• Take advantage of email newsletters. They are free and easy to do and they can generate some good revenue if you send them out to the right customers.


• Use webinars to attract new customers. This is the perfect way to establish yourself in the market and to let others know who you are and what your company is about. Webinars not only help you set yourself apart as an expert in the field, they also help you connect with your customers.


• Start offering some of your products for free. This may sound like a ludicrous idea, but it's the best marketing plan in the book. You give people a little taste of what your company has to offer and they get hooked. Once they are hooked, you stop offering it for free and people become paying customers. Just remember that whenever something is given out for free, consumers are skeptical because "you get what you paid for."


• Establish trust with your customers if you want them to continue coming back. When people trust you and your company, they will trust your products and pick them over your competitors. You can establish trust by responding to emails and customer comments. Let them know that you actually listen and you care about their opinions.

There are hundreds of other ways to increase your ROI. Many companies have found that fliers and postcard mailers are the way to go. Whenever you are dealing with printed material, you will be spending a great deal of money so you'd better make sure you have a good product to promote.

Mailers are a great idea if you have a solid list to market to. The problem for many companies is that they don't have a good mailing list so they end up paying for a list. The mailing list they get doesn't always have the best contacts for their products on there and sometimes you can only use the list one time. The ROI from purchasing a mailing list is generally pretty dismal, especially for small businesses. You are better off spending time compiling your own mailing list through research and customer surveys than you are to purchase a mailing list.

A great way to increase your ROI is to start having discount days for repeat customers. Pick a holiday or time of year that will draw interest from your target market and then have a big promotion on that day. Send out fliers, postcards, and emails to all of your repeat customers and thank them for their business, as a thank-you gift, give them 15 percent off their next order. This is a great way to show your customers that you appreciate them and it's a great way to boost some sales in a time when your company may be in a slump.

It will take time to increase your ROI so you must be patient. Spend extra time researching your market so you know if you are marketing to the right people or not. Always spend time evaluating your competitors to make sure you can offer better products and better prices for your consumers. When you invest some time in research, you will have better ideas and this can stimulate new product development.

Don't forget about your current customers. They are the reason why you are successful right now, so you need to spend time acknowledging them. Establishing trust and building a good reputation are essential in whatever industry you may be in.