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Many entrepreneurs feel that they need a sophisticated website right from the
outset of new ventures. Yet, most of them lack the time, money and skill to
create a credible advertisement on the web alone.
Thankfully, there is an alternative: a fast, simple and flexible means of advertising
that offers good ‘returns’ for relatively small, safe and manageable
investments.
Small ads in newspapers have supported entrepreneurs cost-effectively for hundreds
of years. Whatever the commodity and target population, the aims of small ads
have remained the same: to attract customers and interest them sufficiently
to make them want to find out more.
Traditionally, ‘finding out more’ meant making telephone calls, posting
forms or calling into stores. These days, it increasingly means visiting websites
as an interim step. Some webmasters even set up special ‘landing pages’
that are tailored to complement every small ad placed by marketing departments.
The task of 'rich media’, like websites, has remained constant too: to
stimulate strong desires in customers and provide them with ways to take matters
further. For example, to complete the purchase of goods and services, and develop
long-term relationships with proven suppliers.
Small ads are available on the Internet too.
The good news is that electronic small ads are just as quick and simple to
write as their print-based predecessors. Entrepreneurs create their own ‘copy’,
thereby protecting their commercially-sensitive knowledge and gaining a sense
of ownership.
More good news: electronic small ads cost pennies to place, offer worthwhile
ways to increase customer awareness over vast geographic areas, and entrepreneurs
can re-create their marketing messages rapidly, according to need.
All these benefits are available wherever and whenever entrepreneurs have access
to the Internet which, as a small ad delivery medium, offers significant advantages
over newspapers.
One advantage is the ability to cater for sellers and buyers with special needs.
There is an increasing awareness that websites offer flexible options regarding
text size, foreground/background colour combinations and audio readers that
newspapers will never enjoy. What is more, accessible websites download fast
to mobile phones, Personal Digital Assistants and computers with slow Internet
access.
Another advantage is the ability for sellers and buyers to find commodities
in ways other than trawling static classified lists, like 'Property'.
Most small ad websites offer manual search features, at basic and advanced
levels. Some offer the ability to search linearly (e.g., More like this ad)
and laterally (e.g., ads Also clipped with this ad, by other buyers). A few
sites also offer standard, automated searches complemented by rapid e-mail,
messenger or SMS notification. Advert short-listing, comparison and forwarding
are other useful ‘find’ features.
A further advantage, is robots’ ability to spider small ads and list them
alongside larger websites in search engine results. This means, potentially,
that humble small ads can have similar commercial value to more sophisticated
websites when it comes to grabbing customer attention.
A variety of websites host small ads these days. Dedicated small ad sites range
from the gaudy to the sophisticated, allowing entrepreneurs to select from a
range of investment options and target audiences. Some host sites look like
spreadsheets, whilst others mimic newspaper ads.
Most dedicated host sites oblige sellers and buyers to join some form of club:
others operate open door policies. Both approaches have implications regarding
competition and target audience size, as well as personal privacy and security.
Of course, many mainstream websites also carry small ads these days. Dedicated
small ad sites may hold some advantages for entrepreneurs though.
For example, potential customers generally visit mainstream sites to acquire
information and complete tasks other than shopping. When doing so, they tend
to block out ‘noise’ like advertisements in the same way that they
block out traffic noise in the street.
Customers visiting dedicated small ad sites, on the other hand, do so to acquire
information and complete tasks to do with selling and buying. They are, it could
be argued, more receptive to marketing messages and likely to make contact with
entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurs should be wary then of commissioning websites too soon in their
new commercial ventures.
Careful experimentation with flexible and inexpensive small ads as an interim
measure will help them understand their markets. It will also help entrepreneurs
specify the functionality and content required of their websites later. Experimentation
should prevent major mistakes with software development and costly reworking.
Later, entrepreneurs may still find that electronic small ads have a role to
play in their marketing. For example, in gaining the attention of potential
customers and interesting them in their more sophisticated websites.
So, entrepreneurs, do you really need a website now?
About the Author:
© Steve Hawker 2005. All rights reserved. Steve started his career as an
Education Officer in the Royal Air Force. He then moved into the training technology
industry, where he worked in sales support, project management and systems design
in the aerospace, military and nuclear sectors. Steve is a partner at http://www.ehawker.co.uk.
E-mail: info@ehawker.co.uk |
