By Sandor Panton, Contributor
WITH INTERNET access costs relatively low, and so many Internet service providers from which to choose, increasing numbers of Jamaicans have been going on-line. While the average Jamaican web surfer is undoubtedly more informed, more educated and more web-savvy than ever before, the fact is that most have grown up on a steady daily diet of off-line advertising in numerous forms. It is also a fact that the total amount of time that we are exposed to off-line forms of advertising including billboard, newspaper, radio and television ads will far exceed the time that we actually spend on the Internet.
It would definitely make sense therefore for you to use traditional off-line promotion techniques to help get the word out about your web site or on-line product. While most Jamaican webmasters will not necessarily have the advertising budget that is required to go on an all-out television campaign, it might be worthwhile to consider some of the techniques below.
NEIGHBOURHOOD PROMOTION
Tucked in among the pages, from time to time you may get a flyer or two when you buy a copy of The Gleaner, or you may even get some in your mailbox. You can investigate the cost of distributing your flyer(s) in your own community, or even nationwide. With your site's URL and or Internet service boldly displayed on it, you're putting your site and services within easy reach of potential customers.
CLASSIFIED ADS IN NEWSPAPERS
Classified ads are definitely among the cheapest advertising options available off-line. They also offer tremendous potential in terms of reach, because just about everyone who reads a newspaper will have a glance at the classifieds section. Classifieds definitely provide a good long-term solution to small businesses that are facing a tight budget, so it's an option that's well worth a try.
YOUR COMPANY STATIONERY
Ensure that the company's web site URL is on all your stationery. Business cards, brochures, fax coversheets, invoices; list your website on any and every printed company-related material, no matter how insignificant it may seem. You can never tell who might hang on to that document and eventually visit your web site because they saw the printed URL.
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
Be creative in coming up with your own off-line marketing techniques. Whatever you ultimately decide to do, it is not being suggested that you cancel your ISP (Internet access) account and take your business to a traditional brick and mortar marketing structure. On the contrary, if you're serious about your on-line presence you should be looking to add some off-line variety to your existing on-line marketing strategy. Your 'little web site' may not be able to afford some of the types of off-line marketing that some of the Internet powerhouses are doing (things like television and radio campaigns), but it's for you to find and utilise other inexpensive and creative methods to grow your web site's traffic and visibility off-line.
Sandor Panton is an Internet specialist and consultant. If you have any comment, contact him at feedbackjamaica-gleaner.com. This series is brought to you by www.go-jamaica.com, the portal website of the Jamaica Gleaner.
