Starting an Online Business All-in-One For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

Enticing Customers to Your Online Offering

For your in-store customers to become online shoppers, they have to know about your new store location (online, that is!). So use the advantage of having that customer in your brick-and-mortar store to advertise and promote your e-store. Whenever you make an in-store sale, you have the perfect opportunity to inform and entice that customer with the lure of the Web.

Publicizing your Web presence

Make a big deal about your move to the Web by showing off the name of your online business — and the URL (Web address) of your online store — in your physical store and in all the transactions that take place there. We're not saying that you have to draw 6-foot letters on the wall or plaster the windows with gigantic URL addresses, but you definitely have to incorporate your online store name and URL into all your store literature and promotional space. This opportunity to promote your e-store includes items such as

• Business cards: Leave your business cards (with your e-store name and address highlighted) next to the cash register and throw one into the package with every customer's purchase.
• Sales flyers: Integrate your Web site address into every flyer, most likely along the bottom. Add a blurb on the flyer that says “Check us out online at … Even include online discount codes on the flyer that allow the customer to shop online during the sale at the same discount.
• Cash registers and counter displays: In addition to keeping your business cards ...