You know how difficult it is to drive traffic to your site. The sheer numbers of websites make it all too easy to get lost in
crowd. Search engines are becoming less effective at keyword searches, banner advertising has a lower clickthrough rate than it once had ..... One solution to traffic problem is offline advertising. Big names like Beyond.com are already promoting their site through commercial ads on national television networks
Those of us without deep pockets might do well to look for more affordable methods of offline advertising -- such as postcards containing a picture of your web site and a custom message. Let's call them "Netposts."
Here are just some of ways that you might use Netposts.
* Mail them to clients in thanks for business. * Send them business contacts in lieu of Christmas or other seasonal cards. * Distribute them at networking groups and trade shows. * Leave them in selected locations instead of brochures. For example, if your site is selling pet care products, publish some articles on pet care on your web site, then ask animal hospitals and veterinarian clinics if they will display your netposts. * Send them out to potential customers before you make that cold call. Since cards are colourful, attractive and easy to handle, they are more likely to be kept on display than a letter or even a brochure. * Mail them to your customers to announce special deals, sales or other corporate news.
You can make your own netposts if you have equipment, software and skill to use both effectively. You will need a graphics software program (i.e. PaintShop Pro, PhotoShop), a desktop publishing program (i.e. PageMaker, CorelDraw, MS Word), and sheets of blank postcards such as those sold by Avery (www.avery.com). You will also need access to a good quality color printer. Desktop bubble jets can work quite well when budgets are tight, but do not expect same quality printing as you would from an offset printer.
