What forms of marketing do you use?

[link8r]

As a webmaster, what kind of business do you have and what forms of marketing do you use or have you used?

 

[garycocs]

Hi,

I am a part time developer, some projects being for others some projects being for myself I'd like to see peoples ideas on this as being a developer (i.e. sw based) I wouldn't know too much about marketing. (Would be interested in a trade if anyones reading!!)

I've used a range of basic marketing, from flyers sent to pubs saying you were voted pub of the month and tshirts for tag rugby with sites on the back and bebo sites to using adwords for my medical exam sites.

I'm all ways worried about spending too much money on a site that won't generate a return.

 

[link8r]

Sounds like some clever marketing/promotion ideas garycocs! Knowing which marketing options will deliver the best return is always the problem - you don't really know until you dip your toe in and give it a good test do you?

 

[garycocs]

All very trial and error, problem with the pub posters is weighting, i.e. more people see the posters in the pub they go to and vote for it so you're essentially building up the popularity of that pub.

The tshirts were good too but they were for the right audience, it's getting the right target market is the key, facebook apps is one I'm having a look at now, only takes two seconds for a user to add a new app etc.

 

[link8r]

Let us know if you setup a facebook app

 

[garycocs]

Ya first I've to update my site to pubfinder.ie and convert my site on CodeIgniter and then I can tackle the facebook app.

 

[Kieran]

I am very old fashioned. I always keep a stash of business cards in my pocket and when I enter businesses to do actual business I always ask if they have a web site. If they say no then I suggest that they should think of having one and point them to some demo sites I have on my web design site. I have a couple made up that show different type of businesses and can be customised on the fly. There is a CMS (one Wordpress and one Drupal) and a few brochure sites. I am doing a garden centre and a dog grooming place at the moment purely from this method - go figure -.

I have put ads in local free newspapers as well but got poor responses.

As I do not want tons of work (this is just a sideline for me) the above generates a couple of sites per month and suits me fine.

I think if I wanted more I would up that ante with this method. I have asked one of the local free newspapers if they are interested in me doing a free article on Web / Technology for beginners and one has expressed some interest in a 150-200 word piece per month which I could also use so this is also a method of getting out there.