Home based business owners online often get so involved with Internet marketing and driving traffic to their websites that they often overlook the many effective offline strategies available to them. These more traditional marketing techniques can have the same desired effect of attracting hordes of hungry buyers to your home page as the online methods. It’s best to have a strategy which combines both offline and online techniques while using your offline methods to target people who have access to the Internet.
The following more traditional marketing tactics are proven methods for attracting people who are interested in what you have to offer online:
1. Print flyers advertising your online home business and post them in public areas such as supermarkets, YM-YWCA, libraries, community centers and employment centers. It may also be a good idea to leave a stack of your business cards close by containing your website URL, your phone number, and your email address. This makes it more convenient for people to take your information instead of having to memorize or write down a website address or a phone number.
2. The old stand-by classified ads are still an effective advertising strategy to employ. You can place ads in your local newspapers, penny savers and coffee news pages. Depending on your budget you could take out a full page ad in your newspaper which is bound to attract attention to your website and your product offers.
3. Television advertising, although a little more expensive than other traditional marketing techniques, is very effective at reaching a target audience if you place your commercial in the right time slot and during the appropriate TV show. Of course you want to attract people who are interested in the world wide web and who are looking for supplementary income or want to create a full time opportunity from home; therefore you should aim your ad at shows which are Internet oriented.
4. Create a joint agreement with a local business whereby you will promote their enterprise from your website if they will insert your business ads in their product packages. This business must be complementary to your home business but not in direct competition with your enterprise.
5. Set up a booth or a table at special events such as trade shows and fairs and hand out free gifts such as mouse pads with your logo and website address printed on them, your CD-ROM, flyers and your business cards.
6. Radio advertising, although cheaper than television commercials, can be just as effective if aired at the right time and during the proper broadcast. Again you must target an audience who are computer literate and looking for a home based business opportunity.
7. Offer your services to local business associations such as the Chamber of Commerce. These groups hold weekly or monthly meetings and are always looking for guest speakers to address their members. This is a great way to network with other business owners who may be interested in joint ventures or other business associations with your Internet based enterprise. Be sure to pass out your business cards at these events.
These are just some of the ways you can complement your Internet marketing strategy with more traditional offline advertising techniques to drive potential customers to your online home based business website.