First impressions are so important – did you know that you only have 15 seconds to capture someone's attention when they see your advertising in a newspaper or magazine? Yes, 15 short seconds - not long to make a good impression is it? But you know what? It takes even less than that to make a bad impression.

So, how to make most of your 15 seconds in spotlight - and win customers at same time? Make sure that any print ads you do REALLY do a terrific job for you – get feedback from people you trust. Just because you think something looks good, doesn’t mean it will sell your product. Test ad in paper one week, make a change to it and put it in paper next week (on same day of week) and see which ad gets most response for you. Always test your ads this way. You’re wasting money if you don’t.

Create advertising that has following traits - well designed (get help if you need it), is truthful (don't stretch truth either) and tells customer benefits to them if they buy and lastly requests an action - something like - "call now to order", "order today, supply limited". DON’T write an ad that tells how great YOU ARE! Your customers DO NOT CARE about YOU!!

First impressions count when meeting in person even more! Every person in business should have a 15 second “script” explaining what you do ready to go. I know some people say that it sounds too rehearsed to be “ready” – I say it sounds like you’re prepared to do business. I’d rather do business with someone who is prepared, than someone who is still fumbling around trying to figure out what they’re supposed to be doing. An example of a 15 second script might be: “Hi my name is Sally Jones and I am a communications specialist who helps ensure your technology hardware all speaks same language, so that when your computer tells printer to print it will!” If you met Sally Jones, heard her introduction and got her card, you would likely remember her because she explained what she did very clearly, but also in a unique way. Not many computer technicians would explain their jobs this way. Find a unique way to explain what you do.

Does everything that leaves your office have your company name and/or web address on it? It should! That includes your vehicle, stationery, delivery driver’s t-shirts, etc – everything!

Don’t be afraid to ask for a cross-promotional opportunity. Team up with other businesses to make your profile larger, and your business will grow much faster. Think of businesses who have “same kind of customers” as you do – if you can get access to their customers, and you allow other business owner access to your customers – you both save TONS of money – double your customer base – and have potential to DOUBLE your sales! Sounds pretty good doesn’t it? That’s how simple a joint venture can be.

Every day will provide you with opportunities to tell people about your business – don’t miss them!

- Hang your white towel in gym in such a way that your company name sewed with red on bottom is easily visible.

- Put your site name on your car. Remember how Mercedes is read on back of every, well, Mercedes simply self promoting it. Try to put site name on back, coz this is place most people following you are going to see. Now how you balance size and color is up to you. Make sure you don’t look desperate with that sticker. It should look as though you are running a satisfied business and it doesn’t matter (though really it does) that whether your pursuit visits site or not.

- Send out birthday greetings to your best customers and potential customers. No, don’t start searching for e-greetings. I said greetings, physical cards. They hold a lot deeper value compared to its virtual counterpart. And it shows that you are making sincere efforts to please customers. Again, going back to earlier formula, this will elate your customers and make them loyal customers.

- Take placard to any sporting event. Lets suppose soccer. Go to support your home team in a home match. Take along with you some placards that have a suggest score line with victory to home team written on it, and your site address nicely fixed on bottom line. Distribute this in crowd, who first of all display it all around for T.V. cameras to catch it and then they take it home, preserve it for some time, see your site name often and now become customers. Simple, huh.

Now, one very useful trick to promote your site is one which exists right in our campuses. Confused? Well, let’s clarify. University, college or school students are a great way to put your product across. Its like all bowling pins are stacked together and you just need to roll ball. Metaphorical. Let’s say, you've got a firm selling pets. Now, you could go meet principal/head/president (or whoever is authority) to hold a quiz competition in their campus about nature and wildlife or geography or anyother topic which would exhibit your product. Now, this is where you are getting loads and loads of publicity. Try making this a city effort, a state effort, whatever your pocket can handle, and hold these final inter-college events in your premises (hire a hall if you don’t have a decent enough premise). Contact press; they would love to put your event on page three. Moreover, students, their friends and all will also become aware about your services.

You could use other competitions also. It might be a karate competition, if your selling martial arts goods, a poster-making competition if your selling stationary, a elocution or debate instead of quiz and possibilities are endless.

You could also sponsor a lecture/seminar by people who have been in field and would not overwhelm you with their charges. This could also get a good press coverage, and if not that, at least a mention in events section of news-paper, whereby your companies name is disclosed.

So, having said all this, I don’t think you would disagree that there's a wired world out there. The sky is limit for such ideas, and if you get some, please inform me as well. Find contact details in About Author section