Get your business noticed
Advertising in newspapers and magazines can be an expensive business, but in these days of credit crunch it’s more important than ever to promote your products and services.
It’s the classic ‘balancing act’ – advertising effectively costs money, but *not* advertising your business could end up costing you more through loss of income. You need to target the advertising budget you have in order to maximise its effect and for the best value. If your customers are mainly local, you need to make sure that your ads are seen by those people. If your product is a specialised item or service which needs to be promoted further afield, you need to find a national, or even international vehicle for your advertising.
That’s where advertising on the Internet comes into its own. It can tick all the boxes, as it’s…
- Relatively inexpensive – a fraction of the cost of print or TV/radio ads
- Viewable everywhere – in fact from all over the world
- Also used locally – surfers use the net to search for businesses in their own area
If you have a website, Internet promotion is ideal, as it can bring in visitors directly to the relevant page of your site. You can serve them with your keenest deals, the latest products or a special offer right from the word ‘go’.
Another benefit for your website is that it provides another incoming link – seen by Google as a definite plus-point when it ranks your page against your rivals. Every little helps, as they say.
If you don’t have a website (actually, there’s no excuse not to these days) you can still use your web ad to persuade customers make contact with you via phone or email (you do have email, don’t you?). It will do the same job as an ad in Yellow Pages, but at a fraction of the cost.
Have you seen those ads which say something like, ‘… for all your widget-servicing needs’ ? That’s too vague – they’re not gving the customer the info required to attract them. To do the job right, the watchword is ‘targeting’. Your ad needs to be worded so that it conveys the right message. You need to tell people exactly what you do and why they should use your business. If you’re selling on cost, tell them precisely how much the product is and how to buy it. If you’re trading on the ability to provide customers with a specialist service, make sure you explain it clearly to encourage them to contact you. It’s a strategy that successful users of Google Adwords use.
Does your business trade in the Fakenham area? Here’s a 6-point plan for really cost-effective promotion on a local basis using the web. Very inexpensive, simple, with a built-in way to measure its success…
- Register your business on Fakenham.biz – Fakenham’s business directory.
- Take out a yearly advertising listing in the appropriate category, for the princely sum of £20 and spend an hour or two editing your listing describing the products or service you offer.
- Make sure the wording contains lots of the relevant keywords and phrases you hope people will be searching for. While you’re at it, upload a picture of your logo so that people will identify the listing with your other advertising, vehicle signage etc.
- To track customers who visit after reading your listing, make it link through to a specific page of your website. Make sure you have access to web stats so that you can see how many have clicked through. If you don’t have a site, consider making a specific product or offer available only to those who’ve read your listing.
- Tell your current customers that you now appear in the Directory. It’s an excuse to make contact with them and remind them that you’re around and awaiting their business.
6) Update your listing regularly to let people know about special offers, seasonal promotions and new lines. It’s free, so it’s silly not to!
That’s £25 well spent. It will have delivered a 12-month advertisement available 24/7 from all over the world and focused your mind on how others see your business, as well as providing a reason for reminding your existing customer base you’re still alive and kicking. Great value!
Add your listing now