10 Low Cost Ways to Promote Your Web Business

*Note: This is a guest post written by one of our readers, Jim Estill. For more information on how to submit a guest post, please send an email to Janelle [at] unlimitedwebsolutions [dot] com or see our guidelines for guest posting.

Why do you use a certain brand of detergent, perfume or toothpaste? Is it the ad you saw on the TV, the billboard, the coupons, the store flyer, the sample, the attractive packaging, the magazine ad or the radio ad? You likely buy it for a variety of reasons. Promotion and advertising all adds together to make an impression that ultimately causes a purchase.

Of course, in the end, you will not use a product that does not work (or add value). And the most powerful selling tool is having a friend tell you to try something. And like all products, once you get a customer to go to your site, you need to add value. Perhaps humor, be interesting, help them make or save money or help them learn. Add value to their life. So make sure your site delivers, or no amount of marketing will work.

We can learn from experienced marketers and apply the same holistic approach to marketing our blogs and websites. Here are my 10 low cost ways to promote your web business:

1. Market to customers at any appropriate opportunity. This is a balance. If you buy spam lists and interrupt people with telemarketing when they are sitting down to dinner, this will fail. But always “softly market”.
2. Offer a bonus. For example, I have offered people a free whitepaper on “22 powerful time tips” if they sign up to receive my time management blog by email.
3. Put your web address in your email signature file. For example, my email sig file is: Jim Estill, CEO| SYNNEX Canada Ltd. (NYSE: SNX) |Tel: (519) 780-6213; Private Fax: (519)837-1479 | 107 Woodlawn Rd. W, Guelph ON N1H 1B4| Check out my blog http://www.jimestill.com/ or simply reply with “subscribe” in the subject line and you will be subscribed.
4. Make sure your web address is on your cards, letterhead, checks, flyers, boxes, envelopes, etc. Never go to the printer without making sure your web address is printed. It costs nothing more to add it.
5. Offer an email newsletter. This can add value and keep in touch with people.
6. Write articles or guest blog on other peoples’ web sites or use some of the free article sites like iSnare and Articlesbase to submit articles.
7. Add your website to any signage on your trucks, cars, building, etc.
8. Add your site to your phone music on hold, your voicemails and your reception answering.
9. Do contests and promotions on your site. Prizes can be a great way to draw crowds.
10. Most important: add value. If you do, people will tell other people which is the most powerful marketing of all.

Take an integrated approach to marketing. Follow the professionals. They know what works.

About Jim Estill: Jim started a computer distribution company, EMJ Data from the trunk of his car in 1979. With a great team, he built the company up to $350,000,000 in sales and sold it to SYNNEX in September of 2004. Now, he is the CEO of SYNNEX Canada, selling approximately $2 billion in computer products.

For more information about Internet marketing or to submit a guest post, contact CBG today!

[photo credit: llawliet]