From the Mailbag: Shoestring Marketing Online
August 23, 2007
Wow, I love all these questions, keep them coming! Today’s question comes from Lisa, who asks:
Q: “How can you market online on a shoestring budget? Thanks so much!!!!â€
A: There are plenty of moms out there who find themselves wanting to start a business online, but without the funds they need to make it all happen at once. That’s ok, not many people start out with thousands or even hundreds of dollars to invest in a business. That’s one of the reasons many want to begin their own business in the first place, right?
Depending on the type of business you want to start, your costs may be very little or a bit higher than others. But here are a few basics for starting a business online.
Domain Name
If you’re going to work online, you’ll definitely need to register a domain name for your website. For less than $8 a year, you can register your own .com domain name at Internet Based Moms Domains & Hosting
Hosting
In order for your website to be “seen,†you’ll have to purchase hosting space. You can get hosting for as little as $15 per quarter at Mom Webs
Website Building Software
If you don’t already have and know how to use a website building software such as FrontPage, have no fear, there are options available that don’t include paying an arm and a leg for a professional web designer. You can easily set up a professional looking website quickly by trying the 10-day free website builder trial over at Internet Based Family.
If you’re running your business online, there are always option for low-cost and free promotion. Although I always recommend you invest into your business as you grow, you don’t have to open your wallet to make things happen. Connect with others working in the same market as you – perhaps you can work together for cross promotion. Learn about using content to generate leads for your business. Internet Based Moms is a wealth of resources on a variety of promotional ideas, so dig in and get learning – then take BIG action.
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Thanks for the information Alice !
Great information, Alice. I wish I had heard all that years ago, I think it might have made a big difference in how many failed businesses we’ve been a part of - let’s see 5 so far. I’ve learned so much in the last 6-8 months, I’m sure things are looking up.
I have seen so many moms go belly-up because they want to start a business to help make money. What they end up doing is investing money they don’t have (you have to spend money to make money) for a business they don’t know how to market, and they then need to pay out money every month for a product that was never necessary before, as well as pay for the tools, the leads, the advertising . . .
It’s no wonder home businesses have a bad rap.
I’m trying to fix this on my blog right now - entering into an experiment where you don’t have to put out tons of money, and can start with a financial foundation before you start your business.
It’s a backwards kind of concept, but if you can get some money flowing in regularly before you even start your “so-called” money-making business, I think you have a better chance of succeeding.
You can check out the experiment here:
http://internetmarketingexperiment.blogspot.com/
Darlene