This morning my father asked me, "Do people really call you?" and "Why would they call you?"

First, you need to know what I do online, and that is I help connect advertisers with the right advertising choices.

However, he just seemed sort of amazed that someone would pick up the phone to discuss advertising online.

For my part, I can think of several very good reasons why you would and more importantly should make that call.

Both new marketers and veteran marketers alike have very good reasons for calling any service first. In order of my personal importance, I would list them as:

1. Where should I start?

2. What should I do to get the most bang from my advertising dollar?

3. What are the benefits to advertising online?

4. Are you a real person or am I throwing my money down the toilet?

I'm sure there are more reasons for calling, but this makes a good starting point.

WHERE SHOULD I START?

If you've never advertised online or have had disappointments advertising online, my suggestion is to always start "small." Funny enough, starting "small" is a very strong way to begin. Lots of people who do call, call about solo advertising when, in fact, they aren't really ready to take that plunge yet (unless you're advertising a great affiliate program with an exceptional solo ad already written for you in your back office).

Classified ads are a great place to begin. Inexpensive, if you shop around, they give you an edge in multiple ways. By limiting your spending, and getting a good "run for your money," classifieds allow you to take your time to test and tweak your message. Through a co-op, sent to a selection or two of ezines at a time, for the right price, you can afford to spend these slight amounts of money to develop your award-winning text.

In addition, more often than not, ezine publishers now archive their issues online. This means after your initial showing in xyz issue, your ad is also archived on their website. Weeks, months, sometimes for years!

HOW TO GET THE BIGGEST BANG FOR THE LEAST AMOUNT?

Take the information in the above section, and combine it with real traffic (visitors not hits), and you've got yourself a winner. This can be done for very little and has a good 30 day run for your money.

Some people like to read ads. Some people really want to see the website. Some do both. By combining your text and visuals, you've accomplished it all.

BENEFITS OF ADVERTISING

This one is pretty basic. If you're marketing online, you've got to advertise - simple. No visitors, no potential customers. You cannot sign up for something or develop something and not tell anyone - not if you hope to make even a tiny living online.

ARE YOU A REAL PERSON

Ah! Now we've reached my most favorite reason for picking up the phone!

Are you for real? This should be the uppermost question in your mind when you're heading toward the "pull out the wallet and buy" aspect to anything online.

We know when we enter the doors of Walmart that Walmart exists. Buying online gives us no such guarantee. However, there are basic things to look for and do prior to spending.

Check the website. Look for addresses, phone numbers, copyright dates (to some extent), ways to get in touch other than just an email address.

Check out the domain using any lookup service - it's free. My personal favorite is www.betterwhois.com. With luck, and assuming the owner of the site hasn't made the information "private" (a very popular thing to do nowadays), you'll glean lots of information from taking those three seconds to check into any particular company.

Then - if you're still in doubt - pick up the phone AFTER checking the website for the location of that company.

On the east coast of the U.S.? Calling the west coast? Subtract three hours. World clocks abound on the net to give you the precise time it is anywhere in the world.

Also, do keep in mind that, like you, many businesses online are run by individuals. While their email is available 24/7, they'd probably appreciate not getting a phone call at 2 a.m. (again use those world clocks).

I just love the convenience being online provides - from banking, to purchases, to starting up a business. It can't be beat! But doing your homework - first - is always the best place to begin.