So I’m sitting here humming the old Jackson 5 song “I’ll Be There” again. Seems that every time I think of today’s topic the tune comes to mind. What topic is that you ask? Today’s topic is Internet Consulting.

It’s kind of interesting because Internet consulting is closely related to freelancing. And yet there are differences also. But that is neither here nor there for the purpose of our discussion. And frankly if you are interested in starting a new Internet business you should become thoroughly familiar with the area you decide to pursue. Actually you should do research to decide what field to consider in the first place.

So assuming you have done that to some degree and you have determined you that Internet consulting is for you, and then you should keep reading. Practically speaking, if you are already in the consulting field this article will still be helpful to you.

Naturally Internet consultants benefit from maintaining an Internet presence and an Internet marketing campaign. And we have and will continue to discuss why and how this can be done on this web page. Today however we are going to take a look at how this is being done. As a result you can be motivated and inspired by the success of others.

The purpose of this exercise is not to advertise any specific company or their site but to see an example of some of the things we discuss in word. Yes seeing things does enhance our understanding. So let’s do it.

Without further ado take a look at http://www.wsiconsultants.com/. The Company cleverly calls themselves WSI or We Simplify the Internet. They also have a nice logo. A logo is always good, for if the people at first forget the name of your business, they will likely recall the image or logo.

On the top right of the Home Page on the opposite side of the company logo they provide a site map and a search bar, both of which are valuable and site service friendly for your visitors. Underneath the header is a really cool flash banner featuring their services.

Immediately below is a nice menu offering information on the “Company”, a “Client Showcase”, and a section highlighting their “Internet Consultants”. Under the option of “Our Company” is another menu with further options and informative options. They are:

• What’s New
• Our Approach
• Our Products
• Business Opportunities
• News Room
• Contact Us

All of these options are insightful and relevant. Obviously when you are deciding what to include on your page you should be as selective. They even offer another search tool below those options.

In a section next to the just mentioned menu is a showcase box directed at their consultants. It offers the visitor the option to locate and contact a WSI rep closest to them. This is common I many Internet fields for a site to be group oriented. These sites feature the designated service but also provide opportunity for individuals to offer their independent service in the context of a collective group of your professional peers.

Now checking out another example we go to http://www.spartaninternet.com/. This company site is more a direct site exclusively marketing their professional consulting services. On their home page you will see their logo and title at the top left. To the top right is a commercial slogan. A slogan is always a nice touch.

Below their header page is a tool bar allowing you to learn more about their “Consulting”, “Implementation”, “Experience”, “By the Industry”, “About Us”, and “Contact Us”. Notice again the relevant choices along with the “standard” options most sites should provide.

Beneath the menu tool bar is their banner ad and 3 inviting topics to explore:

1. Get return value on your web site
2. Create a web strategy for success
3. Generate real profits and reduce costs

All of which are common and vital themes in the Internet consulting field. Below and starting on the left is a further breakdown of their consultant offers.

• Website development
• E-commerce
• Web programming

Next to those choices in the 3 box section is a very good feature. They created what they call a performance index. It is an example of the types of things they have to offer regarding web development and performance. This is a spin of a necessary feature that you should provide. Yes, any resume or past references will show potential future clients what you are capable of.

At the bottom of the page you find contact and location information. This is also a user friendly option as some potential clients may prefer picking up over the phone or in person.

Note that both of these sites are purely promotional and a marketing site for their business. They are not using their site for promotion and as a way of earning income through ancillary methods such as affiliate or sponsorship ads. But that is always an option for your web site. Keep in mind though the manner in which you wish to present your company. And also the focus you wish to have on your primary business compared to side ventures.

So all you consultants out there waiting for someone to ask for your help, how are you getting the word out of your services and credentials?

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As we have discussed on previous articles, Internet blogging has exploded onto the scene. As a “tree” it has become a firmly planted means of fascination, expression, as well as a useful tool. We are going to examine one of the branches of blogging that has become a mainstay in the business world. It is what has been dubbed the corporate blog.

Typically speaking a blog is a web page of content made of text, images, video, or an audio stream. Practically speaking when we think of a blog we assume it is a feature presented to the public over the web. In the corporate world there is often an internal network that can benefit from corporate blogs. This is still an Internet application but like we said it is on an internal network. This is commonly called an Intranet.

And it is quite useful. For one it is an enhancement or an improvement of the old standby in house network, for example, the office memo.

Yes we all have heard of the expression “didn’t you get the memo?” whether we have worked in an office or not. The basic concept of the memo is to send information via a printed page and deliver to all who will need this information. A memo is an effective tool but using your Intranet is even better. How is that?

With a memo it takes time to get the memo out to all people that are intended to get it. Often if there were any questions or suggestions they would have to be delivered back by a one on conversation, e-mail, phone, return memo, or an arranged meeting to discuss the memo.

With an Intranet you can get an internal blog out and as the blog is being circulated instantaneously and read in a reasonable amount of time by all it concerns, the readers can instantly respond. Yes instead of getting back to the originator or others individually, you are responding right at your station and all can see and also reply or add to the blog. This can eliminate the annoying meetings.

Using an in house internal blog is more effective than sending out e-mails. You only need to post in the blog and you know all will be able to read it. You will not forget to email it to someone. Plus everyone can see the blog in its entirety and can see the contributions added to it without a slew of e-mails going back and forth and hither and thither. The internal blog involves far less effort and it usually gets faster results.

In essence it becomes a “community” forum. This can make room for things to be considered faster and yet allow for conflicting schedules or people being in different locations. Let’s face it many businesses have multiple offices/workplaces spread across a geographical landscape. Getting together can be problematic. Yeah you still have the conference call or email options but really as we have considered the internal blog is the best choice. And the bigger and the more spread out the more helpful the blog method is.

Now in the corporate world also makes use of the external network via the Internet. From a company standpoint the corporate blog can be used to help internal matters. It can be accessed by the employees, marketing teams, and companies you do business with. You can announce new products or explain why you are discontinuing products. You can release news and policy. But again the blog allows for immediate response from any or all of these people. Think about how useful this is.

Again this is more of a communal approach. It accomplishes more in a shorter time period than reaching out by way of e-mails, operators on phone, and mailings. What about the customers?

Most definitely the corporate blog can be helpful to the customer. Some of the news and announcements you share will be relevant to them also. Fielding customer response is also easier by using a corporate blog. Instead of responding to a number of people individually you can direct people to your blog that covers pretty much all of the concerns that the majority of people may have. This also allows customers to participate on your blog.
Corporate blogs may include offering virtual assistance through a chat line provided on the corporate blog.

Overall a corporate blog is very professional and yet a little less informal and therefore is more customer friendly and appealing. This can have a very positive impact on your employees and your customer base. It can be designed to target a market and come across more personal able than a standard business web site.

The best part of all of this is that it has an impact on the job and/or contractor market. Designing, developing, posting, managing, tracking, etc are all tasks that need to be performed by either employees or an independent contractor for the corporate blog to be successful. And as we discussed earlier there will be positions or needed contractors for virtual assistance for on line chat support.

Keep in mind the more elaborate the blog the more applications that will need to be done. Meaning that video, audio, or images likely will be included. Now while web design covers some of those items, the making of the video, audio or providing images opens up more income for someone.

This could be your opportunity to earn an income or to get a job in these difficult times. It may also be a chance for self employed contractors to line up some clients. Keep in mind that the use of corporate blogs will continue to grow and their needs will increase in demand. Where do you fit in?

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Like most plants around our property we need to schedule some regular maintenance. Trees are naturally included. Now while a tree is pretty self sufficient, it can use our help to maintain a certain healthy existence on a property.

Yes as trees grow and the branches become many it is often helpful to prune a tree. Basically pruning means you are cutting off or lopping off unhealthy or unsafe branches. Why am I bringing this up?

That’s quite interesting. In our discussions recently we are comparing Internet businesses to a healthy vibrant tree. Then we began discussing how each tree has its own branches. In this case we are going to discuss how part of maintaining Internet commerce involves caring for the tree and branches. For example, pruning is a way of keeping the tree healthy and productive.

So let’s see what kind of pruning needs to be done in an on line auction business. The fact is when it comes to on line auctions some people just don’t have the patience and determination to manage an auction site. Just as there are people who are relentless and savvy at maintaining an online presence. Similarly many people enjoy planting and designing landscapes with plant life but they do not like the nuts and bolts of doing things like pruning.

The fact is that you need a few things to work in conjunction with one another. The main chores you need to operate a successful auction site are very basic.

1. You need to be an account member of an auction site or sites
2. You need items for sale
3. You need to get the sold items to customers

Here is where it gets interesting. As we discussed above however there are the logistics and then there are what people are willing and able to do. So like we illustrated you have people who plant trees and you have people who care for trees. Yes some do both but that does not change the opportunities there are for people to earn an income working in different phases of the business.

So back to our auction site: Say you are not an Internet person or even a computer person. That’s okay because the auction tree and its branches are still in need of care. That’s because there are those who have the management of an auction site down pat but they struggle with the other tasks like getting products and delivering them. Maybe that’s where you come in?

Perhaps you have access to products and/or are very good at connecting wholesalers with merchants. This is a valuable service to auction operators. In a similar concept maybe you are a delivery specialist and offer top notch shipping services. Either of these services is vital to feeding the auction monster. And there are many auction operators that need you and these services. Make no bones about that. With the growing and expansion of the on line auction industry the opportunities will continue to be available.

In fact this works 2 ways if you think about it. They indeed need you but you could see it as you need them. Yes maybe you have some kind of commerce business already in motion. The fact that you are apprehensive about the Internet or intimidated by it is only holding your potential for more sales back. Maybe you are just unaware of the impact that on line auction sales can have.

It’s funny anyone in the modern world has heard names like eBay or Amazon but many people do not realize the amount of activity that is occurring on those sites. Nor do many people understand that the idea of purchasing products on line is consistently on the rise.

What does all this add up to? The on line auction tree is growing and therefore so is its branches. This tree needs care for its continued health. Where do you fit in?

Are you an eBay or Amazon guru? Or are you a product supplier? Maybe you are a retailer but do not have the ability or know how to use the Internet for your commerce?

The answers to these questions can help you make the most of your on line auction business or open doors you haven’t gone through yet. Maybe it’s time you answer them.

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We have been really busy here in our Internet garden of online business possibilities. And just like our back yard garden we are excited and looking down the road at the potential harvest. Even if you are a seasoned gardener the year begins anew and another spring, summer, and fall of hands in and around the soil gets the blood flowing.

However if we are new to the garden game we are extra anxious and maybe a little nervous. Nevertheless if you have done your homework and prepared yourself for the steps ahead you have reason to be confident. And in the case of your back yard garden you also have the luxury of knowing that barring faulty seeds, damaged soil, or laziness by you nature is going to take its natural course.

Lucky for those of us dabbling in the Internet gardening this is also true. Yes the on line “soil” is fertile and ready for more on line entrepreneurs to jump on the wagon. Keep in mind though this is not just an easy as pie project. True it is not rocket science, but you must be patient and positive, especially when it comes to selling items via the Internet.

For today’s discussion we are going to look at selling our own arts and crafts by way of our on line business. Keep in mind: many creative people are doing this successfully, so it is a viable option for those of you who are handy with craft tools and materials.

On one hand there is no question that the Internet has changed the entire dynamics of sales, and no doubt for the better. Managing and maintaining an online presence is far less expensive than leasing or owning a physical store. Not that you can’t have both of course.

The World Wide Web has also made the size of your fishing net and your target market a gazillion times bigger. Yes imagine a little fishing boat out in the bay trying to real in a catch with his 10 x 10 net. Then picture is he suddenly had a net that could comb the entire bay! Naturally his odds of catching fish, likely more fish, just went through the roof.

Where is the challenge then? Okay well here you are with your garage converted to your workshop. You call it Knick-Knack Central. Clearly making unique and attractive crafts is not your problem. Getting buyers is. You have your web site and it just hasn’t taken off like you though it would.

Relax, it takes awhile to build a legitimate on line presence. So hang in there. Remember our back yard garden? You don’t plant zucchini on Wednesday and harvest it two Fridays from then do you? And isn’t there some items to care for during the germination period? We all know the answer to that question don’t we?

Okay so you have your Knick-KnackStore.com and you are not getting any response. Okay one thing you need to do is access how much of a reputation your business has period. Why is that?

When it comes to sales, especially of handmade items, referrals or word of mouth spreads like wild fire. So you will benefit from building a local network. Maybe you have a flea market stand or a store. Keep it, at least for now. But even while you are at the store push your Internet site hard and aggressive. Try and get even your local customers to use it.

Be certain to give time to marketing your site outside of your local network. Meaning you will need to learn how the Internet works and follow tips on Internet marketing. If you have some money to invest, consider hiring a professional service to get your web page on the arts and crafts map.

Remember the old adage to be careful what you wish for also. The Internet end of the business can “blow up” on you in a hurry. So be prepared to meet orders and deliver them in a timely fashion. Know what is involved before the Tsunami is upon you!

Give some serious thought to the appearance of your web page. Does it tell the shopping public about you? Will visitors find everything with ease on your site? Can they contact you with questions or special orders? Is the information updated and accurate?

I guess we should also mention that you need to be honest about your product in this regard. You can do everything correct but if the product is not appealing or cost to value friendly it won’t sell. Sometimes that is the harsh reality. That should not stop you from taking a step back and launching new items though.

Think about our back yard garden again. Sometimes the zucchini may not yield a bumper crop. That doesn’t mean your garden was a failure or that you are a bad gardener. It may mean that you may try another plant, or it may be as simple as trying again. Maybe you realized you planted the zucchini in a bad spot. Perhaps the plants did not receive sufficient sunlight for example. You get the point don’t you?

Creating hand made products is very rewarding and a wonderful skill. Getting others to purchase them and enjoy them is also rewarding, but much more challenging. Using the Internet ultimately can increase your potential for sales if you apply the tried and trued methods that you learn from your diligent research.

And be sure to take off the “creator” hat and put on the “marketing” hat. I know you arts and crafts wizards, you get making things and there is no stopping you. But in business, like gardening, there is some cultivating to do.

And hey if you really, really do not want the hassle, by all means solicit the services of people who excel in the marketing game. Form a partnership if need be. But by no means think that just putting stuff on the web means people are going to see it.

Whether you hire marketing pros or not, remember to always remind people about your Internet store. Even when you are on Facebook, Myspace, or Twitter. Find on line advertising options. Join arts and crafts forums and talk about your passion and slip in your web store address. In time the word will get out, especially as products are purchased and appreciated.

Okay you crafty designers and builders, you got some gardening to do!

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Why not start your own blog? Do you have a passion, a love, a hobby, or do you just love to share your opinion and have your voice heard? Then you are a blogging fool at heart.

Okay quick review here, we are talking about setting up your own site devoted to your voice on a topic or a series of topics. It can be about your fandom of an entertainer, an athlete, or a politician. Maybe it will be your favorite sport or sports team? Maybe you have informative material to share? Recipe’s, locations of wonderful places to go, how to fix things, build things, or how to whatever.

Maybe you want to discuss more serious matters like politics, religion, relationships, or whatever. And we all know there is plenty of whatever in this world.

But where do you start? Before we get into that let me remind you that for more blogging related discussions feel free to browse our archives and of course continue to check back and review the upcoming articles on blogging and other Internet ventures that may catch your fancy.

Let’s get to-bloggin’!

Where and how to start blogging? The first agenda is by default a systematic decision you need to make. What is my theme or topic? And no it does not have to be limited to one topic. Although a blog page is usually dedicated to one central theme. But there are ways around that.

You have some options. Are you writing about your favorite music artist? Is it me? (I had to ask) Anyway let’s assume you are blogging about Elvis. Although your central theme is Elvis you could easily expand your blog to discuss music industry topics. Another example may be you are blogging about your favorite MLB team. Maybe it is the Philadelphia Phillies or the world renowned New York Yankees. Here again even with your main focus centering on that team you can easily incorporate related baseball topics, perhaps about the league or the game of baseball itself and the rich history. I think you get the basic point.

Now in the case you may want to voice your thoughts about baseball, music, and life as shepherd all at the same time, you may consider managing multiple blog pages. For now let’s stick with one.

Okay, you decided to blog about blogging. You clever sun of a gun you. Now what? Web page time. You have options here and I know you love options.

In a nutshell though you have 2 main options:
You can design your own page and pay for host space or for the services of a host provider.
This option gives you more control and a higher ceiling of advertising revenue potential.
Second option is using a free guest host service; there are plenty of them. You can even set up a social profile on a social web site, ala Facebook or Myspace and blog there, which would also allow the option of blogging about whatever pops into your noggin’. I call that bloggin’ from your noggin’. Of course there is a 2nd option part B of sorts. You can combine the more independent route and still use a guest host. I see a need for another discussion on hosting in our future.

Anyhow, you chose your primary theme of blogging and you decided to manage your own web page. You go! Now you need a domain name. This can be done through various domain name providers at a nominal cost. You call your web site HowToFlippin’Blog.com. Hey that’s the name you wanted! Actually we will discuss the value of domain names in a future discussion also.

Okay review time again.Topic of blog? = Blogging.
Type of web page? = Professional host service.
Domain name? = HowToFlippin’Blog.com.

At this point we are going to assume that you have taken care of the design elements of your web page. Whether you did it yourself or you paid for a web design service, your site is up and you’re ready to go.

That’s it? NO that is most definitely not it! But it is a start, which is where it all begins. Just like sledding as a youngster, you have to get on the sled first. “Yeah but” you’re thinking “isn’t it all downhill from there?” you ask. Yes it is, only in this case that’s a good thing. That is the objective of sledding isn’t it?

Now that you’re in business with your blog, it’s time to blog. In order to be successful with your blog page there is a number of things you will need to learn and/or do. These are things we will also discuss over time.

But for now get your thinking cap on and get the ball rolling, get on the sled and get ready to start to-bloggin’!

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Personally I love the great integration I can see between blogging and social networking. I am talking about the term integration because this is really what is occurring when you have one or several blogs that interact with social networks.

You write an article about IT technology and you can share this article in more than 1500 social network applications which are available in the web.

I have read a comment of a specialist in social networking saying that Twitter is going to replace the blogging and Facebook and MySpace are going to contribute a lot in this phenomenon. I completely disagree with this comment because in the practice, social networking is so popular, but blogging is also more efficient today thanks to the social networking. There is a magic integration amongst social networking and integration.

When you are blogging social networking is one of the most perfect sources of traffic. You do not uniquely depend on search engines anymore; you can have full access to diverse kind of information through social networks.

Do you know that you can get a huge traffic through Facebook or Twitter? This is a very efficient way to make your business blog or website famous and popular. However, the integration should be specifically in both ways.

You should make links in social networks that pinpoint your blogs and in your blogs you should have the more number of social networking buttons that you can.

The more social network sharing buttons you have the more is your possibility to rank better in search engines.

Evidently, it is something that can help you a lot to boost your business through this wise integration between blogging and social networking. Blogging is not going to disappear as some people have agued. Blogging has a very long life with the perfect harmony of social networking solutions.

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Everybody sing it with me…. “take this message to my brother ……… you will find him everywhere” . Yeah, you got it. It’s “Takin’ it to the Streets” by the American Rock/Pop band the Doobie Brothers, released in 1976.

Truth be told these lyrics written by singer/keyboardist Michael McDonald was a message to listeners that there are people in this world that are in desperate need. But the underlying memo to the world was to get the word out person to the person.

Many years later in the early to mid 1990’s a grass roots effort was born out of this philosophy, yes the music world was facing a crossroads of sorts. As the 1980’s introduced the rap genre’ to the recording industry the monopolistic like record labels felt threatened by the underground swelling popularity of the newer “gangsta rap”.

While big labels were shying away from the violence and anger of hardcore rap artists, young urban entrepreneurs in the recording and entertainment field were not. The fact is that rap music is very inexpensive to produce, record, and release compared to most other styles of music. As a result smaller record labels were popping up offering a host of “gangsta” artists to a growing rap hungry audience.

The reality is however that operating expenses were very tight compared to the big boys and girls. So as Indie record labels like Jive, Loud, Bad Boy, and Priority Records were putting together “gangsta rap” bands, they were a little short in the cash department for a competitive promotion and marketing plan. What would they do?

They employed a method that had been done to some degree in the past. They created what has become known as “Street Teams”. Literally speaking a street team is simply a group of devoted fans that bring your product or product awareness straight to the people. Within the “gangsta rap” community the idea was to create a fan base to bug local radio stations to play a particular artist or for local venues to bring in that band for a live show.

Legend has it that MC Hammer (Stanley Burrell) used to hand out demos of his work in the Oakland, CA playgrounds and Oakland, CA night clubs until he got someone’s attention. Similarly a couple teenagers from Indiana are credited with putting in motion what later became known as the KISS Army to promote their favorite rock band, KISS. As their impact grew amongst teens and was garnering attention, the band Kiss led by Gene Simmons wisely recruited these youngsters and organized them all over. By offering some coveted perks the band got these kids to spread the word in an organized fashion. This was putting a new meaning to “fan club”.

So the appearance of Street Teams was simply the latest slant on this fan club style marketing concept. How does it work?

• Placing stickers and posters in their local area
• Cheer leading and persuading friends to go to live shows
• Convincing people to buy CD and Merchandise (T-shirts, etc)
• Hounding local radio for air play
• Getting songs out to clubs
• Posting band news and announcements on forums and bulletin boards
• Operating and/or maintaining fan websites and e-zine articles about band

How successful is it? Well the numbers don’t lie. “Gangsta Rap” grew out of the success of Street Teams. However it has mushroomed beyond the music industry. The street team philosophy has branched out into other businesses. The tech industry, media/direct marketing firms, name brand corporations, and other entertainment arenas like the sports and film/TV industry have put their own street teams to use. Some business folks are calling them “Brand Ambassadors” or as I call it “free promotion”.

• Product awareness for companies
• Promoting the sale of brand products
• Promoting promotional products for brands
• Promoting merchandise for celebs/athletes/brands

As odd as it may seem or as unlikely as it sounds, there is a percentage of people out there who take brand loyalty to an unprecedented level, although now it has become somewhat of a precedent. Some will interject that when it comes to the music artists and public personalities a street team will probably mostly consist of “teamers” from the younger generation. But that doesn’t and shouldn’t matter. The fact is these are loyal fans and people who want to contribute to your success.

A unique feature of this method is that Street teams can be supported and utilized all over the geographic map. This works out tremendously because the teams are working together and yet they will perform with pride as their own entity. It turns out these street teams feel a sense of accomplishment and duty for their product or band. They also seem to take it personal.

In return your street team will be rewarded with perks relative to your business or enterprise. As we mentioned before if you’re a band than you can dish out some premium merchandise, unique items, a steady flow of tickets and CD’s to your street teams. If you’re an athlete you may also reward your devotees with some autograph goods and some seats at a game. A benefiting company can honor their team and pass on some righteous savings and some freebies to their walking/talking billboards.

So are you a music artist, literal artist, author, entertainer or a company maintaining a presence on the Internet? Then why not assemble your own collection of volunteer street teams to spread the word about your out of this world products, your hair raising exhilarating music, your fab art, your classic novel and send them out on a ’seek and destroy’ promotional mission. In all actuality they are already there waiting for the thumbs up and your backing.

Game, set, match? Yeah boy! Word up on the Street? It can be if you enlist the support of your own group of supporters. Especially you aspiring bands out there looking to get your music heard and your CD’s sold. The street team has long been a staple for your advertising and people awareness. But by all means if you have a trendy item or sell brand name stuff that lends itself to the now, then put out the call and get the word out by taking it to the streets.

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It’s only natural to gravitate to Internet related promotion when we plot out our marketing scheme for our web site. And it is very logical and vital to follow through with that plan. In fact we should keep track of what is most effective and what needs to be improved and so on.

We have a variety of options at our disposal including such things as web directories, e mail newsletters, bookmarking, forum posts, back link, affiliate and partnership agreements, and any SEO friendly formula you can apply.

Hold on there “pahdner”, you also need to think outside the proverbial box. Think about, look how many companies look for crossover advertising opportunities or place ads in mediums outside of the obvious. For example TV networks will promote shows on the radio or in magazines, as well as on the web.

Take for instance, a local retail shoe store in my area, frequently runs printed ads but they also send people out to hand out flyer’s and coupons. Or they place them in gyms, grocery stores, laundry mats and so on.

Now some of this is not re-inventing the wheel but it demonstrates that you need to be creative.

So aside from the predictable applications what else can you do to get the word out about your web page?

You could print up flyers, business cards, and announcement cards and hand them out as often as you can. Heck, get an army of your friends to take information to their job or any other place they go where you do not go.

I have seen and heard of people printing up some cool looking T-shirts with their URL clearly in view. And of course at every opportunity be sure to make a verbal reference to something on your site in conversation. Oh, and try not to be obnoxious about it, however.

You could include your web address on letterheads or with your return address information. Sign off letters with your name and web URL, even if it is just a postcard or trivial letter. Text message your information out to people.

I remember as young lad, my father used to use all kinds of “novelty” type promotional items to much success. He placed an ad on school book covers, handed out pens, and some refrigerator magnets.

There are plenty more options. You could create a snazzy bumper sticker to hand out and display. Many restaurants feature lunch/dinner mats with ads. Place your web site ad on a few.

Run local TV ads. Some cable services have a channel devoted to written ads for example. Make a visual ad for TV and targeted markets which could also be posted on places like YouTube.

Many of these are more of a local flavor. And in many cases a strong local presence is all you need. But you can take some of this and widen out. For example, you can place ads in papers and magazines that have national and international distribution.

How are you doing in your devotion to promotion? Obviously some of these choices we have discussed are relative to what kind of operating budget you have and how far along you are in your marketing plan. And don’t forget you are still going to stick with the more traditional promotion methods also.

Nevertheless it is never too early to plan for today and tomorrow. As your site gets off the ground, as with any business, you are going to have to make some decisions on what kind of further commitment you are going to make. Be creative and imaginative as well as cautious and calculated.

But above all, continue to examine and review how you are doing with regard to your marketing strategy and the promotion of your web page.

There is an old expression in sports that says “leave it all on the playing surface”. Same is true in business and marketing. Put all you can into your “baby” and likely things will go well for you.

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