Hello, I'm not new to promoting websites but I'm stuck here.
I have created an online community with no specific topic. Anybody can come and signup and get something out of it. My problem is I can't get people to come!!
I used to own a website dedicated to the Visual Basic programming language, I had no problems getting people there as it is a very specific topic. If you searched on google for 'free visual basic code' I was on the first page.

This new site however, is harder to find, if you search for 'meet people online', you'll never find me. So it seems to me search engines are not going to get me any traffic.

Does anybody know the best way to promote this type of site? Any ideas are welcome.

PS. Feel free to sign up yourself, the link is in my sig.

Thanks in advance

It is going to be real tough without having a specific topic.
Let me think about some options and I'll get back to you...

Anyone else?

Hey Anacrusis,

Here's a couple of things for starters, if you haven't already done it:

o List your site in the TopList here.
o Check out advertising.
o Check out some of the other members' sites that list sites.
o Get a review, and give a review......not just for traffic, but members can give suggestions.

And I'm sure there's more thoughts to come.

Dave

okay I just looked and it does have a forum. Do a search for forum directory or forum directories and then get your forum listed in as many as you can.

One to get you started:

http://www.forumdirectory.net/

Thanks for the responses guys.

I'm in forumdirectory.net and the toplist here.

I offer free email and submitted my site to a couple of free email directories, but these don't seem to generate much traffic. There's got to be other ways.

Have you tried partnering with other sites of the same type?

There's always the member-drive-win-a-gift approach. Get those members helping you get more members!

Dave

Do what I did and signup for around 15 of those free PPC search engines listed in the Tips and Tricks section, brings around 2-20 TARGETTED hits to my website and has generated 2 Signups already. Try using a merchant program with Clixgalore or Fineclicks very low minimum depoiset of $75 and $50 respectivley and my programs have giving me around 500 hits a day and 5 new members as of now from them.