With thousands of new websites appearing on the web every day, the noise easily overwhelms those of us trying to get our websites seen and visited. Website promotion is getting more and more difficult. It’s important that you leave no stone unturned in optimizing your website promotion. Here’s a quick checklist for promoting your site:

1. Use directories. Sign up right away for the Open Directory Project and identify every industrial or market-oriented directory list that’s pertinent to your marketplace.

2. Exploit the Search Engines. Make sure you’ve structured your site to be search engine friendly. Sign up for PPC services such as Google’s Ad Words or Yahoo!’s Search Marketing for your website promotion.

3. Appropriate Keywords. Make sure your site includes appropriate keyword identification (most search engines offer tools to help you with this) and then submit your site to search engines and industry directories. Focus first on the big three: Google, Yahoo! and MSN. Then look for appropriate industry associations or local chamber of commerce sites.

4. Advertise. Do advertise through both online means as well as conventional means. Sponsor regular email broadcasts that drive people to your site and be sure to adapt any print advertising to do the same.

5. Paper Collateral. Make sure your website is part of all your promotional and commerce collateral. Good website promotion requires you to include your URL in everything – invoices, business cards, stationery, brochures, datasheets, whitepapers… everything.

6. Partner. Exchange links with relevant partners. Include them on your website and make sure your included on theirs. Choose partners that actively engaged in traffic building on their sites, too!

If you’re not doing something in each of the categories above then you’re giving your website promotion results short shrift. Establish a concerted effort in each category to ensure you’re optimizing your promotional results.

The bottom line is, you have to get the word out - that your website is out there - and remember there are millions of websites online. If you are going to succeed, you must advertise or get traffic somehow - these are some good places to start!