Differentiate yourself
You are in and incredibly competitive field that has good chunks of market share taken by a few brand name major players. It doesn't make sense for you to just join the shouting with all the regular advertising outlets, you'll just blend in with all the noise.
You are in a commodity business, and like it or not, that is evidenced by the fact that low price is the first thing customers look at when they go looking for web hosting. So as a business your main objective has to be to differentiate yourself from the pack so you can be perceived as unique and take lowest price off the table when customers consider using your services.
Customers like to feel they are special and they like to feel they are getting the best there is for their money. Ideally, they want to feel they are getting a deal that no-one else is. Remember, perception is reality. Whether they actually get all these from you is less important than them perceiving they are getting all these thing through using your web hosting services. (Of course, your services are in actual fact the best out there. :agree: )
So how do you do all that?
There's a story about a restaurant that sold nutritional frozen lunches that was having trouble getting cutomers in it's early days. At the advice of a marketing consultant he set up a program that was essentially a "free lunch". Through all of the regular marketing channels he made an offer that basically said, "... call this toll free number and get one of my healthy, nutritious frozen lunches, normally costing $9, totally free of charge. All I need is your name and mailing address, and we'll send you the tasty, nutrtitious frozen lunch of your choice...." And it also mentioned some conditions to do with one lunch per person per group, with certain geographic restricitons, etc.
What did this do?
1) It gave him a customer database including name, address and telephone (obtained from 800 # they called in on) numbering about 3,000 within a two week time frame.
2) It built tremendous goodwill with this group of new customers by giving first; no risk, no strings attached. The law of reciprocity is now in play instilling in those customers a feeling that they have to give back the good that they have been given.
3) It has allowed a large group of potential customers to experience the quality of his product.
4) It has differentiated this restaurant owner from "every" other restaurant owner in his trading zone.
5) It has set the stage for him to contact his new customer group with another great deal, albeit one they will be paying money for, but also one they will want to pay for so they can reciprocate the goodwill given them originally with the free lunch.
This is a value added approach that recognizes that people "are" willing to pay a bit more if they get extra quality services and a relationship that makes them feel special. And there is no better word of mouth than that which comes from a customer who has been dazzled by the 4-star service and "goodies" they received from you.
As web hosting is a perishable item that has to be renewed monthly, or yearly, just like lunches are bought daily, you can take the same approach.
In getting your intial offer out I would recommend using
PRWeb. Free web hosting with all kinds of bells and whistles "is" a big story and a good hook to write your release with. PRWeb has a lot of help with writing the article as well. AS the release goes to 4,000+ news outlets and has the credibility of being news in the exact category you want to be known for, it's a pretty powerful way to go. If you get picked up by some newspapers you will most probably get called and asked to be interviewed about your business. Cost ranges from $10 to $80, depending on how much coverage you want. Regardless, compared with all your other advertising outlets, it is the most promotion you will ever get for the cost of dinner for two at a good restaurant.
Of course, your offer can be put out there in banner ads, text ads and PPC as well.
You might be thinking that this is going to be costly. Well, just run the numbers and compare it with the cost of any banner and PPC campaign you are considering running. One way or another you will spend those dollars on marketing. Do you want to spend money allowing customers to shop you against all your competitors, or do you want to spend that same money on creating customer loyatly, the kind that makes grown men tear up when they think of you?
Anyway, I hope this has been helpful to you.
Ben
