One of the most important things a new small business owner needs to do is make sure that they advertise, advertise well, and advertise a lot. Part of this is making sure that advertising efforts use a variety of different avenues and use them correctly for them to be as effective as possible. Here are three places small business owners need to be advertising before they open their doors.

1. Online
One place that small business owners need to start advertising before they even open their doors is the internet. There are a number of different ways to do this and a number of different platforms that are effective. Some business owners choose to outsource this because it takes more time and know how than they have, but it’s okay to start small. Business owners should make sure their businesses appear on places like Google Business Pages, Urban Spoon, and Trip Advisor.

2. On the Premises
The internet changed advertising in a big way, but the old tried and true methods still hold. A small business typically gets about half of its local customer base from business signs. Rather than getting a few unmemorable generic signs, a small business owner should opt for designing a few custom signs. Not only will this help make the location of your business more visible, but quality business sign design will also help create brand recognition which is conducive to increasing brand loyalty. Custom signs will set a business apart from its competitors and create an accurate representation of it.

3. Off Premises
Though the internet is a good way to reach potential customers wherever they are and on premise signs are helpful for marking the location of your business, outdoor business signs are also effective when they aren’t located where the business is. If a small business owner chooses to erect a billboard or large sign, he or she should keep in mind that the busier the road is, the taller the sign should be.

Do you have any tips for small business owners who are just about to open? Let us know in the comments.