Fuel your business by cutting advertising costs? As crazy as is sounds, it is actually a simple concept that can easily be put into play by just about anyone.
The Trap You need to stimulate business. You pay a hefty price, run an ad, and customers come. A few weeks later, business tapers off. Time for another ad. You pull out your checkbook. Growing your business feels more like feeding an expensive habit.
The Problem Much of the benefit from traditional printed advertising is short lived. A quick burst; Then it's over. If you want an instant replay, you've got to pay (and pay and pay).
The Solution 1). Find a way to reach your customers without paying each time; or 2). Find a way to get your customers to COME TO YOU; (or ideally BOTH.)
The Method Both solutions can be achieved with a simple, low-cost website--once you learn how to use it. Here's how:
1). Find a way to reach your customers without paying. Email--it's free. The only catch is that your customers have to give you their email address. Since they are not interested in receiving your ads by email, how can you motivate them to provide you with access and permission to advertise to them by email? Coupons. No one wants advertising. Everyone wants to save money. They give you their email address. You email them your coupons.
2). Get your customers to COME TO YOU. This is where most small businesses commit website suicide: Their website is nothing more than a pretty (but static) "online brochure." Like its paper counterpart, it is read once and forgotten. Why do so many successful small business owners make this critical mistake? They wrongly assume their customers are interested in them. They think just because they have a website, people will want to see it. But, in fact, their customers don't care about them. They're self-motivated ("what's in it for me?")
If, instead of the typical brochure-like website, you make your website a vehicle for your customers to get your coupons, they will visit again and again. They may read other information while they are there, but coupons are why they came--not an incidental after thought.
In For The Kill
So, you are now drawing your customers to your website, turning them into habitual visitors, and you are emailing them once a month with your coupons or other timely specials so they don't forget about you. Once these key components are in place, you can move in for the final blow to your traditional off-line advertising dependency.
You already know printed advertising works. Use it to move an army of your customers to your website where they can get your coupons any time, and stop depending on printed coupons that come in the mail or newspaper. What I mean by this is to emphasize your website in your normal off-line ads.
Completely squandering this opportunity, most small businesses--if they mention their website at all in their ads--stick it in tiny type somewhere off to the side: www.MyBoringWebsite.com. It's a side note. There is no text telling customers why they should visit it. What are they going to get by going to the website that they didn't already see in the ad? No wonder their website is a huge disappointment.
Why not make your website a feature of your ad in bold type (or even put it inside a faux coupon next to your real coupons) and say something like: Wish you could get our coupons anytime? Now you can at www.MyLittlePowerhouseWebsite.com. Click and Save Everyday! Join our coupon club.
Watch the power and momentum of sustained marketing in action and as your website grows, begin phasing out some of those fat ads that are keeping your dream of financial independence just beyond reach.


About the Author
Catherine D'Agostino is the founder of WithCoupon.com and PizzaCouponsNOW.com where she has integrated coupons and customer email marketing into a simple, low-cost all-inclusive website package for small business.