How do you get people to come to your brand new website? Most new webmasters struggle with this question and rightly so. Websites aren't like the field of dreams where if you build it, people will come. The initial push to get the first several hundred hits can be difficult, but have no fear. Here is how to get your new website off the ground.

Search engines aren't everything.

Despite what Google and search engine optimization services say, search engines are not the end all be all for getting people to your site. In time, as people come to your site and you begin developing links that are in-bound, search engines do boost your ranking over time. However, relying on search engines alone is a very passive and weak method for generating website traffic. It helps for that extra bit of business to fill the holes, but one should not rely on it exclusively.

Using social media.

From Facebook to Twitter to LinkedIn, there are lots of free ways to tell people about your website. For example, create a Facebook Fan Page and create status updates that link to certain pages of your website. As your fans read your posts, they will click on your link and go right to your website. The same goes for Twitter and LinkedIn. These free services reach out to people and draw them in. In short, be as creative as possible and tempt your potential visitors with interesting posts and special deals.

Old school marketing still works.

Brochures, business cards, promotional items and all the other "old school" ways of marketing still have value. Anytime you can put your website address in front of some one's face, do it. If you have a restaurant, make sure your web address is prominently displayed on your menu. Put it on your vehicle, too, so passersby will know where to go if they are interested.

Find a good marketing specialist.

In the end, find a good marketing specialist for fresh and unique ideas. A well-versed marketer should have a ton of ideas to help you spread the good word about your website. Once you have people visiting your site, the search engines will in time pick up the pace and give your site its due.