OFFLINE ADVERTISING

Creating a great website is just half the battle , you might have the best looking / most advanced functionality in place but you won't earn a penny if no one knows you exist . One of the best (and cheapest) ways with great conversions possible is by attracting search engine traffic , by getting your site ranked highly , this can be done free , and as website designer i always ensure my pages are crafted to be search engine-friendly. There are other online methods of advertising ..(coming soon), but many webmasters might be losing out by not looking to traditional forms of advertising , so here i discuss some of my own experiences of traditional non-web based advertising , and also provide useful hints tips and links to sites that visitors might find useful .

Advance Preparation

Domain Names - If you intend generating sales / leads online from offline promos by advertising your website URL then you realistically will need a catchy web domain name - something short and sweet . If your domain name is too long no one will remember or even bother typing it in the browser address box , but you can get round this by buying another short domain name and redirecting it to your main site . I always suggest choosing a short name , before even starting work , to my web design clients if they intend ever going down this promotional route . The trouble is of course most of the good names are already snapped up , you can check Nominet for any that are available .

Freephone Numbers - For mail order companies they often use Freepost to get the orders coming in (this is provided by Royal mail and you first need to obtain a licence , please refer to their site for pricing , and you then pay for each letter that is sent back to you) . Another good way to accept orders is by geting a FREEPHONE number , preferably with a switchboard setup , it may be cheaper than you think (some providers even include a huge number of free minutes - the one i set up recently was just under £6 a month including 500 Minutes free call time , it can improve response rates dramatically

Promotional Vouchers / Special Offers - Including lost leaders are an excellent way to get your readers interested enough to visit your site . Don't oversell just present your best deals ...

Free Gifts - This works for high value sales if you can target the right consumer group , as everyone likes a freebie . Make sure you advertise your website on the gift - items can include pens coasters fridge magnets and tshirts . Can work great if you are advertising to businesses as the gift can be seen by a multitude of readers.

Methods of advertising

Flyer Campaigns - these can be good for getting a concept across - with most online forms of advertising you are limited to a couple of lines of text or an animated banner , but with a double sided glossy flyer you can right an essay about what you are selling - you would not be wise to pack in to much detail , like all advertising it should be visually stunning and to the point - My front door mail box gets inundated daily with flyers from my local stores including the big ones - Sainsburys , Safeways etc. take out a leaf from their book , they will usually have some special offers to lead you in the store , such as buy one get one free offers , or a voucher .. You also need to distribute your flyers , and you will need to send out 1000s not 10s or 100s as a response rate of 1-2% is not unusual (it all depends how good your offer , and the level of demand). Unless you intend posting them yourself you will need to pay someone to walk around handing them out (or mailbox posting them), Royal Mail again will (for a good fee) hand deliver flyers along with their conventional postal rounds , a cheaper option is to put an advert in your local shop and recruit some "pocket money" workers.

2. Car Banners - Many of the large companies such are actually paying drivers of private vehicles to have their ad painted on their coachwork so it must work for them (although they might be doing it as a branding exercise) . Checkout your local car park and it's not unusual to see a handful of local small businesses advertising their webs now . If you don't want a respray , consider buying a magnetic banner , then if your business doesn't work out you simply remove the banner .

3. Phoning / Cold Calling - I personally don't have the gaul to try this , and feel it is bad way to do business in most instances , but could work for B2B (business customers) .

4. TV / RADIO / National Newspapers and Mags - Too expensive unless you have sheds of money .

5. Local Papers - An option that could work especially good are the free classifieds but 99% allow private advertisers only , business ads are usually charged per a line and are suprisingly expensive in Chippenham.

6. Word Of Mouth - Use business cards and chatting can work wonders , also try joining your local business groups , and networks such as your local chamber of commerce.

Note Of Caution - Do your campaign in step stages - and measure the results , don't pursue agressively unless you have proven the ROI (return on investment) is worth it . Most offline sales techniques DON'T work first time , and may not be suitable at all , only trials will tell , but unless you have bottomless pockets you want to do limited campaigns first .

Finally - Good luck , if you put in the time you deserve to well

Sites specialising in promotional items

Banner Display System, Banner Display Stand
Genite offers Banner Display System, Banner Display Stand services in the UK.

ARTICLES I am always looking for inspiration - so feel free to send through a related article.