Ten Low-Cost Ways to Promote Your Business

Here's a good article by Susan Ward over at About.com with 10 tips to promote your business. Some are common sense. Some you've heard before. But she does a nice job picking inexpensive tips that online store owners should be doing.

http://sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/marketing/a/bizpromotion.htm

Promoting Your Online Store for the Holidays

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Here are some ideas CafePress listed to help shopkeepers promote their online stores for the holidays. http://www.cafepress.com

Let your shoppers know that your shop is ready for the Holiday Season. Shoppers are hungry for information this time of year. Don't be shy about sending out newsletters, emails and direct mail to your customers letting them know about new products, sales or special editions.

Here are some suggestions to help steer shoppers to your shop:

· Add banners on your main website to advertise your shop.
· Send an email to your customers. We have a few Email Scripts to help get you started.
· Buy ad space on websites where your target shoppers are likely to visit.
· Buy ad space on magazines — check about unsold ad space that may be available for a discount.
· Buy keywords on search engines such as Google, Yahoo! and MSN.
· Frequent Message Boards where your target shoppers hang out and make friends with them so they can help spread the word about your shop!
· Team up with a nonprofit or a club and donate a design to them in return for a link back to your shop.
· Print up fliers and distribute locally.
Take advantage of the Bulk Pricing Program! Sell your unique merchandise at craft fairs, trade shows and flea markets.

Hints to help your e-commerce store stand out from its’ competitors.

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This article is a big help for online storeowners. Here’s one thing the author starts out with: “Your e-commerce store needs to stand out from every other store selling the same products. There are many facets of creating a powerful online business, including a clean design, simple-to-use catalog and shopping cart and competitive pricing, but one major aspect that is sometimes overlooked, however, is the content.”

Click here to read the whole article.