Safe Bets for Start-Ups

You run a start-up business and money's tight.

Even though you may not have loads of cash to play with, you
don't have to settle for minuscule traffic counts!

Get the most for your advertising dollar by following these
suggestions:

READY, SET, STOP!!!

Your web site is like a vehicle. It will take you where you
want to go, provided everything is in good, working
condition.

If your conversion ratio is low - in other words, if you
don't convert browsers into buyers very often - your site
needs a tune-up - BEFORE you flood it with visitors.

A few places, such as NetMechanic
,
will check the "nuts and bolts" of your site to ensure
everything is correctly coded and loads quickly.

Ideally, though, you want feedback from real people.

Luckily, there are lots of folks out there willing to lend
a hand - no charge.

The benefits of this are twofold: you get a critique of
your site AND a little free publicity to boot.

The I-HelpDesk discussion list

offers subscribers the opportunity to submit for a free
website review. Priority is given to those who've provided
feedback on other sites, so sign-up, participate, and be
patient; it's worth the wait.

Another place to visit is SiteCritique
. There's no fee to join their
community and members can submit sites for a freebie review.

GO FOR THE SURE THING

With a small advertising budget, the last thing you want to
do is plunk down a big wad of cash on the chance you
*might* get a good ROI (return on investment).

A smarter move is to invest in advertising that's guaranteed
to generate results.

In my opinion, one of the safest bets is pay-per-click (PPC)
advertising.

If you're unfamiliar with the term, PPC is normally used
in reference to PPC search engines, and that's how I'll
use it here. (FYI: if you look around, you can find PPC
banner advertising, too)

Advertisers bid on search terms. The highest bidder wins
the #1 position, the next highest #2, and so on.

The benefit of PPC is you're only charged when someone
clicks your link. No clicks = no cost (some PPC search
engines have monthly spend requirements, though).

A few PPC search engines:

Overture - The "granddaddy" of
PPC.
FindWhat.com - A personal
favorite.
Kanoodle.com - Offers free banner
advertising for top bidders.

To get the most for your money, you might want to take a
peek at Compare Your Clicks
. Enter a
keyword/keyword phrase and compare top bids at several
PPC engines.

NOTE: While we're on the subject of search engines, be
sure and submit to Google (NOT a
PPC engine). A good listing can garner tons of FREE
traffic. Stop by WebmasterWorld

and discover a treasure trove of info on how to boost your
Google ranking.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKING?

As online business owners, we expend enormous amounts of
energy and spend truckloads of money trying to attract
visitors - and then, once they arrive, we IGNORE them!

Hey, I know how tempting it is to let the phone roll over to
voicemail or to put off answering that email when you're up
to your elbows in work. I've done it myself on numerous
occasions, but it's a mistake.

A significant number of people will float a "trial balloon"
via email or phone before ordering.

They're testing the waters. Who's behind this site? Can I
trust them?

The phone call or email you don't have time to answer is
very
likely a sale you just lost.

Interact with potential customers, gain their trust, and
boost your biz.

After all, if money is tight, don't miss an opportunity to
make a sale!

These are just a few ways you can maximize your advertising
dollar. Remember: play it safe, play it smart, and you can
grow your start-up without shrinking your bank balance.