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The ABC’s of Cyber-Shop Set Up & Marketing: Affordable, Big
By: Diana Barnum
You have permission to publish this article electronically
or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are
included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be
appreciated - send to: diana@ohiohelp.net
The ABC’s of Cyber-Shop Set Up & Marketing:
Affordable, Big League, Cheap!
How do you set up shop online? How about one that’s top-notch, so
that you can compete with the big guys, yet quick to set up, easy
to maintain - - and cheap? And how can you affordably market your
shop once it’s ready to go?
Questions like these are often brought to the attention of
OhioHelp.net, an Ohio-based company specializing in helping
businesses worldwide with their marketing, public relations and
freelance writing services. Here are some top tips they offer
based on their own client projects.
TOP TIPS FROM OHIOHELP.NET
A. To set up shop and focus on these qualities; professional,
affordable, easy to maintain (i.e. you can make your own basic
edits with HTML code using Notepad or Frontpage, if you already
have the software), check out templates. Many web hosting
companies now offer their own for use when you sign up, like
Yahoo! Stores. Or check out cheap packs often available like this
365 pack http://www.presssuccess.com/bookstore/templates .
B. For everything in "A" above, all in one place with even more goodies,
check out membership programs like one from Bryan Winters at
http://presssuccess.com/PushButton - - Bryan is super and offers
site hosting, templates, products with resale rights for backend
sales, profit centers, etc. – all with continued support and lots
more. No hype.
C. Easily market your site with inexpensive business cards. Make
a business card to match your site - -in color, theme, with
company / title, etc. and complete contact info. Keep it simple,
too. No need for graphics, flashy marketing mottos that could
become outdated by the time you pass your cards out, etc.
One affordable, top-quality company is Vista:
http://movingaheadcommunications.com/partners.html
(3rd row from top, blue box on right)
MARKETING TIPS:
1. Select the Free Vista offer & don’t worry about their imprint
on the back. Tell your customers, prospects, friends and everyone
else that they can also get free business cards at this place,
save expenses and pass along the savings to their clients like we
do. (Clients do like to know that you watch your budget!)
You can play around with different promotions and order a couple
different types of these Vista cards, too. For example, here are
two kinds used with OhioHelp.net:
- One color coordinates with the website and simply states the
services; Marketing, Public Relations, Freelance Writing
Services. Along one edge of the business card, recipients are
invited to a section on the website with Freebies. You can do
this, too, by setting up a page that offers visitors a free
report or newsletter…something from which your clients might reap
benefits.
- The other card is actually a fill-in-the-blank mini-marketing
plan. It’s colorful and great for wallets, desks, etc. to remind
business people to regularly refer to their plans. You
could create your own special card, too. Add copywriting or
marketing tips, maybe some spelling/grammar tips for email, for
instance. Or add special tips that focus on the industries you
work with.
2. With at least one style of your business cards, use the “Keep
it simple” theme. Period. Don’t use fancy sayings or mottos that
could be outdated by the time you distribute the cards. And no
he-man gimmicks or slang so you have an equal chance with
nonprofits, woman owners, male marketers, etc.
3. Play around with re-directing people to your site via
different URLS or domain names, inexpensive now through places
like GoDaddy.com. And set up special pages (cyber-doorways) for
them. For example, note these pages all go to one main site & can
be tracked, reporting site statistics for later use with future
marketing / budgeting plans:
http://movingaheadcommunications.com
http://ohiohelp.net
http://cyber-help.com
Have fun & enjoy! Be creative and experiment to see what works
best for you.
About the Author
By Diana Barnum, president of
http://movingaheadcommunications.com and CEO of
http://ohiohelp.net . For more help with marketing, public
relations and writing, email mailto:diana@ohiohelp.net or
call: (614)529-9459.
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