RE: FN-FORUM: Getting new business .... Ideas - part 1?

date posted 8th December 2005 12:03

Greetings all,

The decision(s) about which promotional methods to use for a small =
business
depend very much on the type of business and its target market. There's =
not
a generic solution for all businesses. There are advantages and
disadvantages of both the methods mentioned.

If the business has a very targeted, local market (within a few miles)
[maybe a locksmith, a bakery, a restaurant etc] then a flier mailing =
will
probably prove more productive. If the business has a wider reach, and =
its
potential customers often search for such businesses online, then a site =
may
prove more productive.

It's also worth noting that, for the website to be truly effective, it =
needs
to be promoted as well. i.e. listed with directories, yellow pages, =
listed
(and optimised) on search engines, etc. That increases the overall =
website
budget.

In most cases a combination of both methods will need to be employed. =
The
marketing budget should be allocated/split according to the type of =
business
and the expected ROI of the different mediums.

The majority of small local businesses in my experience, have used a
targeted flier mail-out to generate awareness and used a site to add
credibility, provide more detailed info, and clinch the sale.

So, I don't think the business should be encouraged to abandon their =
flier
campaign (it has a different 'reach' compared to a web site), but =
encouraged
to employ a multi-faceted marketing strategy to grow the business.

Jomo Hunte-St.Rose
Dynamic Developer
http://www.DynamicDeveloper.co.uk
=20
=20
> Getting new business ideas part 1?
>=20
> So here's an idea that I will think will benefit a few people here at =
the
> smaller end of the marketing/web design market.
> (And yes, that would include myself :)
>=20
> Say you have a business that is new, and has a small budget, but =
currently
> spends around =A3200 a month on fliers.
>=20
> What series of points and arguments can you make to them to show that =
a
website
> will be effective, and allow them to spend less on fliers.
>=20
> So for the website say we're talking a small =A3300 budget,
> what could be done to persuade the business to reallocate their funds =
to a
web
> budget, instead of a paper budget (apart from the green argument).
>=20
> I've a few ideas myself, but thought it would be an interesting =
exercise
for
> people trying to think of ideas to get new business. This could then =
be
used
> as a potential repeatable method all over the shop ?
>=20
> Couple of points for them:-
> - Permanent representation on the net
> - Build up a mailing list of those that attend (and they then don't =
need a
> flier)
> - An email is easier to foward on than a flier.
>=20
> [I do have someone in mind, but I don't think they'll be convinced, as
they have
> someone who'll do it for free]
>=20
> Hope a few people are interested.
>=20
> All the best,
>=20
> Ian
> http://alteris.co.uk