Creative Offline Website Marketing Techniques

Although the vast majority of website traffic is the direct result of search engines, there are many offline marketing techniques that can be used to draw customers to your website. The examples listed below are but a few ways in which you can market your online presence to an offline audience in an inexpensive manner. Some of the examples listed below even can be implemented at no extra cost!

Some of these ideas are fairly common, but some are rather unique and I personally have only ever seen them employed once, twice, or at most 3 times.

But why would I want to do this? I already deal with these people offline.

Most businesses are not open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year. Most websites, however, are available on a 24/7/365 basis.

Many people, especially those with busy lifestyles, tend to use the Internet during non-business hours. To give a few examples: business owners will often check their emails and visit suppliers' websites later in the evening; and consumers looking to make a high-value purchase, such as a car or house, will often research their purchases online in advance well into the wee hours of the night.

Some of these techniques will also generate new clients as well; the possibility exists that you will attract a client whom you have had no prior dealings with.

If you employ some of the offline marketing techniques listed below, it could very well be your site and company that they deal with first!

Include your website and email address on your business cards and other print marketing material. While this may seem rather obvious, most businesses do not elect to do so, and it usually ends up costing them potential revenue and profits as a result. Let people know you have a method where you can be reached and information on your company's products and services can be found at any time.

Use your company vehicle as a "billboard". Automotive decals are a relatively inexpensive way to advertise your company's services. Depending on what you want, decals can cost anywhere from approx. $20-$200 CDN, and will last until you choose to remove them from your car or truck. The best part is that every time you want to reach a new target market for your advertisement, all you have to do is drive!

Note: there are more expensive decals available, but these are usually combinations of text and artwork. The text portions of the decals tend to be minimal in cost, as they are the simpler elements.

Ask potential offline advertising suppliers for an "ad study". Some advertising suppliers have a method whereby they will offer the advertiser a sample advertisement or placement as a form of an "effectiveness" study. In exchange, the advertiser agrees to reveal the full results of his/her marketing campaign to the supplier. This isn't something that very many companies do, but the few that do are generally suppliers worth dealing with.

Incorporate your website into face-to-face conversations and telephone calls. Your customer may be looking for a specific product or service which may be outlined on your website. Guide your customer to that page and let them read the information over, being prepared to answer and ask any questions that may arise from said information.

More Ideas

Press releases. If you have a new product or service, create a "media" section for your website that outlines its details and promote the hyperlink via press release to various mass media.

PR Web is an great resource for mass-broadcasting a press release to thousands of newspaper, magazine, radio, TV, and similar media managers---and it's free!

Promotional clothing. If your business has "uniforms" or "staff shirts", then including your website hyperlink on these items is a great way to promote your business at no extra charge.

Microsoft takes this concept one step further; every time a user successfully completes their OEM System Builder exam, they ship the user a free Microsoft t-shirt via UPS with nothing except for the Microsoft OEM website URL on the back.

Another creative use of this concept is provided by ADAM Web Design client Regional Shows, who used their online logo on the jersey of a kids' baseball team as a form of sponsorship.

Other promotional items. Pens, mouse pads, coffee mugs, baseball caps, and other such promotional items are great places to include a company website hyperlink.

Outdoor signage/signboards. Catch the attention of people who are driving by your place of business with your website URL along with your company name, phone, fax, and common email (if any). They may be driving by and not have time to stop in and visit your business, but they may visit your website when they have the time to do so to gather more information.

Note: be sure to check with your local municipality to ensure that outdoor signage is in compliance with its by-laws. Some cities and towns do not allow exterior property signage.

A Tattoo. A tattoo? As strange as this may seem, this is something that can be very effective. Body modifications have the unique property of being able to attract the human eye to them, and a website URL tends to stick in one's mind as being a rather unique idea for a tattoo. A friend of mine, when she ran a small personal site, used to promote it in exactly this manner.

These ideas should give you a starting point for future offline advertising creativity, as well as give you some ways to see a return on your website investment with very little time, effort or money. Good luck!

About The Author

Adam Senour is the owner of ADAM Web Design, a leading web design and development company in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

---

Increasing The Perceived Value of Your Product or Service

Whether online or offline, small businesses often show little faith... Read More

Make Your Internet Marketing Easier With Niche Marketing Keywords

If your home based business depends on niche marketing, keywords... Read More

The 13 Hidden Treasures of Internet Marketing

Most people get into internet marketing because it looks like... Read More

Advantages Disadvantages Of Internet Marketing: The Good The Bad And The Ugly

The Advantages Disadvantages Of Internet Marketing are many.A few Advantages... Read More

Writing Your Own Entrepreneur Success Story

The world of entrepreneurship is a difficult one full of... Read More

Just Ask! Using Surveys to Improve Your Business

Just ask!You can learn useful information about your business, customers,... Read More

Online Marketing: Math or Myth?

The numbers are supposed to be big in online marketing,... Read More

Cut Out the B.S. in Your Internet Marketing

Are you getting disgusted with your results as an internet... Read More

5 Surefire Ways to Increase Sales

The Internet has changed how people do their business. Even... Read More

5 Ways Al-Quaeda is Using Internet Marketing

Internet Marketing is not dead. But it may have caused... Read More

What is Pay Per Call? How does it work?

Pay Per Call is the next wave of advertising on... Read More

Limited Time Offers ? Time Limits That Will Improve Your Sales

Using limited time offers can spark a feeding frenzy that... Read More

Internet Marketing Simplified! 2 Pillars For Achieving Massive Results

Are you confused by the flood of information on how... Read More

5 Easy Ways to Establish Your Brand Online

The Internet is a practical and accessible tool to build... Read More

Persistence Pays ? Sweet Rewards of Dogged Marketing

No doubt, online marketing is the fastest way to get... Read More

Internet Consultants for Online Sales

Beware of Internet Consultants, as many of them have never... Read More

When Is An Ad Not An Ad?

One marketing technique used by advertisers old and new is... Read More

Take the Guesswork Out of Niche Marketing

Many of us learn from the Gurus that we should... Read More

Growing Your Business In CyberSpace

A synopsis of Philippa Gamse's Presentation to the National Speakers... Read More

A Person Of Value

One of the "secrets" in Internet Marketing is knowing that... Read More

10 Explosive Ways To Elevate Your Sales

1. Publish an ezine.Your ezine will provide you with a... Read More

8 Things I Have Learned As An Internet Marketer

I started as an internet marketer, like I am sure... Read More

How to Get $250,000 Worth of Free Advertising for Your Business

You and I know that whenever you have a business,... Read More

I Finally Figured It Out - The Largest Stumbling-Block To Online Success

We're going to talk about one of those issues that... Read More

Maintaining The Focus For Success In Online Business

Maintaining Focus is important for success in online business. One... Read More

Niche Marketing the Right Way!

Niche marketing is hot these days. Membership sites pop up... Read More

Internet Marketing: 10 Motivational Insiders Tricks To Attract Thousands Of Visitors

If you have a website but not attracting many visitors,... Read More

Boost Your Sales Copy With One Simple Tweak

Do you want an amazingly simple trick to move far... Read More

Niche Marketing Nuggets: Picking the Gold from the Internet Mine

Building an Internet business based on a specific niche is... Read More

Book Yourself Solid Key #4: Produce A Powerful Personal Brand That Sets You Apart

Copyright 2005 Michael Port & Associates LLCWould you rather be... Read More

Marketing and the Hired Guerrilla

It's a jungle out there, so know and use your... Read More

Do Online Business Ethics Exist?

In the world of online busines something has gone wrong.... Read More

Marketing Your Web Site Effectively

Every new generation of a Web site brings the hope... Read More