Use Advertising as a Testing Tool
I read the following line in a blog article by a guest writer on OnStartups: "...Unless you have deep pockets think of advertising not as a long-term traffic strategy, but as a testing tool to improve your website and find out more about your ideal visitor. Few bootstrapped startups can withstand the cash outlay required to turn advertising into a marketing activity with a positive ROI, but that shouldn't keep you from testing the waters to find out for yourself." I wholeheartedly agree!
Not only will using the above strategy save you money, it will also make you more disciplined in your marketing overall. (Discipline is one great side benefit of bootstrapping!) Marketing should be driven by market research and analysis of results. If you get into this habit before you really have money to spend, you will use your money wisely when you do finally possess sufficient funds to allocate a real marketing budget.
To read the entire article, go to The 5 Minute Guide To Cheap Startup Advertising.
