I think your site is wonderful. I have had my biz on the web since nov 98 and until I offered 90 free labels did i get a medium turnout.. but, I had to redo the ad for people to send me $3 for postage & handling charges so I would make some money in the end to purchase new ink jet cartridges.

Dear FoDreamer,

OOUCH!  I bet that was an experience!  I am sorry that happened to you.  However, we always have good things come out of every failure.  You have learned about your community, as well as the fact that you have interested buyers visit your website.  Now, the question is:  How do I get them to purchase my services/products yet offer them added value?  If revenue isn't derived from the website, I can't afford to continue in business?

Well, let me tell you a story.  Years ago I owned a temporary service company in a small Texas Hill Country town, Boerne, Texas.  I really had a good business placing temporary employees to work in small businesses.  I also had a secretarial service in the main office where people could come into the office with typing needs, accounting needs (like balancing their checkbooks), making copies, etc.  As owner, I was always supporting my community chamber of commerce and retail associations.  One time I decided to offer FREE secretarial services to senior citizens of Boerne.  Word spread within the community of this marvelous offer and the next thing I knew, I had lonely senior citizens in my office like it was the grocery store and we were giving free groceries!

These potential customers also became temporary employees for my business.  Let me tell you how I did it.  I quickly changed the advertisement of free services to senior citizens to read "Attention Senior Citizens, VISIT Deb at Boerne Employment to see how you can participate in our free services offer!"  Now, that changed the situation drastically!  When the Senior Citizen came in, I told them that for every $10.00 minimum charge for secretarial services they incurred with our business, that I would give them a $5.00 coupon TO BE APPLIED TO their NEXT SERVICE through our company.  I also had a chance to meet them, interview as a potential temporary employee and explain to them how they could also get paid to do minor assignments in the community.

My temporary employee staff became one of the most loyal, and experienced staffs in the area and I began to get telephone calls from companies as far away as Kerrville and San Antonio!  It became, to me, one of my better WIN-WIN business offers...and everyone knows I love WIN-WIN offers!

You might consider giving your FREE OFFER OF LABELS a little bit of a "twist" similar to my FREE SERVICES FOR SENIOR CITIZENS.  Take your cost up a notch to absorb what you will give to your customers as Free Labels.  Offer the "freebie coupon" on their next order.  Send 10 different types of labels using their name and address so they can see the different styles you can provide them.  Put a form on your website that says:  Click here to find out how to receive FREE LABELS.  On the form, be sure to get their full name, mailing address and what they need labels for?  Then have an autoresponder or form letter to send them telling them about your services.  That will build your customer database.  Even if they don't order the first time, you have then created a beginning of a customer base.  You can then mail/e-mail them specials or information about your business on a regular marketing schedule.  Also, remember 90% of all your business revenue comes from only 10% of your customer base.

Hope this helps you grow your business.  Welcome to FoDreams.Com Community!

Deb Nyberg