5. Early Internet Leveraging (Very Basic & Slow):

saddammolla · Post by **saddammolla** » Sat May 24, 2025 4:27 am

Flyers/Brochures (Self-Printed/Low Cost): Creating simple, informative flyers or brochures and distributing them in local areas, on community bulletin boards (where permitted), or in partnership with non-competing local businesses (e.g., a hardware store allowing an electrician to leave flyers).

Basic Website: Having a very simple, static HTML website was increasingly possible by 2000, and could be created with minimal cost (e.g., using basic HTML editors or even free web page builders if available). This served as an online business card.
"Contact Us" Forms: The primary way to generate "free" leads from a website was a basic form where visitors could submit inquiries.
Online Directories: Listing the business in early, free online ghana phone number list directories (like Yahoo! Directory, or early local business listing sites). This allowed people actively searching for services to find you.
Email (for follow-up): Once an email address was obtained (e.g., via a business card exchange or a website inquiry), email was a free way to follow up and nurture the lead. Mass unsolicited email was prevalent, but good practices emphasized permission-based email.
Key Considerations for "Free" in 2000:

Time Investment: "Free" didn't mean zero cost; it meant a significant investment of the business owner's or salesperson's time and effort.
Patience: Many free lead generation methods required time to build trust and relationships before leads materialized.
Consistency: Regular networking, consistent great service, and ongoing community involvement were crucial for sustained free lead flow.
Local Focus: The vast majority of free lead generation was intensely localized due to the reliance on physical presence and community interaction.
In essence, free lead generation in 2000 was about being present in the community, building a strong reputation through direct interaction and excellent service, and leveraging personal networks to create a steady stream of inquiries.