Everywhere you look on the Net, experts are
warning you that things have changed. It may have
been OK last year to throw up a simple web site
supplying readers with some basic info about your
company, but that's not nearly enough for today's
World Wide Web. The "brochure" web site just doesn't
get it anymore.
To be competitive on the Internet--and by now
you're probably feeling that you MUST!--you've got to
carry out an aggressive on-line promotional campaign.
"But wait a minute!" you shout. I'm already up
to my eyeballs in my business. Isn't there a promotions
company I can hire to do this for me?
Well, yes and no. There ARE people out there
who will mass mail your message to solicited millions,
help you develop a razzle-dazzle web site, and see to it
that your URL gets on all the search engines. But that's
not nearly all that you could or should do to insure your
Internet visibility.
Experts admit that really good on-line promotion
is time consuming. So much so that it's probably not
feasible to hire anyone to do it for you.
This is where you have to think like a pioneer in
the days of old. The adventurous trapper moving west
on a wagon train couldn't arrive at the promised land,
call a Realtor, and make plans with a residential
contractor. He had to be creative.
Here are some creative solutions for the busy
business person who simply hasn't got the time to be a
promoting dynamo--but also can't afford not to!
1. Don't fall into the trap of lots of graphics and
revolving wing-dings, but no informational content. The
Net is all about information--FREE information. Your
site should be 80% information and 20% sales literature.
This is the most important factor in insuring that
readers find your web site interesting, spread the word
to friends and associates, and return for repeat visits.
For a good example of an information intense web site,
check out Nolo Books at http://www.nolo.com. Nolo
specializes in law books for the average person. Their
site features article after article of free information on
legal issues.
If you or your staff doesn't have time to write
lots of helpful articles for your site, look for a
moonlighting writer through local writing clubs, small
publications, and universities. Show your ghost writer
how to find information on your business in trade
publications and through interviews with you and others
in your industry. A good writer can whip something up
for you quickly.
2. Don't miss out on free on-line publicity.
There are hundreds of e-mail newsletters looking for
good, informative articles. Most will be happy to help
you send your web site articles to thousands of their
subscribers. Write to me for a list of these publications.
Take a paragraph or two from your article and post it on
relevant newsgroups where your information would be
enthusiastically greeted.
Mining results from newsgroups and free
classifieds can be time consuming but worthwhile.
There are lots of people looking for after-hours
employment working on-line. Hire someone for several
hours each week to keep your Internet postings fresh
and marching forward.
3. Internet advertising is just now being taken
seriously by the ad community. There are some ad
agencies popping up that specialize in putting a price on
banners and ads and building them into attractive
packages for corporate clients.
It will be several years before Internet
advertising becomes as controlled and institutionalized
as newspaper, television, or radio advertising. Right
now it's each person for him or herself. Look for on-
line banner and ad opportunities in places that attract
lots of people that match the customer description for
your company. It's an open market, so negotiate!
And remember, if your site is an interesting one,
other sites like yours will want to provide a link from
their site to yours. Offer to link their site as well.
4. Finally, NETWORK! There are lots of
experts in every field publishing articles in on-line
forums, newsgroups, newsletters, and on web sites.
Look for their contact information at the bottom of the
article. Send the author a note pointing out what you
liked about their article. Introduce yourself and your
business. Offer your services or products to them and
their clients.
We are currently in a phase where your company
must be well represented on the Net, but it's still a do-it-
yourself proposition. Be creative. Distill your on-line
plan down to a workable formula that can be duplicated
by hired helpers.
Don't wait for the next phase of the Net, when
business promotion will be taken over by large ad and
PR agencies. Be aggressive now. This is one party
where if you're late, you may miss it all together.
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