| Never rely on search engine traffic to support the bulk | | | | or domain name is easy to spell and remember. If you |
| of your marketing efforts. The risk of doing this a | | | | have a domain name that is difficult to remember, |
| greater than you think. | | | | consider acquiring a second domain name for |
| Search engines are constantly changing and evolving | | | | advertising purposes. |
| to stay one step ahead of spammers and unethical | | | | 5) Advertising at the movies |
| optimization practices. Recently, thousands of Web | | | | One type of advertising that often gets overlooked is |
| sites that were #1 in the Google search engine for | | | | cinema advertising. If you arrive to the cinema early, |
| many years suddenly found themselves on page 10, | | | | you'll see local business ads followed by big-budget |
| 20, 30 or worse.(This actually happened in September | | | | ads. This can be a great place to advertise relatively |
| through early November 2005 due to a change in the | | | | inexpensively in quite a high-profile way. Contact your |
| Google algorithm.) | | | | local cinema chain and compare advertising rates. |
| It is crucial to remember that your "natural rankings" or | | | | 6) Organic Advertising |
| "non-paid page placement results" in the major search | | | | There are multiple types of collateral advertising that |
| engines of Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL and Ask | | | | help "brand" your business. These include printing, |
| Jeeves are free. Search engines do not guarantee the | | | | stamping or embroidering your business name and |
| inclusion of any Web site in its search results. | | | | Web address on the following; |
| That's why a solid marketing plan will have diversity. In | | | | 1) Pens, pencils, coffee mugs, coulees |
| today's advertising universe, media channels are | | | | 2) Golf shorts, t-shirts and ball caps |
| converging. Television, radio and print are driving | | | | 3) Presentation folders, invoices, fax cover sheets and |
| viewers to Web sites and Web sites are becoming 24 | | | | calendars |
| 7 advertising mediums that supports them all. The | | | | 4) Bumper stickers, window stickers |
| World Wide Web allows us to re-experience | | | | 5) Phone system 'infomercial' about your company for |
| commercials, music, messages and imagery. | | | | clients on-hold |
| The news media outlets and commercial broadcast | | | | 7) 'Grass Roots' Advertising |
| companies use the World Wide Web to extend their | | | | Nothing beats the basic "meet and greet" or "smile and |
| reach into our homes and businesses. For example, | | | | a hand-shake." Get your name out in the business |
| after every HBO special of Rome, they drive viewers | | | | community. Check online and the local newspapers for |
| to the HBO series Web site to see additional clips and | | | | business networking groups. Your local Chamber of |
| features. Fox Broadcasting did this with their popular | | | | Commerce would be a good place to start. Talk to |
| military series "Over There." | | | | community leaders, private business schools, and |
| Think about it - the World Wide Web supports and | | | | associations about business programs and events in |
| extends 99.9% of all mass media communication | | | | your area. |
| including the federal, state and local governments. | | | | 8) Press Release Advertising |
| From the Wall Street Journal to the White House, | | | | PR is popular because it is cost-effective and it works. |
| Web sites have proliferated at an incredible rate of | | | | Sending out a press release is just one example of |
| 10,000 new Web sites a day. | | | | free PR. There are many reasons for sending out a |
| Global businesses are competing 24/7 for their | | | | release: introducing a new product or service, |
| fair-share of your attention with millions of dollars at | | | | celebrating an anniversary, winning an award, reaching |
| stake. How in the world can small businesses | | | | a milestone and so on. Doing this on a regular basis is |
| compete? Fortunately emerging technologies and the | | | | key to keeping your name in front of your customers |
| Internet have helped level the playing field. Small | | | | and prospects' eyes and being on the top of their mind |
| business has a distinct advantage when targeting | | | | when it comes to awareness. Popular forms of PR |
| regional niche markets using mass media. Here's how... | | | | for the World Wide Web and print are; Writing Articles, |
| 1) Placing Ads in Print Media | | | | Newsletters, Letters to the Editor, Online Forum and |
| Basically there are two kinds of print advertising; | | | | Blog Participation and offering Free Reports or (white |
| newspapers and magazines 'classified and display'. | | | | papers). |
| Classifieds are the small ads towards the back of the | | | | 9) Web Advertising (Web Marketing) |
| publication, while display ads can be almost any size | | | | The most effective Web based advertising I've used is |
| depending on the publication. | | | | "targeted business directories" or business specific |
| Advertising in the print media can be expensive, and | | | | directories. For my business this would be any |
| for most home businesses it won't be economical. This | | | | directory having to do or related to Web design and |
| is where you can really benefit from the expertise of a | | | | development. There are thousands of business |
| media or public relations specialist. My company | | | | specific directories to include: real estate, law, |
| contracted with David Rourk of Rourk Public Relations. | | | | construction, engineering, flowers, bridal and so on. To |
| David knows where my ad is going to get the most | | | | find a directory that has top search engine presence |
| bang-for-the-buck. He also knows which local, regional | | | | on Google, Yahoo or MSN Search and type-in a |
| or national publications reach the client base I want to | | | | 'frequently used search phrase' relating to your |
| target. | | | | business, products or sevices. |
| 2) Buying Radio advertising | | | | 10) Web Site Development |
| Once your business grows to a decent size, you may | | | | When you surf the Internet, the first impression you get |
| consider buying some radio time. But ad-buyer beware! | | | | from a Web site is its design. Much like a storefront, it |
| You could get a big response. Maybe a little too big! | | | | either looks attractive and professional, or it looks |
| Thanks to the immediacy of radio, you could get | | | | shoddy and questionable. A powerful Web site design |
| mobbed the next day, so make sure you have a | | | | creates a sense of trust and respect between you |
| support system in place to handle multiple inquires via | | | | and your on-line visitors. The site explains its purpose |
| the phone, Web site, emails and walk-ins. If you have a | | | | clearly and quickly, and why a visitor should spend time |
| Webmaster or you can do this yourself, load a digital | | | | browsing it. |
| copy of your radio commercial in your Website for | | | | A Web site is your 24-hours, 7-days-a-week |
| your customers to revisit. I did this for of my Web | | | | advertising brochure. Take time to plan, research, |
| clients, Easy Money Now, featuring multiple radio and | | | | design and implement your Web site with a |
| TV commercials. | | | | professional firm. |
| 3) Advertising on the Television | | | | As you go through the process of selecting a Web |
| Unless your business is getting big, this would be a bad | | | | design company, one of the keys to success will be |
| idea. You'd have trouble producing and airing an ad | | | | the questions you ask. Following are some questions |
| even on local cable channels for less than $5,000. Of | | | | that will help you find the best company at the best |
| course, if there's a market for your product and you've | | | | price: |
| got the budget for this, you could take the plunge and | | | | Important Web Design Questions to Ask |
| make a mint. Purchasing air-time or 'media buys' is a | | | | - How do you maintain communication with the client? |
| tricky business. Again, this is best left to a professional | | | | - How many designs of the home and interior pages |
| who has your best interests in mind. A public relations | | | | will you provide? |
| or advertising professional knows the best station and | | | | - How are any design revisions handled? |
| time slot in which to place your commercial. If you | | | | - Do I get to keep all ordinal files and source code |
| have a Webmaster or you can do this yourself, load a | | | | used to create my Web site? (Some of these ordinal |
| digital copy of your commercial in your Website for | | | | files may include Photoshop files, Flash movie files and |
| your customers to revisit. | | | | database files.) |
| 4) Advertising on Billboards | | | | - Do you charge for minor revisions once the Web site |
| If you do this right, a billboard campaign can be very | | | | goes live? |
| effective. Billboard ads are relatively expensive, but | | | | - Do you provide a Web site maintenance plan? At |
| they do generally stay up for a long time,and they can | | | | what cost? |
| be specifically targeted to an area. Phone numbers | | | | - Will you submit my Web site 'manually' to major |
| and addresses are pretty useless, whereas your Web | | | | search engines? |
| site address will extend your reach providing your URL | | | | - Do you build 'search-engine-friendly' Web sites? |