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Radical Solutions (Bristol) Business Promotion
Guide Call us on 0117 9603886 | email: dave@radisol.com | visit www.radisol.com This guide has been specifically written for, and as a thank you to, businesses who have chosen us for construction and hosting of their web site. However the information contained may be of use to anyone who either runs or owns a business. If you find the guide of use please let us know. (This page is simple text and printer friendly for you to 'hard copy if required'') |
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Why do
you need to engage in
offline
site promotion when we're promoting
your site online? Some of the following ideas can be expensive but others are FREE or very low cost, so mix and match to suit your budget! >> Doing nothing will not get the results your business needs! << Don't
forget to ask people who contact you & even your existing customers
how they found you. STATIONERY Every item of stationery that leaves your office is an opportunity to promote your web site. Make sure your web site address (URL) appears on every single piece of stationery including:
If you already
have all your stationery without your web site's address, there's
no need to replace it, simply invest
in a rubber stamp (about £10) with your web site details and email
address
then stamp your existing paperwork until new stocks are required. PROMOTIONAL ITEMS Tangible promotional items that people see or use every day are a great way of keeping your name in front of your customers and prospective customers. Make sure your URL appears prominently and it will be a constant reminder to visit your web site. Promotional items that lend themselves well to this concept include:
SLOGANS Having the right slogan can be a very powerful promotional aid. About 15 years ago I was working for the Dixon's Stores Group. At the time they were looking for a slogan and ran a competition for their staff offering £500 for the wining submission. I sent in 'PUTTING CUSTOMERS FIRST' and became £500 richer. To demonstrate the power of slogans, which companies use these:
Spend some time and think of a slogan that's short, catchy and says something about your business or illustrates a customer benefit etc. Include the slogan on all advertising along with your web site address. PRINTED MATERIALS Printed materials are a great way to generate (especially) repeat business when included with product orders. After all, your existing customers are already predisposed to deal with you so make sure you take the opportunity to promote your entire line of products and/or services to give them a reason to return. Here's a few ways: COUPONS Coupons are great to use as incentives for future purchases. Offer a range of coupons including percentage off orders (for example, "10% off your next order of £20 or more"), free shipping or free items (for example, "buy one, get one free" type offers). Coupons can also be used to generate new business by making them freely available around the traps. For example, if your business is educational software, make arrangements to have a supply of "30 day free trial" coupons made available at your local school. GIFT CERTIFICATES Gift certificates are good because they allow your customer to share their discovery of your products and services with friends, family and colleagues. To be effective, especially in connection with services, a gift certificate needs to have a tangible value to the recipient rather than merely offering to redeem the certificate for a particular service. This is because the referral customer probably has no conception of the value of your service. The potential customer can, however, readily appreciate the value of a "£20 toward your purchase of £100 or more" gift certificate. PRODUCT INFORMATION SHEETS Product sheets are a way for you to make your existing customer aware of what *other* products and services you offer in addition to those they have recently purchased. This need not be any more elaborate than a one page price list, but it can be as extravagant as a glossy product page replete with photos if your budget permits. BROCHURES Brochures are an effective way to create a professional image and promote your products and services at the same time. Give them to prospective customers for a quick overview of your business and to give them a reason to visit your web site for more information. Distribute your brochure whenever you get the chance: carry them with you wherever you go and hand them out whenever you hand out your business card. Mail your brochure to current clients to inform them of additional products and services that they may be unaware you offer and to prospective clients sourced from rented mailing lists. Also, get permission to leave a small stack of your brochures in places where potential customers are likely to congregate such as doctors' and dentists' waiting rooms, local schools etc.. Another good idea is to send your brochure to the editors of your local and regional newspapers together with a letter advising of your availability for interview as a local expert in your field. MAKE SURE YOUR WEB ADDRESS APPEARS ON ALL PRINTED MATERIAL VEHICLES Advertising on company vehicles can be very effective and relatively low cost but not to everybody's taste. Remember sign writing does not have to be permanent and 'in your face'. There're other options, magnetic signs, window stickers & even removable roof signs available. There's no excuse why even the MD's jag shouldn't carry some form of business promotion. Small, subtle and removable will probably suit in this case! Whatever you choose make sure your contact telephone number and WEB ADDRESS are prominent! ADVERTISING About 90% of your potential customers will have 'easy' access to the Internet! THEY NEED TO KNOW YOUR WEB SITE EXISTS, SO TELL THEM! Advertising can be as simple as placing classified ads in your local newspaper or as grand as purchasing television advertising slots. Here's a few ideas: CLASSIFIED ADS Place small classified ads in your local and city newspapers and include the URL of your web site. In our experience, small and often is better than large and 'once in a blue moon' for classified advertising, but it's really down to budget. YELLOW PAGES / THOMSON DIRECTORY If you purchase display advertising in these directories, be sure to include your URL . FLYERS One page flyers advertising your product or service can be printed cheaply and left on car windscreens or distributed via letterbox drops in your local area. LOCAL RADIO ADVERTISING Radio advertising can be an excellent buy for many small businesses. Call the sales department of several radio stations that target your demographic. Be sure to ask about rates for different times of day and package deals. TELEVISION ADVERTISING You're probably not going to be able to afford the high price advertising exposure that's offered by the likes of ITV but you may be surprised at how affordable advertising on some cable / Freeview channels can be. Contact the sales department of your cable provider for details. This type of advertising is particularly effective if your product or service is oriented toward a specific geographic target market. DIRECT MAILINGS Mailing lists of various sizes are available for rent or purchase for direct mailing your offer to prospective customers. Check out 'Exchange and Mart' for a selection of mailing list suppliers. PRESS RELEASES Press releases can act as a form of 'de facto' advertising. Send your press release to the editors of local / national newspapers or magazines. This promotional activity costs only the price of a stamp but you might just hit a 'quiet news week' and get a free half page 'advert', definitely worth a try! NETWORKING Any local community offers ample opportunity for networking. Each function you attend is an opportunity to publicise your business and your web site. Consider the following:
MAKE SURE YOUR WEB ADDRESS APPEARS ON ALL ADVERTISING EVERY CHANCE YOU GET Last but not least, getting the word out should be a daily habit. TELEPHONE Every time you answer your business phone be sure to give the caller your web site address so they can find out more information about you and your business. Make sure your web site address is included in the message recorded on your answering machine . MAIL INSERTS Include a small insert or flyer promoting your business and your web site in every piece of mail that leaves your home or office. WORD OF MOUTH
Finally,
perhaps the most effective and under-appreciated
tool of them all, word of mouth.
Promotion of your web site ONLINE, search engines etc. does only half the job. Give due attention to offline methods of promotion in conjunction with our online efforts to ensure the widest possible coverage of ALL of your potential customers and markets.
BETWEEN
US, YOUR WEB SITE CAN BE BUILT INTO A MAJOR BUSINESS
ASSET. Thank
you for choosing Radical Solutions (Bristol) to build your web site. Slogan answers: John Lewis - Audi - Coca-cola - Fairy Liquid - Polo |