What is a good way to start an advertising website?

[whoami704]

I'm trying invent a website similar to craigslists where people can advertise there business on my website. I design the pages and everything for each vendor interested for example if a photographer wanted to be advertised on my page they would have a specific page for them nd there pictures and contact information etc.

This site will be a local site and I was wondering what I need to do to get my website popular enough for people to want to advertise on my site? Any ideas? Should I start by putting something different on my page that will lure people then start the idea?

[fenway2k]

What you need is publicity. The following are tips you can utilize to gather interest in your website launch:

1. Make up postcards, fliers, business cards with the website highlighted. Hand them out everywhere.
2. Make a press release announcing the launch of your new site.
3. Have a launch party inviting local media and marketing agencies. They love this kind of stuff. While you're mingling with them at the party, ask them for ideas on how to market your website. This will make them want to get involved.
5. Sponsor a big community event, which will help get your name out there.
6. Hire street performers for the busy part of your community and have them hand out fliers.
7. Of course you should utilize Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to advertise online.
8. And finally, pay for advertising with all of your local media outlets, such as newspaper, TV, and radio.

[Jake]

That sort of site would have a tough time succeeding, there are tons of free directory sites like superpages, yellowpages, yelp, as well as free business pages like Google Places Pages that get favorable search listing.

Those I have seen succeed are good with shady SEO techniques which they employ to get a specialty directory like of restaurants or dentists to quickly rank in the search engines, after getting into search listsings (a lot easier for a specialty site) they play the businesses against each other to get them to opt-in for paid premium listings.

[Carol]

Hey,

The first place that you might want to start is to get your website done and designed well, now from here you want to increase your search engine rankings, or SERP. So whenever a person might type in the keywords "Detroit Online Shoes" they might reach your website. This is like a locally targeted keyword, I own a local store and use this tactics all the time.

http://maxserp.com

This is the website that I use for all my needs, you can contact the team there. However there are thousands of other websites that can help you out with simple but effective traffic.

After that you will need to contact your local stores and see if they are interested in things like that, literally go right up to the front desk and ask for the manager or owner.

Thanks