MARKETING SMALL BUSINESS ONLINE
Marketing small business online reminds you that your website serves a purpose, which is to sell your book or magazine. Everything is designed around that aim, but some subtlety is called for. Repeat visitors are important, and marketing small business online may be more successful if you add some of the enjoyable extras listed below. Many are supplied free of charge by the hosting companies, and you should always check that the company will allow any programs you purchase to run on their server.
Online marketing solutions include:
1. Classified Ads Board
What about a classified ads board on its own, something for visitors to place books wanted and for sale? Software is available from:
ecommerce toolkit. Offers range of portal ad-ons, including a classified ads board (at $25/month to rent or $495 to purchase.)
webstore. Software to create and manage classified ads. $50.
2. Web Rings
Web rings link sites of a similar nature. Traffic at one site is passed on to another through a code snippet, which usually placed at the foot of the page. Visit poetry sites to find them.
Chat Rooms
Why not let folk discuss the poetry on your site? Software:
Boldchat. Adds a free (for visitors) chatroom. Free with adverts; otherwise from $4.95/month.
FreeCode. Some 30 chat room and bulletin board codes: free, but you'll have to be familiar with C++, Perl, etc.
GlobalChat. Interactive chat, message boards and group discussion areas.
vBulletin. Adds a bulletin board. $85/year or $160 for purchase. German version also available.
3. Cool Sites
Awards increase confidence, but to win them you must submit your site. Resources:
AwardScoop. Listings and articles on the website award business.
Awardsites. Rankings (and lists) of sites making awards.
Website-Awards. Lists over 500 sites around the world, plus how to win.
4. Posting to Bulletin Boards
Whatever you are selling, there is probably somewhere on the Internet a bulletin board / discussion forum where issues of common interest are debated. Participants may not always be knowledgeable, but they are mighty suspicious of commerce. Nonetheless, if you have some important information to offer, and you can do so without overtly plugging your service or product, then a contribution is usually welcome. Your signature can include the website URL, and interested readers can take the hint. Thousands of such groups exist: a small selection:
CyberFiber. Directory of Usenet and alt.Newsgroups. Enormous resources — e.g. look in Computer | PC | Software section for cut-price/SH software.
TileNet. Directory of Internet discussion and information groups.
Usegroup. Site explaining how to use Usegroup..
Yahoo. Yahoo's message boards.
Tread carefully. Follow the discussion for a month or so before wading in, as you're expected to know what's gone before. Don't give your real name or email address until you're sure of the response, as you can be flamed by hundreds of irate responses that will clog up your emails or even put you out of business for a time.
Offline Advertising
Don't overlook traditional advertising, particularly if you're selling in a local and/or specialized market. Small box or one-line adverts in trade journals or local directories can be very effective, and are relatively cheap.