Market Your Online Business For Less
Copyright 2006 Sandra Le Vaguereze
Business can get expensive. If you are like most people starting
an online business you may quickly find your savings tapped and
your credit cards maxed. That is, unless you know how to market
your online business for free - or nearly free.
There are many ways to market your business, but not all methods
deliver the same results to every business. While you learn your
way around the online business world it makes sense to start
with the cheap or free methods of marketing before spending a
lot of money on a system that will not work for you.
Here are three methods for marketing your business for little or
no cost. Some will work better than others and some will take
longer to show results. Find out the costs as well as the Pros
and Cons of each method.
MARKETING METHOD ONE: TRAFFIC EXCHANGES
Traffic exchanges are very popular for new online businesses.
They can be free or charge a monthly fee. The way they work is
that each member views other members websites, usually for a
specified period of time, to build credits. Their sites will
then be displayed to other members depending on the number of
websites they have viewed.
PRO: Usually free. Lots of traffic quickly. CON: Traffic is not
targeted so usually works better for businesses that appeal to a
wide audience. Viewing other members websites is time consuming.
MARKETING METHOD TWO: ONLINE FORUMS
Forums are online communities that discuss specific topics.
There are forums (or discussion groups) on just about any topic
you can think of. You can find these by doing a search for
'forum' and your topic. Or you can go to Google and search the
Groups for your key word or phrase. Forums are usually free to
join.
Most forums do not allow commercial solicitations. The focus is
on exchanging information. Be prepared to add useful comments to
the discussion and follow the posted rules. You may be allowed
to attach a signature to your comments. Put your website in the
signature to attract the search engine spiders and send visitors
to your site. Develop a reputation as an expert on your topic
and give free advice when possible to build credibility.
PRO: Targeted traffic. Builds credibility CON: Have to be
careful not to be labeled as "spam". Must spend time answering
questions and posting comments. Depending on where you post and
what you say you may or may not see a lot of traffic initially.
MARKETING METHOD THREE: NEWSLETTERS
Start your own newsletter right away. While this does not bring
traffic to your site it does take advantage of the visitors who
do come. The code for collecting emails can often be obtained
from your host provider for free or an autoresponder service
which is free or paid depending on your service.
Have a place for visitors to enter their email address and name.
Send them a free report or email once a week with tips or news
about your topic. This will permit you to build a relationship
with prospects as well as grant you permission to contact them
again with your offer. It often takes up to seven contacts
before a prospect will buy, so don't let them leave without
getting their email!
PRO: Permits you to contact interested prospects again. Builds
relationship with customers and potential customers. CON: Effort
is needed to provide quality information on a regular basis.
Does not attract new visitors.
Each of the marketing strategies outlined above are proven to
work. What works best for you and your business will depend on
various factors such as; what your business is, what time you
can spend marketing and what information you can provide. Start
using two or all three of these methods and you will be creating
a solid marketing foundation for your business.