How to Promote Your Web Site Offline - FREE!

Low Cost Web Site Promotion Ideas.

    Think of Offline promotion as any marketing, advertising or PR exposure that does not occur on the Internet. This will obviously include traditional advertising like TV, radio, newspaper, direct mail, billboards, and in-store displays, but can be as simple as adding your web address/URL to standard ad text. As residential household installation of the internet continues to rise and the world-wide web becomes more integrated into the average consumers daily work and home life, "popular" awareness of your web site URL is critical. Here are 10 no-cost or low-cost ways to increase awareness of your web site URL, and of course, create more sales or prospects.

We love REALLY smart people. Randy Whatley originally prepared this presentation for us at the 1993 web site developers conference. EVERY piece of advice mentioned here is still valid today. The simplest ideas are the ones most easily over-looked. How many of these basic ideas have you forgotten to impliment.

Here are 10 simple ways ways to inexpensively promote your web site offline:

1. Put your web site address (URL) on all of your business material. Your web site address is now as important as your phone number or street address. Make sure to add your URL on everything you do: Business cards, letterhead, envelopes, mailing labels, business signage, fleet vehicles and company cars, product packaging, catalogs, invoices, statements, advertising, press releases, brochures, shopping bags, t-shirts, caps, bumper stickers, and pens. If your company name is printed on it, make sure the web site address is there too.

2. Drive traffic to your web site by including your address (URL) prominently in every piece of broadcast advertising. Even a radio commercial has room for a line that says " visit our web site at www dot ..... ". 

3. Publicize the existence of your web site and its content to the media. A well written "press announcement" could generate a mention of your company in the media, or could build support for ideas #4, #7 and #8 on this list.

4. Submit articles for publication in newspapers, magazines, and newsletters. You are an expert in your industry. Share your knowledge, just be sure to include your E-mail and web site addresses in your bio.  You might consider starting your own newsletter.   Read  "7 steps to an effective online newsletter"  in the VectorInter.Net newsletter archives for a more detailed discussion of the effort required to effectively build this email tool. 

5. Think of every E-mail sent from your company as a little advertising postcard. It's one more reminder of your web address. Create a "signature" line to include your name, title, company name, phone number and web address in every E-mail that you or your employees send.

6. Write letters to the editor of newspapers, magazines, and especially your industry trade publications. Comment on "news of the day" or suggest ideas for future articles. Include your web address and E-mail address in every letter and in your bio. 

7. Write your own news/feature stories for the same business/ industry/ trade publications mentioned above. It's not as hard as it sounds. Contact each editor individually and tell them your "story idea". Highlight your Email and web site in the "author" credits (similar to "About the Author" on this page).

8. Promote yourself or your business as an "industry expert". Start locally, and contact the producers of every radio and TV talk/news show in the area. They will welcome you as a "guest expert", when your expertise is the subject of the days show. Make sure they know how to find you. As a talk show guest you can mention your web address clearly and prominently in the interview.

9. Announce your "new" web site to every past, and present business customer. Be sure to include all of your vendors and suppliers. A web site debut is a prefect excuse to contact every current business prospect, especially the ones you've never been able to "sell" previously. 

10. Don't forget to announce the debut of your web site to family and friends. They know of your business already, but this is a perfect opportunity to remind then you appreciate it when they "send customers your way". 

    All of these relatively inexpensive promotions will increase your Web site traffic, raise the awareness of your business and its products and services, and most likely increase your sales and profits. Don't wait. Implement these suggestions now!

We have more to read about "How web hosting works" or "The 10 Big mistakes small businesses make online."
Visit the VectorInter.Net newsletter archives on this web site.