Where are the best free advertising places?

[poeticart169]

I have a small online business with zero in the available funding for advertising. I have tried for years to advertise via testimonial and word of mouth and have nothing for my efforts. I've tried the buy one get another free, and have even offered a money back guarantee. Still there is nothing. I've done link exchanges, google ads and more. Where would you go? http://www.poetic-expressions.net/index.html

[Phill]

Hi Laura

Ok I want to help you.

I want to be honest with you so you can finally see your goal appearing rather than being where you are now.

It looks like you have created your website your self, I'm afraid it will be difficult to get anyone to order through it.

Hosting you own website can be a few dollars a month so I suggest you check out some US ones.

Look at wordpress which is free and can deliver a very powerful solution for you.

You tube is for Beauty, Love and Fun not for business. It creates business but only through the reaction people have with the first three i mentioned.

You must give the potential customer what they want NOT what you want.

Your potential customer wants poetry but your telling them about your business not the poetry.

I suggest you create a simple website with maybe 5 product ( ie 5 prices for simple poetry and get paypal so customers can order easily)

Dont show the words of the poetry on your site, go to you tube and post a poem a day for as long as you can, make sure the link to you site it on youtube.

Its about content you see..

Get your logo changed I will do this for you for free ( I must be mad) if you want.

Use the youtube videos on your site and put images on the videos. Its nice to have you read them but it will get boring to the viewer if they keep seeing you every time. Put some pictures that you take about the beauty around you. The place where you live make it simple. like poetry.

I really hope it helps and I would love to help further in any way I could.

I wish you the very best of luck

and email me if you need any help

Phill

http://www.10training.com

[Choicex]

The first step you need to take is a site re-design - I second what has been said in the previous answer.

Your product / service looks really good and quite a nice idea, I'm sure that you will get improved sales + get lots more business once you have had a site re-design.

If you want to get the best results, you will need a professional web design.

Then do all of this to market your website + services

1. submit your website to Google Local Business
2. submit your website to directories
3. consider joining social networking websites
4. join and contribute to Yahoo Answers

If you have products or services to offer submit your website to Google Local Business

This can help you can gain top search results in Google for your products or services using the Local Business service from Google. You will need to register for a googlemail account then submit your website / business details to Google's local business centre.

http://www.google.com/local/add

Marketing your Website using Directories and Website Links

The next step is to get links to your website. This is one of the most important things that you can do to help your website with regard to internet marketing and search engine results. To do this you will need to list your website on as many websites and directories as possible. Directories operate in one of 3 ways: Paid Listing Directory, Free and Reciprocal Link Directories.

Paid Listing Directory: for a listing fee your website is listed, often these are higher quality directories as only serious website owners and business's will pay to be listed. These are usually the fastest way to get listed and get links to your website, as the paid listing directories are run as a business. There are niche/specialist and general directories.

Free Directories: it can take a long time to get your website listed. As the service is free, there may be little or no control of the quality of websites being listed.

DMOZ is the most important free directory, it can take quite some time to get listed, but worth the effort, follow submission guidelines very carefully.

http://www.dmoz.org

Show Me Another is a new websites growing in popularity that provide free listings and when you contribute and submit more sites you are rewarded with extra links to your site.

Automatic Submission feature for registered users can found here:

http://www.showmeanother.com

Social Networking Websites, joining these will connect you with other people with similar interests and these may take an interest in looking at your website

http://www.facebook.com
http://www.twitter.com
http://www.digg.com

Yahoo Answers, answering questions with good information that you have some expertise with. In doing so you will be helping other people and that may lead on to more contacts or people enquiring about your area of knowledge and website.

Good Luck