# 24 - Using Contests to Improve Your Sales

Using Contests to Improve Your Sales

By Chris Maher

As relatively unknown artists, one of the major challenges we face on the Web building traffic at our sites. Contests or gifts can be a good motivators to get folks to visit our galleries and see our work.

Not only can a popular contest bring in many visitors, to win they all have to sign up - giving you valuable contact information. You will be able to use that list for all your future site promotions and announcements.

It's also possible to require contests to answer questions about your site, insuring that they actually look at your work, or provide you with feedback before you will accept their entry.

If you want to see some of the best contests and sweepstakes on the web, check out Web Magnet's Contest Site. Seeing how others structure their contests can be a big help in designing your own. Web Magnet also has a great page of general promotion advice on their How-To-Do-It Advice on Promoting Your Web Site page.

To be successful you will need to promote your contest to the right people. You need potential buyers, not just surfers looking for free stuff. You should consider sending information about your contest out with any postal mailing you do to your existing customers, as well as in your promotional hand outs. In most cases, it's best to attract the right type of buyer first, then keep them coming back with contests.

If you think your work can succeed with a general audience, consider promoting your contest through sites that list thousands of contests. Check out Contests, Sweepstakes, and Giveaways on the Web and Contestworld. You can even announce it on the news group news://alt.consumers.sweepstakes. Your are sure to increase your traffic, but these type sites attract folks who are looking for free stuff, and may not help your bottom line.

One place where contests are promoted in a somewhat less targeted manor is the WWW CONTESTS GUIDE. This is an excellent place to see how other folks are structuring their contests. When I did a search on the keyword "art" it brought up 14 sites, each with a somewhat different approach.

Your prizes have to have value in the eyes of your contestants, but not cost you a lot of money. It seems natural to give away some of your work as the award, but I don't think that is the best idea. Folks who were considering a purchase might just sign up to see if they can get it for free.

So, what should you give away? Items with pictures of your work - and your name and URL on them. Coffee mugs, T-Shirts, Bookmarks, and Calendars are excellent for that purpose. All these items can be created on your computer for a very low cost. A quality ink jet printer will do a great job printing the items, and you can make as many or few as you need. (Check out the Canon and Epson web sites for more information on how to create these items).

Each of these items will continue to show your work to all who see them, and advertise your contact information to the world.

Be aware that many regulations exist in each country, state, and locality regulating contests. Most laws are designed to protect people from unscrupulous contests that require people to buy something or pay money for entry. By asking for nothing but contact information, you should be staying clear of any problems. Still, it would be wise to add a disclaimer as well. "This offering is void where regulated or prohibited by local law" is a common phrase one sees on contests in the US.

Have you success at your site with a contest or give away? E-mail me and let me know how your ideas have helped your sales at your site.

This page last updated: 09/02/04

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