Is It Worth Advertising Your Website Offline?

At the last count, there were over 180 million websites online. This figure was calculated close to the end of 2008. That equates to a lot of competition, no matter what niche your own website falls into.It was also estimated that some 1.5 billion people were using the internet by that time. If you think in terms of potential customers or clients, your market online is clearly a big one. With figures this large being bandied about, it is not surprising that some people only promote their website online.But let us put this into context. The total population of the world is over 6.5 billion people. This means that according to the latest figures, the percentage of people who are using the internet is less than 24%.That means there are over three times as many people who may be interested in what you have to sell who are not online.Reaching out to offline marketsPeople can access the internet in many ways. They are not restricted to using a computer in their home. They can access one at work or at their local library, for example. This means it is worth promoting your website offline.And not everyone who uses the internet will find your website in this way. How many times has someone recommended a website to you by word of mouth? It pays to get your website address in front of as many people as possible, regardless of whether they are online or off when they see it.Make sure all your offline correspondence has your website address on it. Have business cards printed with it on, as well as other items such as letterheads if you use them. Some methods are more complex and take more time than others, but often people simply forget that there are more ways to find people than hopping onto Google.Staying alert for opportunitiesMany people think of the online and offline worlds as being two separate entities. But they are connected by the very people who use them both. Your website should be optimised to receive visitors online through web promotion. But it should also welcome those who rarely go online.You are missing a trick if you only seek an online audience for your wares. You need to be sure your website promotion  reaches out in all kinds of different ways.Don’t get stuck in a rut and stick to the same methods of bringing in new customers. Of course you should stick with those that work, but explore what works for others too. You can get far more visitors than those you reach out and find through your computer screen.Remember that everyone online is looking for information. But people are largely driven by information offline too. If you can convince them your site contains the information they need, it won’t matter whether you find them online or offline.So focus on who you want to reach – and explore all the offline opportunities there are to find them.