Reaching Your Target Market Without Breaking the Bank

So if you have been following along, by now you will have chosen a business you can get excited about, found a niche to give you a competitive edge, determined your niche audience, and decided on your wholesale suppliers, domain name, web host, and possible web designer, if you have decided to have it professionally designed. Personally, unless you already have a brick and mortar site and a proven inventory, I would caution against this for your first site. I would use a free template such as those offered on Go Daddy or Host Gator. In my opinion, they are satisfactory, at least until you have an established customer base and you can justify the expense.

Allow me to recommend Web Graphics Source for professional website design, if you feel you are ready to invest the money for a customized site. Of course, there are a multitude of great web designers available but I have used WGS. They are reasonably priced and offer a professional job.

They can also host your site and supply you with an SSL certificate, which is very important to anyone selling online. Savvy customers tend to place more credibility in websites with an SSL certificate. Customer service at WGS is excellent.

By now, you may have even started getting shipments of your inventory and have experienced the thrill of inspecting and touching the products you will be selling. I remember feeling like a kid at Christmas every time those packages arrived. When I was selling dog related items, the dogs even got in on the inspection and every item had to pass their sniff test of approval as it was removed. (They were oblivious to the lingerie when I was selling that before I got into dog items.)

Now that you are ready to stock your site you will need to know how to reach your audience and still not break your budget. If you thought it was exciting to open your inventory, just wait until you make that first sale!

Here's where you will be able to take advantage of the contacts and features provided by your ecommerce forum that you joined. You did join one right? If you haven't already, be sure to join one now. I recommend Tulip Tools and another one I recently joined, The Selling Lounge. Again, there are many others. You may have to try a few to find one that suits you. The members will help to keep you motivated and moving forward with your business, so don't neglect this very important step to growing and promoting your business.

• Most ecommerce forums offer a free directory for their members. Sign up your site. They also usually offer areas where you can exchange website links and blog links. In addition many of them have a place where you can promote your products and services. Many times members will agree to offer constructive criticism of your site and blog. One caution here, be sure to remain an active member and offer any help you feel capable of giving. If you don't feel confident of your expertise right now, don't worry. You will gain experience soon.

• Set up a Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace account. They will be valuable in promoting your site and related blog articles. If you are not familiar with blogs be sure to check out some of those on that ecommerce forum you joined. You will note how the best ones work well to promote the items they are selling by writing informative articles about how best to use their products and then linking to the product offered on your website.

• Don't neglect to take advantage of free or inexpensive ways to promote your site in real life too. Pass out flyers, brochures, and business cards whenever it is appropriate. Be sure your website address and blog address is printed on all of these materials.

• If there are any related trade or business shows in your area, be sure to sign up to demonstrate your products or services and hand out that promotional material.

• Enclose your promotional literature in every package you ship to your customers, once you start selling.

• Offer a free newsletter on your site and encourage potential customers to sign up for it. You can use these names as your emailing list. It is very important to keep in touch with them for sales and repeat business. Be sure your newsletter offers related valuable and helpful information as well as mentions upcoming promotions.

• Write informative articles and submit them in your local newspapers as well as online. The ecommerce forum (remember them?) can help you determine the best online places to submit them. This well help to establish you as an expert in your field. Just don't make the articles sound too promotional or they won't get submitted for publication. Almost all of the publishing sites will allow you to post your website link with the article.

• Have a page on your website and an area on your blog for related links where you post your online links to your friends' sites in exchange for them posting yours on theirs. Once again that forum is invaluable for establishing contacts.

This is just a start on all of the free or inexpensive ways you can promote your new business. You will undoubtedly, come up with several ideas of your own once you get started.