marketing a website offline, cheaply and effectively
By tomservo
@tomservo (164)
United States
February 9, 2007 1:01pm CST
I’ve been thinking of ways to promote my website that I have been working on. I’m trying to think of some easy to do, and cheap ways of advertising the site offline. I believe word of mouth is the cheapest, but usually not the easiest. I am wondering what you guys think about this.
First off, I am going to get some business cards printed off, they are relatively cheap. With these cards, every time I go out to eat, when I leave my tip, I think I am going to leave a card with it. Also, with some stores, I believe, they allow you to place a business card up by the cash register, so I might try doing that with some stores in my neighborhood.
Another thing I might try is getting some cheap stickers and place it on the rear of my car, small little bumper stickers, with like a url and title. Small, catchy, and may drive some people to the site. I think that would be one easy way, because I’m on the road about 60 min in the day driving to and from work, and around during lunch.
I stumbled across this site, http://www.cafepress.com/dabunker while looking for some funny t-shirts. I don’t know if this person is affiliated with mylot in anyway, but I thought to myself, this would be a good easy way to advertise as well. Create some shirts with the url, logo, or what not, and wear them around on my days off, or weekends when I go out to stores, hang out with friends, or anything really. This might strike up a few conversations and maybe a few new leads to my website.
Does anyone else have any ideas, or do you think this is a pretty good start to cheaply promote my website offline?
7 people like this
14 responses
@mtdew42 (1)
• United States
9 Feb 07
I guess another way you could do is setup a myspace page, and start building up friends, and send out bulletins. But I think this might be considered spamming. It is cheap to do though, all you need is a free account. Another way I can see is to maybe ask a few well known bloggers to use it, and write a review or something of that nature.
just my thoughts.
@linzmcwilliams (1552)
•
10 Feb 07
I've done this with my site but i let people add me instead of adding people myself. That means i'm not spamming and i think it's allowed.
@imsilver (1665)
• Canada
10 Feb 07
I'm not sure how cheap you mean by cheap but one of the places that I've been looking into is www.epromos.com. They've got some neat little things and it really doesn't cost too much for some of them (it's the shipping that's gonna nail me). They offer a couple free samples if you check out the site. They do the usual pens and whatnot but they've also got some little promotional items that are so neat.
1 person likes this
@FooBar (40)
• United States
9 Feb 07
That sounds like a good list so far, but what about hanging a banner or some type of signs around town. Just make sure they don't look like bombs...or you might run into the same fiasco as the guys in Boston. Although, that was more publicity than they were aiming for, so no publicity is bad I guess. I would probably check to see if hanging banners/signs is legal in the town you are in first.
1 person likes this
@profcentral (719)
• Philippines
10 Feb 07
Joining forums like mylot also can get you some targeted traffic to your website. As long as they allow you to post your banner or link.
There are many forums out there in which you can put your link to your website.
I also learned some new tricks from your discussion here.
1 person likes this
@scottdynda (55)
• United States
10 Feb 07
If you find any way that really truely works, please let me know lol...
@jaypul (185)
• United States
9 Feb 07
You could also go door to door with foam balls or some other type of cheap little toy with your URL on it. People love that kind of stuff.
@snafu4u (1)
•
9 Feb 07
what kind of website are you trying to market? I've seen people hand out flyers in the mall, airports, around town to people as they shop and such. I don't personally care for this type of marketing scheme, but it works for some people. Another is stick little notes, or flyers in people's windshield whipers around town, like at the mall, apartment complexes, clubs, you name it. Speaking of clubs, if your target audience is that age range, see if you can get some free publicity at a club/pool hall/comedy club/etc.
I do like the idea of small freebees to give people, like a ball, frisbee, or something of that sorts...with your logo/url on it.
@chandra786 (25)
• India
10 Feb 07
when i am at age 7years i gone to one metting, there i was devote for one speaker. why because at present i am following his words. what is it, on that day he told if you want grow with word of mouth then only do 2things. that is tell you bussiness for those people who asked you and who didint ask you. at preasent my age is 35years since from that day to today i am doing same thing it is education, love,adventure or bussiness.
@34momma (13882)
• United States
9 Feb 07
I think any way you can get your website out there to the average joe and jane is a great idea! I think you are on the right path to getting your site out there for everyone to see. i wish you all the best of luck and i say please keep up the good work
@silverflower (519)
• Pakistan
10 Feb 07
I think there is no way to promote offline but you can promote your website through trafficswarm for free and they will promote it . All you have to do is to add ur url there. Thats it , if you like that idea please comment me.
thank you.
@Radicalpatriot (665)
• United States
10 Feb 07
One of the best ways to promote online enterprises, including Web sites, is to have lively content, a focus, preferably on a subject you really enjoy and will accumulate material on for a length of time. Your site will have to be worked on an ongoing basis and this is the very biggest challenge. I have chosen rather to skip having my own Web site, working blogs instead. Less maintenance, and more opportunities since Web site developers much more savvy than I can build prototypes and betas that are far superior than what I can devise. One of these is Mylot, a revolutionary concept that will make traditional Web sites obsolete in many cases.
@davaoguy (319)
• United States
10 Feb 07
A website that has quality content that sparks the interest of visitors will no longer need marketing. I think it's usually word-of-mouth that is important. When visitors find your website interesting, they will definitely tell someone about it. Moreover, they are bound to return and this will keep your website have constant visitors. Goodluck on your website!
