Let Your Vehicle Drive Traffic To Your Web Site

by Bonnie Boots

Traffic is the life-blood of any web site. We count it, analyze it and try to drive it by paying for click thrus or creating sticky content. That’s on-line. But off-line, it’s possible that a great tool for driving traffic to your web site is sitting right in your driveway.

 Yes, I’m talking about your car.

 If you live in a city of any size and own a car, you probably pass hundred, perhaps thousands of likely prospects on the roadways every week. For a few dollars, you can turn your car into a rolling advertisement and let those people you pass, or the ones sitting behind you at the stoplight, know about your web site. Here are some suggestions for how.

 A lot of us use sticky content to drive traffic. But how about sticky content for your car? I’m talking about bumper stickers, a fad that never seems to fade.  Bumper stickers are so inexpensive you may want to print enough to share with friends and tuck into boxes as a “gift with purchase.” Making them funny as well as informative is the key to getting people to display them.

 We found 100 bumper stickers for $187. at www.koolprint.com which includes shipping. If you only want a few bumper stickers, consider printing your own on any inkjet printer. We found a pack with 7 sheets of water-resistant sticker paper for inkjet printers at Office Depot for $11.99.

 Magnetic signs are another popular form of drive-by advertising. Most sign shops are capable of printing out thin magnetic signs, often while you wait. If you don’t have this service available locally, think internet, where any number of vendors offer the thin, flexible magnetic signs that adhere to the side doors of your car.

 At www.cheap magneticsigns.com  ,for example, we found a set of two 20 inch by 12 inch signs for $28. Put your business name and web site URL on these signs, affix them to the doors and your car becomes a rolling billboard. Ad a creative twist to this old advertising idea by also printing magnetic business cards and sticking them around your main sign. When people see your car in a parking lot, they can take one of your cards.

 A rainbow of color and printing choices make decals an affordable and eye-catching way to advertise from your car. You’ve probably see vinyl banners going across the top windshield or rear window of cars and trucks. Almost any sign shop can print these with your web site URL. On the internet, we found http://window-effects.com selling custom, 2 inch by 20 inch vinyl banners in a number of color choices for $7.99 plus postage. At http://squierdesign.com  we found a much wider variety of options for custom printing of vinyl or static cling banners at equally affordable prices.

 If you’re ready to go all out, you can wrap your entire car in vinyl. You’ve already seen this option on fleet vehicles for corporations like BrighHouse or your local bus company. It’s not cheap. Wrapping an entire car in vinyl can start at $3000, but it’s less expensive and faster than a custom paint job and offers a nearly unlimited canvas for creativity. Check for local companies by searching the internet for “fleet rap” or “vinyl vehicle wrap.” While you can certainly apply a window banner yourself, wrapping an entire car in vinyl is not a do-it-yourself project.

 Now here’s something new that I really like-- metal-finish I.D plates. Yes, the same kind of chrome I.D. plates that dealerships use to add their advertising to your new car, can be ordered with your web site URL. (And F.Y.I., when you’re ordering a new car from a dealership, it’s your right to tell them to leave their advertising off your new car.)

 The classy, good looks of these chrome or gold I.D plates shout professional and will catch the eye of anyone behind you in traffic.

 We found this example, with room for one or two lines of text for $44.95 at http://www.iditplates.net/   We found a similar product and pricing in Australia at http://www.plusone.com.au/aussiepromoplates/

With a little creative thinking, you can find dozens of ways to drive traffic to your web site using your own vehicle. Then, next time you’re stuck in traffic, you won’t be wasting time. You’ll be marketing!

 About the Author

Bonnie Boots publishes The Internet Wizards Magazine and the companion The Internet Wizards Blog to teach self-employed people and small businesses owners how to leverage the internet for advertising, marketing and promoting their business. To stay in touch with her, type your name and email into the subscriber box in the left column of this page. You'll be glad you did!

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