URL Everywhere? Offline Marketing For Online Success

By Scott Sedwick
Posted Friday, January 21, 2005

Your URL (www) should be everywhere and more.

I know many of you are going to think this is common sense, but how many of these are you using? Your web address should be on every piece of anything your business does, period.

Your customers can come from anywhere, at anytime. Yep, the airport at 3:32 a.m., or how about the car behind you?

Below is a list of some of the obvious and the not so obvious places you should be advertising your website. Some of them cost you nothing, most of them cost you very little. Do you want more customers than your competitors? Then put yourself 'out there' - more than your competition! You'll be surprised at how much traffic you can directly generate.

Hopefully you are using all of this first set...

* Invoices - Make sure, or get it on your next re-order.

* Statements - Another one, get it printed!

* Business Cards - Every card should have the website address and appropriate e-mail address. Letterhead - Right after your address should be your web address.

* Envelopes - This all goes to Branding effectively and getting people to your site.

* Company Vehicles - Often overlooked, but I thought I would add it here... don't forget these!

* Corrugate Products - Each and every package or product you ship should have your web address either stamped on it (cheap) or printed on the next run.

* Everything you publish with your company name should also carry your URL. Your Holiday cards for example...

* Advertising - It amazes me not only how much business spends on print advertising, but how many of them do not include their web address in the Ads. It's 'way' better than your phone number at 5:00 a.m. Saturday morning? You already pay to print everything, just be sure you're adding the line: www.we are real.com

Do you have all of those? Good job! Now try these...

You never know where your visitors (customers) could come from.

* Your Answering Machine message..."be sure to visit our website at www." Your "On Hold" message..."for additional savings, visit our website at www."

* Include your website business card with every bill you pay! You'll be surprised.

* On a Bus waiting bench. Just your URL, thousands of people keep seeing these every-single-day.

* Engrave the bottoms of your gym shoes. This way, everywhere you walk in the mud or snow leaves your URL impression... C'mon, laugh with me!

* Clear window stickers - The greatest invention, removable, for car window, car door, trunk, etc. * License Plates or Frames - If legal, make your "other plate" an Ad for your website!

* Bumper Stickers - Don't laugh, - you can make them classy, and they're inexpensive to boot! Use for cars, sponsorships, tradeshows, mail one with every order, etc.

Best of Luck in your Business Promotions!

About the Author
Scott is the Founder and Sr. Internet Marketing Specialist for Hyperformance Media, Inc. a website marketing firm located just outside of Chicago, IL. since 1996. Specifically, he has over 24 years of sales and marketing experience and accomplishment in the computer industry.