Editor’s note: This article was first published in October 2012; the marketing tools and services it recommends reflect that time, and several have since closed or changed, including Tuenti, Google+ and Yahoo Local.
Starting a home business is, at first, a way of weathering the crisis. A home business can be anything from making handmade figures to sell, to giving private lessons online or doing clothing alterations (see Business ideas you can start at home, part 1 and Home business ideas, part 2). As you can imagine, the main advantage of starting a business from home is the low or zero investment, since all you need is an internet connection.
Some people manage to earn some extra money, others end up building a lucrative business that grows into a large company and others, of course, never get off the ground. Marketing strategies are necessary whatever the size of the business, so here are some simple, easy-to-apply tips to increase your visibility and get your product or service in front of more potential customers.
1. Have your own website
Since a home business has no shop window on the street where passers-by can see it, your shop window on the web will be your website or blog. The better your website looks, the more trust users will place in you. All you need is a clean, easy-to-navigate site where your product or service is described in detail. Likewise, the more ways users have of contacting you, the better. Some time ago I recommended a service for building a website without any programming knowledge, Linkedstore. It is not free, but in some cases it can be worth it, since the monthly fees are very reasonable and the result looks completely professional.
2. Use social media
Until you rank well in search engines (that is, until your page appears among the top search results), social media will be your best card to play. Using social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Tuenti or Google+ will give you visibility. However, many people make the mistake of using social networks for the sole purpose of promoting their product. That is spam, and social media users frown on it because it ends up wearing them out. One way to avoid spamming is explained in point 3.
3. Add a blog to your website
If, as well as the website where you show what you sell, you add a blog, you can write about topics related to your field. For example, imagine you are an electrician and you sell products or offer services related to electricity. In that case, you could run a blog with tips on how to save electricity, or about new products on the market that help customers to… This will get your articles shared on social networks, and the law of numbers will do the rest. The more people read your blog, the more people will reach your website, and the more people see your website, the better your chances of making a sale.
4. Sign up for local search
More and more internet users search on Google Maps before going out to buy something. List your business on Google Maps or Yahoo Local, as this increases the chances of customers in your area finding you. It is free, and for a local search you may appear at the top of the results.
5. Get your customers to subscribe to your offers
Just as readers can subscribe to a blog to receive its articles by email, on your business website or blog you can give customers or readers the option of subscribing to receive the offers or new products you publish. As we advised earlier, try not to wear readers out by announcing something as a great offer when it really isn’t.
6. You can set up a homemade affiliate programme
Put briefly, an affiliate programme means talking to some bloggers so that they offer your product or put an advertising banner on their blog. That way, every time someone who arrived from that blog buys your product or signs up for your service, the blogger receives a commission. Since the problem here would be tracking where the visit that led to the purchase came from, you can turn to affiliate platforms that already handle that process. A homemade affiliate programme would be one where you tell a buyer directly that, for every new customer they send you, you will give them a certain commission or discount vouchers for future purchases.
7. Three kinds of advertising you can use
a) Free advertising: It is often said that a good product doesn’t need advertising, although sometimes it is hard to get those first customers who will confirm that the product is good. If your product or service is innovative or original, you can send a press release to the media or to blogs that cover the subject. You can also use classified-ad websites such as mundoanuncio.com, milanuncios.es and similar to give your product a more visible shop window.
b) Paid advertising: You can give the business a little push with a small investment in local advertising. You can also have leaflets delivered to letterboxes.
c) Discount coupons: We have already discussed when to use discount coupons at length. If you think they could work to your advantage, go ahead.
Further reading
- How to attract our first customers
- 5 ways to grow your business
- Businesses that work during the crisis
- Business ideas
Featured image: Shane Adams, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr.
