If you offer a physical product for sell, having a website can help you bring many sales you wouldn’t have otherwise received.  People from all over the world can view your products, both day and night.  To make the most of your website (and your profits), you will want to display your highest quality product photos.

Many times, when it comes to your products, your website may be the only thing your customers have to go by.  They may never have had the chance to see your products in person.  It only makes sense to include photos that show several views of your product. You may want to include a shot of both the front and back views.  If you are offering something such as a purse, you may want to include a shot of the inside lining.

Depending on the type of product you are selling, you may want to include a model in your photos.  This is especially true if you are offering something such as clothing, jewelry, or handbags. If your visitor can “see” the image on someone else, they can more easily imagine it on themselves.

If you are offering some other type of item, you may not need a model, but you may want to include something that can help the visitor distinguish the object’s actual size.  This is true, even if you include measurements in your product description.

Make sure that your photos are in focus and that images can be clearly seen.  Another helpful tip would be to include a function that increases the size of the picture as the customer rolls their mouse over the image.

Having high-quality photos on your website will also add to your credibility and help to establish your reputation as a professional.  When a visitor comes to a website that features poorly lit photos that contain blurry images, they will most likely assume the owner of the website is a real amateur.

On the other hand, when they visit a website that contains lots of high-quality photos, they will assume that the owner of this website is very professional and takes pride in their work.

To achieve the best photo results, you may want to consider hiring a professional photographer.  They will have high-resolution cameras that can really capture the detail of your products.  Not to mention, they also have access to great lighting, and they know how to make an image look great.

You can call the local portrait studios in your area to get an idea of what the average fee will be.  While it may involve some up-front cost it is well worth it.  The photos on your site will be “selling” your product. A picture may be worth a thousand words; over the course of time, it could also be worth several thousands of dollars.

If you typically conduct your business via the Internet, you could be passing up a goldmine of business located right in your backyard.  You may not think local people are interested in your services, or perhaps you are just not sure how to actually reach them.  By placing a survey in your local paper, you can boost your local exposure (and your local profits).

A survey can consist of a few short questions, or it can be very long and detailed.  Most people will not take the time to fill out anything too drawn out, so it is best to keep it short and simple.

For example, if you are a virtual assistant, you can include questions such as “do you know what a virtual assistant is?”, “do you see the benefits of hiring someone on a contractual basis?” and “how much would you be willing to pay a virtual assistant?”

Setting up the survey is very easy.  First of all, you will want to create the survey page on your website.  Remember to name it something simple that people can remember. Once you have the link established, you can contact your local paper and give them the ad wording you would like to use, making sure you include the link to the survey.

You may want to include some type of incentive, as a thank you for completing the survey. Using the above example of the virtual assistant, you could offer 30% off a clients’ first project with you.  They will feel like they are getting a great deal, and you will only have to redeem the offer on new, paying clients.  Of course, you can send this offer in a separate email that not only thanks them for their time, but also includes an offer to sign up for your monthly newsletter (or some other opt-in list).

Including a survey in your local paper can help boost exposure to people who may   otherwise not have known you existed.  Again, using the virtual assistant example, there may be several people in your area that may not know what a virtual assistant is.  However, once they come to realize what one is, and that someone local to them offers this type of service, they may be more than willing to hire you.

Not only can surveys help you boost your local exposure and business, they can also provide you a great deal of market research.  Using the above example, you will find out what people are willing, and what they are not willing, to pay virtual assistants.  This can help you set your fee range accordingly.

As you can see, a survey that you advertise in your local paper can greatly increase your local market, as well as provide helpful insights on what types of products people want not to mention what they are willing to pay for them.

Many business owners take careful consideration into the type of advertising they buy.  They want to choose the right keyword for their pay-per-click campaigns or the best publications and websites for their other paid ads.  However, there is a free type of advertising that deserves just as much attention, but is largely ignored.  That type of advertising is known as “word of mouth.”

Positive word of mouth advertising happens when a client or colleague recommends you and your business to another person.  Of course, negative word of mouth advertising can happen, too.  That is when someone dissuades another person from using your services.  There are several things you can do to generate positive word of mouth advertising.

Providing quality products and services will set you apart from the competition and greatly increases the chances of receiving positive word of mouth advertising.  If you do a great job on a project for someone, they will definitely let others know about it.  Plus, they’ll want to hire you again for any upcoming projects they have.  Performing quality work is definitely the first step in generating a solid customer base.

Along with providing great work, you’ll also want to provide great customer service.  Your clients can easily hire someone else to do the work they hired you for.  Taking the time to respond daily to emails, quote requests and phone calls is very important.  When your business is too big for you to do this by yourself, outsource this function to a virtual assistant.

Past and current clients are not the only ones who will refer you to new clients.  Networking with other, non-competing business owners who can pass your name out to their own clients will help too.  A virtual assistant, graphic designer, and ghostwriter can all share the same clients.

If you haven’t taken the time out to brand your business, you may want to consider taking the time to do that now.  When you brand your business, people will automatically associate you with that brand.  When they meet someone in need of your products or services, they will easily remember your business and therefore, be more likely to refer you.

Some examples of branding strategies include Nike, Apple, and even Rachael Ray.  You know that when you want athletic shoes, Nike has them.  Apple is known for having the best, most cutting edge Mp3 players.  And if you want a speedy 30 minute meal, you don’t have to look any farther than one of Rachael Ray’s television shows, books, magazines or DVDs.

Word-of-mouth advertising can be very effective.  If used correctly, you’ll be reaching many new customers, and you won’t have to pay a dime for it.

When some people hear the word “marketing,” they may automatically think of networking or public speaking.  While those are certainly some forms of marketing, those are not the only avenues available.  In fact, there are numerous ways to market your business, both online and locally.

Finding a marketing activity to fit your personality will make marketing a fun activity for you.  The first step would be to decide if you have more of an outgoing personality or if you are more introverted.  Once you have decided that, you can decide if you would like to focus your efforts locally or online.

If you feel that you are outgoing and would like to market your business locally, you could try joining a networking group.  These groups meet weekly and the goal is to meet other local business people and help each other with referrals and leads.

If that option sounds a bit too intimidating, you could try joining other types of groups, such as a book club or hiking group.  This will also allow you to meet new people, and as you get to know the other members, the topic of what you do for a living will come up.  Another member may be in need of your services, and if not, they may pass your name onto someone else.

Another idea for outgoing people is to give a presentation to a group on a topic that complements your business.  If you are a virtual assistant, you could offer to do a presentation for your local Chamber of Commerce on a topic such as organizing your email inbox.  You could mention in your presentation that, as a virtual assistant, you handle email for many of your clients.  This will pique the interest of your audience and people that are interested in hearing more about your services will get in touch with you.

If you happen to be more introverted, you could offer a similar presentation online via a web conference room or through a telephone conference line.  Since no one can physically see you, you may be more comfortable speaking in front of a group this way.

The Internet actually holds many marketing options for shy people.  Message boards and forums are a great place to start.  You can find them on just about any topic and there will surely be one that fits your target market.  Social networking sites such as myspace.com, Yahoo 360o, and squidoo.com, also offer marketing opportunities.

It doesn’t matter if you are talking to someone at a networking event or posting messages back and forth on a forum, it takes time to build relationships and market your business with other people.  Don’t get discouraged if your sales remain steady.  Over time, your hard work will pay off and you will notice your sales increasing.