If you happen to run an online business, you’ve no doubt managed to save a ton of money on launching your enterprise. But even if you’ve avoided the overhead of a brick-and-mortar setup (lease, utilities, security, equipment, staff, etc.), there are some expenses you can’t escape. In fact, you may find that advertising for a business that lacks a real-world location ends up being more expensive since you can’t exactly benefit from walk-ins or potential customers spotting your sign as they drive by. Luckily, there are ways to save on marketing your new business regardless of whether it exists in a busy shopping center or only in the virtual arena. Here are just a few tips and tricks that can help you to reach the masses without completely blowing your budget.
Online and mobile options are a good place to start in this day and age, and you may be surprised at what you can accomplish by swapping time for money. In truth, you really must begin by securing a domain name, finding a reliable web host, and putting up a website. Consider that your virtual storefront is likely to be your first point of contact with new customers (even if you have a real store or office, as well). This means that it needs to be both available (no blackouts or broken links) and impressive, which is going to cost you some. However, it will be money well spent since your website is the hub of all your online efforts.
From there you can bolster your online presence through search engine optimization (SEO), and adding a blog to your site can definitely help in this regard. You should also hop aboard the social networking bandwagon by creating professional profiles. The trick here is not to over saturate by joining every social media platform out there. As a new business owner you simply don’t have the time or resources to keep up (at least not if you want to get some actual work done). Instead, select targeted sites that might offer you the best advantages.