Freelancers: 3 Things You Can Do TODAY to Make Your Website More Profitable

"Darn, only two articles sold last month and so far, no responses to queries sent out this month. What am I doing wrong? What can I do to increase sales?" If you've ever had this internal dialogue, then you're not alone.

Most freelancers/small business owners are surprised to find that the real work of a web site is not in getting one, but promoting it. Outlined below are three surefire ways to increase sales without breaking the bank.

1. Promote, promote, promote: When was the last time you sent out a mailing via direct mail to promote your online presence? As there are literally billions, yes, BILLIONS of websites, customers have to know you exist in order to visit you online.

A postcard mailing is cheap and easy to do. It doesn't have to be elaborate or expensive. Visit web sites like vistaprint.com, modernpostcard.com, printingforless.com, etc. to get started. Sending out even a nominal amount (250, 500, more if you can afford it) on a monthly basis will increase sales.

Action You Can Take Now! Go to a postcard website and design a postcard mailer. Even if you can't afford to order it today, at least you will have designed it, will know the cost and can order it when you have enough sales to cover the cost. The point is to take action NOW. FYI, it costs nothing to design a postcard on vistaprint.com.

2. Stay in Touch: Do you collect the names of visitors to your site via automated software? There are many companies that offer software for this purpose. Software from Microsoft BCentral and ConstantContact.com are two that come to mind.

Stay in touch on a regular basis - most experts recommend at least twice a month. And, don't make every contact a sales pitch. Remember, you are building a relationship. Would you want to talk to someone who is always trying to sell you something?

Via a newsletter, you can inform your customer base about things relevant to your industry that help them improve their lives. For example, if you write newsletters for small businesses, you might send an informative article about how newsletters increase sales, general tips on how to increase client mailing lists, etc.