I'm hoping people can give me some ideas on this. Link bait is probably a bad term, but good advice, as part of a complete breakfast of SEO. Especially the provide something useful type, instead of just sparking controversy.

I'm a programmer, so the "something useful" category is easy to get into. I wrote a program called WebMaestro, at first for my personal use. Uploading changes to my site got tiresome in Dreamweaver, in IE, and in free FTP clients. So I wrote my own, that keeps track of when it uploads a file, and when each file was last changed. So I can just queue up all the files I've edited, th walk away, without having to remember which one, or dig through folders to find them. A friend saw me using it and asked for a copy, so I decided to polish it up some and release it as freeware.

The hope was that this would bring lots of traffic, even if it's unfocused, and hopefully a slightly higher profile in general. Which could indirectly lead to people seeing my portraits page and emailing me. And I'm trying to launch an IT consulting company; it would be great if potential clients had heard of or even used some of my software.

Working against me is that it's Windows software, so not everyone can use it, and a lot of people hide adware in free downloads. On the bright side, though, this fills a particular niche, and does some cool "me too" things, like allow you to edit text files, preview graphics, search and/or replace across all the files in a site, and so on. It's been improving for about six months now, but the traffic is minuscule.

What can I do to make the software more popular?

I think the software is a great idea for linkbait. I know you're asking in another thread for ways to improve it too. You might need to since there are already some good free editors and ftp programs out there. You might want to take a look at some and see what features they do and don't have and then do something to make yours different. I think some will have forums around them where people suggest features they want and that can give you some ideas.

Here's a list of free html editors I came across. Check the related link for the programming editors too.

As far as getting people to link to it you can probably start by seeing if the person in charge of the page I just linked to will add it. See if you can find an email and let them know about you're program and why it makes a good fit for their page. I'm sure there are other similar lists you can get added to.

Don't forget to add a link or two into the program to remind people where they got the program. It won't count as a link, but it's easier to tell other people where to get it that way and it's a reminder in case anyone forgets the link.

Ask people you know to test it for you when you're done working on it. If you include people in the process it makes them feel like they have a part ownership in the program. After the give you feedback ask them to link to it.

There are quite a few people here who use editors/ftp programs and I'm sure you can get a lot of us to try it. I've already downloaded it and will give it a spin and let you know what I think. If I forget feel free to remind me.

I'd keep looking for any place that lists similar programs and try to get yours included on those lists. As long as the program is good and especially if you can offer people something more than they can get now they'll start linking to it.

At the moment I use HTML Kit for all my code editing and some light FTPing. Since I use it whenever anyone asks about code editors I respond with a link. If you give me a program that I like better I'll start using it and then you'll get all those recommendation links.

Basically identify the group of people who will most likely benefit from the program. Then build the program those people want. Let as many of them as you can know about the program so they try it and then sit back while they do the rest.

Forrest - I'm a Mod on another major Webmaster Forum; I'm going to pass your info around there and see what happens -- so, after I do that, would you like the results in a PM or what?

Thanks so much, Travel Agent!! I really appreciate the help, and a PM would be wonderful!

I've been reading more and more that the web should be a two way conversation, and I'm wanting to give people an easy way to leave feedback, especially ways this project could be improved. I use the software every day, hardly use Dreamweaver anymore ( except for spell check ), and if somebody recommends a good way to improve this, I'll put in some time, even just to have a better tool for myself, let alone pay back all the knowledge people have shared with me.

Could it make sense to create a subdomain and install a wiki, or a blog, to describe the freeware and articles I've put together and let people comment?

Well, I think making your software open source may help in bringing more attention. And, make it compatible with other platforms as Linux and Macintosh.

But since the above suggestion is difficult to put into practice, I think the first thing you should do is to redesign the site and make it look professional. Make it simple but vibrant with lot of bright colors. And, make a unique logo and slogan for your software and advertise it in popular sites within your field.

Make the software interface really appealing and the site should contain the feature list, download button, and everything associated with it in easily digestable form. Make a forum for people to interact with you for serious suggestion of features and make a column in the front page like a shoutbox so that busy people can just enter their name, email and site and put in their suggestion.

Make a blog about the software and creative ways of using it. In the blog, post about picture editing and photography in common too to attract people interesting in those topics so that eventually they would use your software. Make the icon look as appealing as "Last.fm" or "Avast" since I loved these. Just a suggestion.

I think having a blog associated with the site can invite a lot of inbound links. For a fixed amount of time, please avoid ads in the site. After you've achieved your target user base, start adding ads. And, promote your site and product by selling T-shirts and other stationery with your name and logo in it. This would help you promote it in the non-cyber world. Make the site SEO friendly and put Easter eggs in the software which makes it really interesting. Be pro in everything. This is all I can think off. I know the reply got a lot messy. But, I presently don't have time to make it polished or something. I'll reply when I get any more ideas.

Originally Posted by vangogh

Here's a list of free html editors I came across. Check the related link for the programming editors too.

Thanks! I've been playing with these for a few days to get a better feel for things, see what I like and don't like about each of them. I guess pinning the app down to a specific niche might help; the editing functionality is pretty new, but also convenient, so I'm going to keep on in that direction.

Originally Posted by vangogh

Ask people you know to test it for you when you're done working on it. If you include people in the process it makes them feel like they have a part ownership in the program. After the give you feedback ask them to link to it.

I've been thinking about launching a subdomain about the app, with a wiki, or something like it, to make it easier for people to make suggestions and whatnot. Sounds like something I should do.

Originally Posted by vangogh

There are quite a few people here who use editors/ftp programs and I'm sure you can get a lot of us to try it. I've already downloaded it and will give it a spin and let you know what I think. If I forget feel free to remind me.

Thanks!!

I have downloaded your software but yet to try it. I think by just offering your software for download from softpedia and download.com will give you a lot of exposure and your potential users will be more confident that it is not adware/spyware. I agree to astrojith that your site needs a redesign and maybe a forum.

Originally Posted by astrojith

I think the first thing you should do is to redesign the site and make it look professional. Make it simple but vibrant with lot of bright colors. And, make a unique logo and slogan for your software and advertise it in popular sites within your field.

One thing I've learned over and over again is that I'm terrible at design, but thanks for the advice. I need to figure out how to do just that. When you say to make it more professional are you saying the photos don't go well with the idea of custom software? A few people have told me to separate the two.

Well, Forrest, I took me about 3 minutes for me to figure out where the software is kept and thats even because I know that there's a software residing inside the site. If I were a perfect stranger and don't know about the site a bit, I would never ever find it.

Thats the first and most important problem. But I think there are too much links in the navigation section. I think you should bundle all those photo categories to a "Gallery" link. And, remove the photos on the front page. Make the background white.

A random good design would be this. And, put the features, one screenshot and a direct download link. I think the photos should be at the frontpage. I mean, a link to the photos would be nice. But, also introduce the software to your visitors in the frontpage. Make the description small and include a "Know More" link for people interesting in a bigger description.

Summing up, describe your software in the least words possible. Make the text easily readable by white background and gentler colors. Make the navigation less confusing by further classifying the links. Put short description and screenshot of software in frontpage. Move the photos to another folder. Tidy up the place. I think smashing magazine would help you get inspiration for good designs. Hope I helped.

Originally Posted by astrojith

I think smashing magazine would help you get inspiration for good designs.

that was a joke, right?

Originally Posted by forrestcroce

that was a joke, right?

It wasn't a joke. Smashing magazine is one of my favorites in design stuff. Go check it out and you'll know I'm not kidding.