Creative Offline Website Marketing Techniques

Although vast majority of website traffic is 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 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 Internet during non-business hours. To give a few examples: business owners will often check their emails and visit suppliers' websites later in 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 wee hours of night.

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

If you employ some of 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 decals tend to be minimal in cost, as they are simpler elements.

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

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What is an Acceptable Response

What is an Acceptable Response? Many online marketers work odd hours, with no beginning of day and no real end. How does this impact support and customer service inquiries? Some small businesses are afraid to reply to customer queries off-hours, fearful that message time-stamp will betray them as a small business. The Internet however is timeless. The fact is customers appreciate a quick response. With globalization of Internet federal holidays are blurred. Customers expect timely responses and often make little note of time zone vendor they are working with.

While large corporate businesses have a large amount of resources (staff and money) for sales, customer service and marketing are often tied to traditional methods of communication with customers. Sales are in person; customer service is over phone and marketing by advertising and mail. Email is often used to funnel customers into these traditional channels of communication. When emailing often reply back is to call back or a request you show up in person. More so in past then recently, many companies do not respond to email at all. While communicating by telephone and mail is important, email is part of fabric of how people interact and companies often do not take this into account.