Simple Offline Promotions To Get More Traffic To Your Website

I've worked with many small businesses, and countless owners think of Internet marketing as a separate entity from their traditional marketing methods. Instead of working them together, they literally separate the two in to two functions.

If you've fallen in to this trap on more than one occasion, take a look at these 5 ideas that will get your traditional and online marketing methods working together.

1. Create postcards specifically for an online promotion. Hand them out to every customer that enters your store, and mail them out to your current client list. Make sure your promotion that isn't available in your store or office. Compel your customers to logging in to your website and making the purchase online if they desire your product or service.
2. Create a class or seminar either in your store or office, or at a local community location. During the class, reference a product or a report that is available on your website. Offer that report or small gift for free if they go to your site and register for your online newsletter. Promote that free report or gift throughout the class.
3. Join local associations and networking groups. As a part of membership, you gain access to the list of members. Create a postcard specifically announcing your website, and send them to the members on the list several times of year. Change the postcard announcing new features or promotions.
4. Do you advertise in the local newspaper or magazines? Instead of asking them to call or visit your location, have them visit your website. Again, give them a reason to visit your site. Offer a report or a free gift for taking the time to visit your site, and fill out the necessary information.
5. Work the idea of offline promotion in reverse. In order to entice your walk in customers to sign up for information online, offer in-store coupon promotions that will be emailed in an ezine once a week. A local restaurant has done this, and has created quite a stir with their coupons. Once a week, they email out coupons for items like appetizers, entrees, wine and take-out orders. And they have fun with the whole campaign, creating "take the kids out after soccer for a pizza" and "leave the cooking to us on Friday night" emails.

Lori Osterberg is a successful author, trainer, presenter and consultant. She helps small businesses develop successful online marketing strategies, and offers many online services, including web design and optimization.