PDA

View Full Version : Promote my business



Rafael
01-08-2009, 04:35 AM
Hello,

I m an owner of a small business and like to make my presence felt in internet. Can somebody suggest how to go about?
Thanks in advance.

orion_joel
01-08-2009, 05:39 AM
Have a website and add it to your signature here, that is one step.

Additionally, programs like Adwords, and depending on your product commission junction may also another avenue if you would like to have a team of affiliates to promote your product.

However if you wanted to share what type of product you sell, if it is a physical product where are you located, or is it a online product. These answers may allow us to better help you...

Steve B
01-08-2009, 05:39 AM
Welcome to the Forum!

It depends on a lot of things. What kind of business do you have?

greenoak
01-08-2009, 08:44 AM
if your goal is to enhance your local business and local traffic you basically should have something useful and hopefully impressive for your customers.... for me thats great visuals of my store, a calendar, store info..some fun and freebies, ..and lots of pictures of the things they like....and then put the address on every piece of paper they get from you....
selling on the internet is a whole different thing, aiming at different folks... lots of info here on this forum all about internet selling....

vangogh
01-08-2009, 08:13 PM
Rafael that's a very general question and hard to answer in a single post or thread. Could you tell us some of the things you've done? Or are you not sure where to start?

Do you have a website? If not then the first thing you should do is get one. Most everything you do online eventually leads into your website so if you want to build an online presence a website is basically a must. If you do have one then add a forum signature here (and any other forums you belong to) with a link back to your site.

There can be a lot to marketing your business, but they all come down to some very simple ideas. You have something to sell, whether that's a product or a service. There will be a group of people who are more likely to need or want your products and services. You want to figure out as best you can who those people are and where they spend their time. When you know where they spend their time you want to maintain a presence there.

You want the people who are most likely to buy from you to know who you are and what you offer. You want to give them reasons why they would be better off buying from you than your competitors.

Harold Mansfield
01-09-2009, 10:21 PM
It is difficult to just jump in and say how to promote a general business online, but , one thing for certain is that you will need to put out some content, so I would suggest getting together some Press releases, and Articles about your product or service.

You will need to get the word pout and that is the first step.

Jagella
01-17-2009, 11:17 PM
Hello,

I m an owner of a small business and like to make my presence felt in internet. Can somebody suggest how to go about?
Thanks in advance.

Hi Rafael:

Well, you can always try a good book. A book I've used is Get Your Business (http://www.amazon.com/Streetwise-Your-Business-Online-Conceptualize/dp/1580623689/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232251292&sr=1-1) Online by Robert T. Gorman. It should answer most of your questions.

A very good first step is to research your target market. Like Steve (Vangogh) suggests, sniff out your prospects' hangouts and go there. But you should know what they want, what they like, and what they dislike. Then create a site that's in keeping with your findings.

Creating a website is not the last step. You'll need to promote your site. Make sure it's optimized for search engines so people can find you that way. It also helps to make sure your URL is known in other ways. Put it on pens, stationary, business cards, and anything else people might see.

There's a lot of work you'll need to do, money you'll have to spend, and information you'll need to succeed with your site. I'm still working on mine. But give it your best shot, and chances are you'll succeed.

Jagella

phanio
01-18-2009, 09:00 AM
Some things that I am trying to promote my website:

Content on the site with good tags matching the content.
Forums like this.
I write articles and submit them to services that help promote my articles.
I created a blog.
I have created profiles on social networking sites.
Treat my customers well so they tell their friends!

Traffic is picking up - not sure which source. I just keep doing them all.

phanio
01-18-2009, 09:24 AM
One more thing - If you are designing a website - find a professional. I have been doing mine by myself - teaching myself html, php, mysql. It has not been easy. Plus, I am a finance guy - like numbers (everything in boxes) - so now I am trying to be creative. The result - my site looks like a kid draw it with a crayola. But, I keep at it. It improves day by day. It has taken a lot of time. Hire a professional.

vangogh
01-18-2009, 11:22 AM
Just to let everyone know this thread is another started to spam the forum by dropping links. I deleted the spam post a few days ago.

Feel free to keep responding, but know you're not really responding to the original poster. You can still help people who come in to read, but there's no reason to specifically tailor advice to the OP since I doubt we'll be seeing him again.

Just H
01-26-2009, 08:10 PM
ok, i see this was an original spammer question but it's a decent issue overall. most of my clients have or are starting a small biz website and need me to design the biz cards, brochures, etc - it seems the print market is highly important to promoting any biz.

for iinstance, a biz card or brochure to hand out to get their name out locally and bring that market to their site as well. or if they have online interest, be able to send out a brochure detailing all their products. their focus on print material also helps to draw friends and associates to their site with the intention of them referring people they know across the country.

and, taking from the larger companies, to be able to send out a high end booklet or something shows that the company is professional and does high quality work, and they can identify those really interested in their product. also, any product ordered can be shipped out w/ a catalog or brochure of their other products in order to acquire a repeat customer.

vangogh
01-26-2009, 09:40 PM
That's a good point. One thing I see people missing is coordinating all their marketing materials. People will sometimes send me their brochures, business cards, etc to when I'm designing a site for them and I'm amazed at how often all the different materials look nothing alike.

All your marketing materials should be working together. The same logo and colors should be used, the same font. Your business card should list your website, which should reinforce the story in your brochure.

By working together your marketing materials become stronger and help you build an identity of brand which has more power to bring new clients and customers to your business than the sum of the individual materials.

SteveC
01-26-2009, 09:51 PM
One of the biggest mistakes most people make is not mentioning their website on everything... I often spend time looking at adverts in various print publications and it amazes me how often companies do not list their URL...

Let me explain why... if you see an advert in a paper you will only pick the phone up and call if you are interested in purchasing... by including your website you invite all of those people that are interested in your product but are not ready to purchase to check you out online... in other words you get a second chance at coverting some people into purchasers...

vangogh
01-26-2009, 10:09 PM
Yep. And it's such an easy thing to do. I think it's even more than just a second chance too. It's kind of permission marketing. Someone reads your advertisement or brochure and grants you permission to give them your URL. They visit your site which should take the permission up one more notch and so on until you've made the sale.

Everything should work together toward the end goal, but most people never coordinate their efforts and so one thing never supports the next. It's like starting over with each new piece of marketing instead of having one piece help the next.

seolman
01-26-2009, 11:37 PM
Hello,

I m an owner of a small business and like to make my presence felt in internet. Can somebody suggest how to go about?
Thanks in advance.

Turn yourself into a Router...