h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Any cunning ideas for how I could quickly publicise a web page without bringing it into disrepute, spending lots of money or plastering it in pop-ups? I'm trying to help out a friend in Michigan who's about to lose his home unless he can raise lots of cash in a hurry. The deadline is September 30th 2003.

I've e-mailed all his local press outlets, engineered an article in his local paper, got him a mention on a couple of radio stations through that and he was interviewed by a TV news crew last night. But even with that coverage the best day only saw 97 unique visitors to the site.

I need some "lateral", yet practical suggestions. I could spend £10 or so towards it, but that's really my limit. It's already listed on all the free directories that are relevant, and shows up on Google. Any ideas?

Oops, ignore the ...

I was originally going to post that as an aside on another thread, then I thought better of it and devided to open the question to a wider audience. I was a little sloppy with my cut'n'paste.

(devided = decided )

I don't see the direct connection between page hits and raising cash unless it is a pay-per-view site. The BBC are not keen on that sort of thing but it may be OK to talk about it without linking to it and other wise we just won't tell them. I do hope your friend doesn't turn out to be ReverseTheory.

Anyhow are there any specialist magazines which are relevant. For example, my website gets some responses because it contains some contents relevant to one particular group and that group did mention my old site in its magazine and google etc have my new website listed. This does relate to the reason for publicising your friend's web page though as no-one can suggest anything specific without knowing that context.

The BBC have a spot in click-online for talking about websites. Other channels do too. Allegedly people are allowed to make suggestions as to the best sites to see. I haven't tried to look for or do this myself, so I can't point you in the right direction there.

I assume you've set up the META tags properly so that the page shows up as well as possible in an internet search. You could use hidden text too but that's rather naughty. It is better to include all possible spellings and synonyms for the actual content than be dishonest about the content. Similarly review the page itself to make sure there are enough repeats an variations of the key words to get it noticed by the crawlers.

Hi Peet,

The site needs to include references to things people frequently search on. Google regularly posts the top 10 search terms; things like Britney, Beckham, Iraq, WMD so your site could include a list of all these things to bring accidental visitors via Google. Some of them may be intrigued enough to stay and look at the site.

F

Search for websites with related content and ask the owners if they would consider reciprocal linking - your friend would add their URL to a section of related/approved links and they would do the same in return. NB By searching these other sites out and reading them yourself you guarantee that they are relevant and suitable for cross-linking.

If you or your friend feel you must lure people in under false pretences then try to choose something which you genuinely can provide. Is there any free stuff or shareware (yours or your friends in addition to stuff from elsewhere) which the site can host? You could then "advertise" this as being available on it in the hope that visitors will also read the other content once they arrive.

fyi, the site is at http://savemyhome.cjb.net and, yes, it's one of *those*...

I know many people look down on cyberbeggars, but if you check out the press links you'll see this guy has been checked out and is genuine. I've known him online for over three years; he was always a cheerful, upbeat kind of soul, but this has knocked the wind out of his sails.

The problem with search engines is that they only reach people who are actively looking for something, and thus they tend to ignore anything that isn't directly relevant to what they're actually looking for. I need to find places to make the URL visible (online or offline) where people will come across it in the course of their daily lives. And soon.

You say "it's one of *those*" as if it is a common thing which everyone has seen. I wasn't really aware of cyberbeggars but then I don't surf the net much. However, I recently joined with some other people to donate money to save http://www.sluggy.com since I had been reading their cartoons anyway. That sort of fits with my suggestion that the site actually provide something which might make people more inclined to donate money.

PS I suppose I've been hit counted now.

How about posting on usenet forums using the email address?

OK more thoughts:

What's the law like over there, eg can he arrange to pay her off in instalments like an extra large alimony deal?

Can he get any tenants and therefore rent if she has already moved out? It would add only a small amount to the money collected at the moment but would help with any longer term pay-off arrangement.

Does he have anything he can sell? I assume he's thought of all the substantial things but what about insubstantial/creative ones which could be tied to the "donations", eg artwork if he's an artist (as with Sluggy), a poem if he's a poet etc. Since I don't know him it is hard to be specific on what he might be able to offer. It can't be anything too major though or it would conflict with his new job.

We've discussed those options at length. He might be able to keep the house if he was to divide off a small section as a "bedsit" and move in there, renting out the rest to pay off a second mortgage. But there are legal implications, planning permission for the alterations, cost of alteration etc. that mean he couldn't get it in motion before the 30th of September. That's the date by which the divorce lawyers tell him he has to pay up in full. Plus, I suspect that she, as half-owner, would lodge an objection to any building work which might reduce the value of the property in the short term, as that would come out of her settlement.

As it says in the press clipping, he currently earns $1200 a month; if he was to remortgage for the amount he has to pay her it would require repayments of $1000 a month. And he's helping to support a son at college at the same time. I'm doing everything I can to help out from this end; if I had $50,000 in my bank account I would lend it to him myself, and never for an instant doubt that he would pay it back.

The newsgroups idea is interesting; I'll give it some thought. I don't post much at the moment... Anyone who's reading this, and who posts profusely, I'd be really grateful if you added "http://savemyhome.cjb.net" to the bottom of your sig for the next few weeks.

On the subject of selling things, there's not really anything he can sell that I'm aware of. He's a keen carpenter in his spare time, but only on the kind of stuff you really can't send through the post. (kitchen cabinets etc.)

Also, it would open up a whole new can of clichés, as if he's selling things he has delivery and sales tax to worry about. At the moment the site is carefully phrased to describe every donation as a "Gift" so it doesn't require him to declare it and be taxed on the income.

"if I had $50,000"
Obviously I don't know your friend well enough (or indeed at all) to make that sort of assertion myself!

OK another crazy idea which might depend a lot on location and local attitudes. Can he ally himself with any other cause and make promises to help that cause associated with donations. The two specific examples I can think of are:

- ecological. Promise to plant a tree somewhere (that bit might be tricky) for every donation over a certain amount (ie needs to cover the cost of the seed or seedling.

- charity. Promise to donate some amount of his time/expertise as a volunteer (eg helping physically or mentally disabled children, old people or whatever else happens to exist in his area) for donations received.

NB You say he is trustworthy, so I expect he should be able to make and honour such promises.

Simulpost!

The carpentry thing is a superb fit with the charity idea. He could do all sorts of fixing up or odd jobs or making of useful aids. He might even invent a few things. A friend of mine is an engineer who spends some time working with the local medical establishment to create custom aids for disabled people.

It's a good idea. I'll discuss it with him tonight.

If anybody wants to say "Hi!" or show a little support, I expect to find him on the IRC tonight sometime after 00:30 UK time, in #castlekeep on the Undernet. He'll be calling himself xstang, and I'll be there as Peet42.

with the unique visitors thing. I jsut had a look at the site from work and am behind a proxy/firewall with 2000 other users.

anyway, I'll pass on the website to others.