You run a start-up business and money's tight.

Even though you may not have loads of cash to play with, you don't have to settle for minuscule traffic counts!

Get the most for your advertising dollar by following these suggestions:

READY, SET, STOP!!!

Your web site is like a vehicle. It will take you where you want to go, provided everything is in good, working condition.

If your conversion ratio is low - in other words, if you don't convert browsers into buyers very often - your site needs a tune-up - BEFORE you flood it with visitors.

A few places, such as NetMechanic
will check the "nuts and bolts" of your site to ensure everything is correctly coded and loads quickly.

Ideally, though, you want feedback from real people.

Luckily, there are lots of folks out there willing to lend a hand - no charge.

The benefits of this are twofold: you get a critique of your site AND a little free publicity to boot.

The I-HelpDesk discussion list

offers subscribers the opportunity to submit for a free website review. Priority is given to those who've provided feedback on other sites, so sign-up, participate, and be patient; it's worth the wait.

Another place to visit is SiteCritique
. There's no fee to join their community and members can submit sites for a freebie review.

GO FOR THE SURE THING

With a small advertising budget, the last thing you want to do is plunk down a big wad of cash on the chance you
*might* get a good ROI (return on investment).

A smarter move is to invest in advertising that's guaranteed to generate results.

In my opinion, one of the safest bets is pay-per-click (PPC)
advertising.

If you're unfamiliar with the term, PPC is normally used in reference to PPC search engines, and that's how I'll use it here. (FYI: if you look around, you can find PPC banner advertising, too)

Advertisers bid on search terms. The highest bidder wins the #1 position, the next highest #2, and so on.

The benefit of PPC is you're only charged when someone clicks your link. No clicks = no cost (some PPC search engines have monthly spend requirements, though).

A few PPC search engines:

Overture - The "granddaddy" of PPC.
FindWhat.com - A personal favorite.
Kanoodle.com - Offers free banner advertising for top bidders.

To get the most for your money, you might want to take a peek at Compare Your Clicks
. Enter a keyword/keyword phrase and compare top bids at several PPC engines.

NOTE: While we're on the subject of search engines, be sure and submit to Google (NOT a PPC engine). A good listing can garner tons of FREE traffic. Stop by WebmasterWorld

and discover a treasure trove of info on how to boost your Google ranking.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKING?

As online business owners, we expend enormous amounts of energy and spend truckloads of money trying to attract visitors - and then, once they arrive, we IGNORE them!

Hey, I know how tempting it is to let the phone roll over to voicemail or to put off answering that email when you're up to your elbows in work. I've done it myself on numerous occasions, but it's a mistake.

A significant number of people will float a "trial balloon"
via email or phone before ordering.

They're testing the waters. Who's behind this site? Can I trust them?

The phone call or email you don't have time to answer is very likely a sale you just lost.

Interact with potential customers, gain their trust, and boost your biz.

After all, if money is tight, don't miss an opportunity to make a sale!

These are just a few ways you can maximize your advertising dollar. Remember: play it safe, play it smart, and you can grow your start-up without shrinking your bank balance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jennifer Johnson is the owner of Logo Design Zone. She can create a 100% unique, totally memorable logo for your business - for UNDER 0! Does your current logo make the grade? Take Logo Design Zone's free logo quiz and find out!