
You:
Your Friend:
Click just once! - or you'll be sending the referral more than once. Please be patient - The system could take a minute. Thanks. Here's how to get a referral system like this on your own site, for free.

Networking is all about communication. You have to communicate to others that when they visit your site they'll find it useful, entertaining, interesting, or whatever. Without spending alot of money on advertising you can get that message across. Using networking as a promotional technique, success won't happen overnight; it will happen the old fashioned way - one visitor at a time.

Of course being skilled at networking is not only about getting traffic to your site through reciprocal links or referrals. You have the potential to "network" with almost everyone you meet. The social and business opportunities that come from having the necessary skills are incredible. Unfortunately most of us lack the skills and live our lives on the sidelines watching others getting all the action. If you hear what I'm saying do yourself a favor and get yourself this book. Although it is marketed towards people involved in sales, it can help anyone be more at ease with communicating with others. We can all benefit handsomely from having better networking skills.

I hope you've found this page useful. I'd appreciate any feedback you can give me. Network with me baby! Work the room! Give me your thoughts on networking with reciprocal links. Please . Lets do lunch! Thanks.