Low-Cost Ways to Get Customers to Web Site
Q: I’m interested in promoting my Web site, https://www.krscrownjewels.com, but don’t know the most efficient way to do so without wasting valuable advertising expense. I am a small jewelry wholesaler. Any ideas?
--Steven Zale, KRS Crown Inc.,
Los Angeles
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A: A jewelry business is one of those online ventures that’s still something of a tough sell. For the most part, jewelry is a high-ticket item that people want to see and evaluate in person. And you need to build up a lot of trust for customers to buy from your Web site.
You may want to start by making your Web site an awareness tool that will increase traffic into your brick-and-mortar location. One way to do that is to buy classified ads from your local publications’ Web sites and from geographic-based Web sites such as https://www.citysearch.com. Online advertising aimed at local markets will reach your target audience for a much lower cost than banner ads elsewhere on the Net.
Make sure your customers know you’re online. It seems simple to put your Web address on your business cards and on all your other promotional materials, but this is something I’ve seen small-business owners forget to do.
There are a number of online opportunities you may be able to afford. I’d advise you to try out low-cost solutions with an incremental start-up, and then go slowly, following up the marketing ventures that work and dropping those that don’t.
First, use a search engine submission tool such as Submit It at https://www.submitit.com. You write up the description of your company, and Submit It automatically populates 400 search engines and Web directories for you. Next you can exchange banner ads with other small-business owners under a barter arrangement like the one available through Link Exchange, https://www.linkexchange.com.
You also may create an e-mail newsletter and send it to your existing customers to inform them of special Internet-only promotions. You could set up a simple database for the newsletter and track the results yourself to see if it works.
On your Web site, you may install software that enables your customers to e-mail your articles or ads to their friends. This is a way to instill what’s being called “viral marketing,” a term that refers to the aggressive word-of-mouth referrals that are so prevalent on the Internet.
You want to make it easy for your customers to talk about your site and refer it to others, but you also must make sure they are saying good things. It they’re unhappy with your products or service, they’ll be sure to tell their online friends about that, too.
More Internet marketing information can be found at BCentral, Microsoft’s small-business Web marketing site, at https://www.bcentral.com.
--Melissa Shore, analyst,
Jupiter Communications,
Internet marketing research firm,
New York City
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Q: I want to develop a prototype for a pet product line that will use a particular fabric and technology. I contacted a Minnesota company that makes a dog collar using this technology, but they just suggested I purchase their product. How can I get the materials I need to make my prototype?
--Diane Harris, Pasadena
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A: Before you put time and money into creating a prototype, make sure your idea is legally protected with a provisional patent application, registration with a technology site such as https://www.firstuse.com or an inventor’s journal. Do a preliminary patent search on your idea to make sure it hasn’t already been patented by someone else. You can get information and help on these processes at the downtown Los Angeles Central Library, which has a section devoted to science, technology and patents.
After you’ve gotten your legal protection in place, creating a prototype or demonstration model is a great way to prove that your principle really works. The model would also allow you to do field market research that would help determine commercial viability. Surveying potential end-users about whether they would buy the product and how much they would pay for it, then aggregating the data into a market research report, would go a long way toward helping you get funding and support for your manufacturing and business start-up.
With a fabric-related product, you can choose to sew it yourself or commission an individual or a company to do the fabrication for you. If you need outside help, make sure you have the person you hire sign a confidentiality agreement and a work-for-hire agreement.
Sourcing the material should be relatively simple. You can search for fabric suppliers at the library or online. Start with the Thomas Register of American Manufacturers, https://www.thomasregister.com, or any other industrial guide. These directories list thousands of companies that make every conceivable product, and you should be able to find man-made and natural materials suppliers through them. You can also use the directories to find companies that specialize in creating prototypes or fabrications of new products.
Once you find a supplier of the special fabrics you need, you’ll want to obtain some samples. Most companies that are in the business of selling fabric are more than happy to supply you with free sales samples, especially if you let them know you’re considering manufacturing a product that will use their fabric in the future.
--Alan Arthur Tratner,
international president,
Inventor’s Workshop,
Santa Barbara
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Q: I have a Web site that started as a main go-to site for event data and results for a very independent sport. I’ve spent money bringing it to a certain level and now I need it to pay for itself. What revenue-generating ideas can you provide?
--Leslie (Last name
withheld on request)
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A: There are many ways to add revenue to your site, from selling products to soliciting ads. Just to get you started, here are a couple of simple ideas.
First, think about holding regular sponsored contests. The manufacturers of products that cater to this sport would pay you to set up the contest on your site and they would give away free merchandise to the winners. It gets the manufacturer’s name brand in front of their target audience and gives them goodwill with potential buyers. As for you, contests would benefit your site financially, draw more visitors and benefit your visitors by giving them the chance to win free products tuned to their passion.
Second, try running classified ads by and for this sporting community you’ve established. You could start by charging a flat fee of $10 per ad.
--Jaclyn Easton,
Internet columnist and author
of “StrikingItRich.com,”
Sherman Oaks
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If you have a question about how to start or operate a small business, mail it to Karen E. Klein, Los Angeles Times, 1333 S. Mayflower Ave., Suite 100, Monrovia, CA 91016, or e-mail it to kklein6349@aol.com. Include your name, address and telephone number. This column is designed to answer questions of general interest. It should not be construed as legal advice.
