3. Demonstrating Expertise & Thought Leadership (Emerging):

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. Networking and Referrals (Crucial):

Word-of-Mouth: This was paramount. Delivering successful early websites or online campaigns for clients was the best advertising. Satisfied clients would refer their business contacts.
Professional Networks: Building relationships with other business service providers who didn't offer web services but whose clients might need them. This included:
Traditional advertising agencies (who often lacked online expertise)
PR firms
Graphic design studios
IT consultants
Business consultants
Accountants and financial advisors
Chamber of Commerce and Business Associations: Attending local business meetings, events, and joining relevant committees to network directly with potential clients (small to medium-sized businesses) who were just starting to consider an online presence.
2. Cold Outreach (Direct & Targeted):

Cold Calling: Salespeople would directly call businesses, often focusing on those that clearly didn't have a website, or whose websites were extremely primitive (e.g., a single-page HTML site with outdated info). The pitch would focus on the "opportunity" of the internet.
Direct Mail: Sending professional brochures or letters to targeted businesses, explaining the benefits of a website, online presence, or early e-commerce capabilities. These mailings would include case studies (even if only 1-2 successes) and a clear call to action (e.g., "Call for a free web presence assessment!").
"Door-to-Door" (Targeted): For local businesses, a consultant might literally walk into a business, introduce themselves, and offer a basic assessment of their online needs.


Seminars & Workshops: Hosting free local seminars titled "Why Your Business Needs a Website," "Getting Online for Small Businesses," or "Understanding E-commerce Basics." These would be held at local community centers, libraries, or rented hotel conference rooms. Attendees would be self-qualified leads.
Speaking Engagements: Offering to speak at industry association meetings (e.g., for retailers, manufacturers) about the benefits of the internet and digital marketing.
Articles & Whitepapers: Writing articles for local business journals, industry trade magazines, or even creating early "whitepapers" (often simple PDFs or even printed documents) on topics like "The ABCs of Building an Online Store" or "Maximizing Your Web Presence." These served as lead magnets.
Public Relations: Seeking mentions in local business news about ghana phone number list successful client projects or the agency's growth.
4. Showcasing Work (Portfolio as a Lead Magnet):

Their Own Website: The company's own website was their most important sales tool. It needed to be cutting-edge for 2000 (which meant clean design, fast loading, and basic interactivity like Flash if they were pushing it). It served as a living portfolio of their capabilities.
Case Studies: Detailed descriptions (often printed or on their website) of successful projects, highlighting tangible results (e.g., "Increased sales by 15%," "Reduced customer service calls by 10%").
Visual Portfolio: Screenshots or links to client websites (if clients allowed) were crucial.
5. Early Online Advertising (Limited):

Banner Ads: Placing banner ads on relevant industry portals, business news sites, or early online directories where business owners might browse. The call to action would be to visit their website or request more information.
Online Directories: Listing the company in early online business directories.
Google AdWords (Late 2000): For companies that embraced it quickly, Google AdWords, launched in October 2000, offered a new way to get in front of businesses searching for "web design," "internet marketing," or "e-commerce solutions." This was a nascent but powerful channel.