7.YOU MUST PUT YOUR WEBSITE ON EVERYTHING. It never ceases to amaze me that very people who think they need a website so bad end up doing a lot of local print promotion and never put their website on any of it! If they do put their website address in their printed materials, it’s like a secondary thought, not main marketing message. It makes more sense to me to get a smaller ad and put focus message on “Visit our website.” And then make your website do lead collecting or selling. Although this is technically not “free,” you don’t spend any extra by adding or changing or your message to focus on your website. If you’re already paying for print, put website on there. In Virginia, you can even get a “.com” license plate. I chose MITONE as my letters, and state provides a specialty design that has a “.com” illustration after letters. If you can do things like this, you CAN increase your web traffic.

8.YOU COULD TRY BANNER AND TRAFFIC EXCHANGE SITES. You have to be careful with these. Sometimes they work if you have a good banner and you exchange with right sites. Having banners on your site and windows popping up behind your pages isn’t most aesthetic thing in world, but it might work for a one week blitz. One that looks more promising (and doesn’t mess with mucking up your website) is www.instantbuzz.com. You actually download a browser toolbar (like a google toolbar) that displays one liner ads. For so many that you see, you can put up your own for free. A few ads have actually caught my eye while surfing around, so this one might be worth a try.

9.DON’T FORGET YOUR SIGNATURE FILE. It may not seem like much, but how many emails do you send, networking, every day? Explore your “Tools” option in Outlook and fix up a dandy little signature file. Put in a “call for action.” And link to your website.

10.AND THEN THERE WAS A FORUM. If you find a few forums that are well visited—and you visit and contribute regularly, then this can help you. You can’t just go to a forum or message board and start advertising your site. You have to get to know “regulars” and become a regular voice yourself. And jump in when you actually have something to say. Use your signature file to link to your website. And try and pick a forum that is related in topic to your website.

Whether you’re investing in a huge pay per click advertising plan—with a side blitz of magazine advertising or not—it is still a good idea to do as much of these freebies as possible. It can only help build up your reputation and drive home your name brand. Remember YOUR GOAL in all of your advertising is to first just get people to your website. The goal of YOUR WEBSITE is to capture a lead or make a sale—or maybe both. Don’t sell in your ads—just get them there and let your site do selling.

2.Know how to 'ask' for referrals. Nothing evokes more fear in professionals than thought of sitting down with a client and “asking them" for referrals. So don’t! That's right—don't ask for referrals. Focus on earning personal introductions from clients. The key is that you must test and confirm with every client that they are finding value in you and your work. Use a monthly meeting, lunch, or quarterly review to touch base. I ask one simple, very powerful question: “Mrs. Client, tell me: How am I doing in my relationship with you?” The answer allows referral door to swing wide open—or temporarily close tight. Either way, you've got a much better read on relationship.

3.Practice with your C-level clients, and then move up. Practice on relationships where stakes aren’t so high. Take some of pressure off yourself by building self-confidence and enthusiasm—and seeing results—with B-level and C-level clients. It's highly unlikely that you would ever offend someone who has confirmed your value. But, if you do upset someone, let it be a C-level client that wouldn't be irreplaceable if they should take their business elsewhere.

4.Give clients a reason to share you with others. I believe in 80/20 Rule when it comes to client referrals. It says that 80 percent of your clients utilize only about 20 percent of services you have to offer. One way to counter this is by bundling current services as "value-added" extras—this shows appreciation for your current client relationship while simultaneously giving your clients more reason to suggest your services to others. Remember, you want to introduce subject of referrals with your clients without adversely affecting relationship at all. You want to get near their damage verge, but you must never cross it. It's like stepping near thin ice—without ever falling through. Stay in area where relationship provides enough support for what you're saying—and don't overload it.