Where can I advertise a small online independent store for free?

[Andrew]

Hi Jenna,

That is a good question!

I would start by finding free listing websites just do a search for "listing sites" and you will find lots of them.
You can list your store, and create a hyperlink to you're website that people can follow.
Its a start but the problem is that these sites have 1,000's of listings and people may struggle to find you amongst the crowd.

Perhaps the best way to do this when you are starting out is to create a free blog on wordpress or something like that. You can write as much information as you like about your store which makes it more likely people will find it - you can upload images of your products, and you can answer other peoples blogs, and questions in your blog. It will take some work, but if you keep adding to it, people will find it.

The thing is, in today's world nothing is free really - so you can make a free listing on one of these sites, but you won't get much from it, you can pay google/yahoo to advertise for you. OR you can do work (blogging, and linking, and emailing), to attract people. This way you don't spend money... but you do spend time. So there is always a cost!

A final idea might be to search for things you sell on google/yahoo. For example if you sell.. I don't know.. Harry Potter broom sticks - search for "where can I find Harry Potter broom stick" or "harry potter toys for kids". The results google or yahoo returns will be from people asking the same question. You might even find someone who asked a yahoo answer for that! Then you have found your market!
Just reply and say - "Hey, Check out this (yours of course) small online store - they sell more harry potter toys that Dumbledore could conjure up in a month at wizard school!"
And hopefully you'll get your self a few customers - once the ball is rolling you will find, they will come to you!

Good luck!

A