Since I own my own business web site and have looked for many ways to advertise cheap and for free, I have noticed how many sites there are out there that will try to get you to either join or buy advertising in one form or another. There are sites out there that will promise you the moon if you either join their “viral marketing” scheme or site that will cause your email box to become inundated with email ads from others who have fell for this.

But there are plenty of offline and online ways to get free or cheap advertising without joining these things and risking a backed up inbox or having your email address splattered all over the net for any desperate advertiser to get hold of. And here are a few.

Magnetic signs.
How many times have you seen a car that obviously belongs to a real estate agent or a plumber with his or her ad on the side of it? This is a good and inexpensive way to be a rolling billboard for your own web business, wherever you go.

Flyers
How many times have you visited a shopping center or mall and came out to your car to find something on the windshield? This is a good idea, but in some cities and parking lots it may be illegal to do this, so check it out with the business and you local city office first.

Free enterprise
Many convenient stores, drug stores and grocery stores, etc. have bulletin boards you can place flyers on. And if not, some may even let you place a flyer ad in their window. Just be sure and ask first.

Free online classifieds
There are lots of free classified ad sites on the web, some you have to sign up for, others you don’t. Just write your ad and keep it on your computer then simply join, copy and paste your ad every where you can find a free classified site on the web.

Link exchanges
I know many people already know about this, but some newbies to the internet actually don’t, and I have visited lots of new sites who aren’t doing this yet. So if you’re new to the web and have a site, join a link exchange site and open a links page and go to town trading links with other business web sites! (This is also good for the search engines for link popularity)

Business cards
I know most already do this, but sometimes it slips our minds to hand a card to the convenient store clerk or the person behind the counter at the dry cleaners. Also put them on the bulletin board in the break rooms of manufacturing companies. You can also place them on counters (after asking) in stores or businesses that may be pertinent to your business (for example if you sell home decor or furniture, place them on the counter of an insurance company or a real estate agency). But don’t expect a clothing store to put them on their counter if you sell jeans and shirts, that would be like asking the Coca Cola company to put a Pepsi machine in their foyer (sacrilege!).

T-shirts
Have a t-shirt printed up that has a small ad and web address for your business on the back of it, because it will be seen better than on the front. People are always looking at others as they walk away or if they’re standing in line behind you at a checkout counter or at the bank. You could even have some printed up for friends and family. But make it a cool color that will go with a good pair of jeans or shorts so people won’t hate to put it on.

Pens
I have heard (and seen) that lots of businesses have their name printed on pens. Personally, I’m not real crazy about this, because I myself hardly ever actually read the pen I’m writing with. But that doesn’t mean nobody does. So I leave this one up to you.

Bumper stickers
Have a bumper sticker with a smart quip or saying printed up and pass them around to your friends. The car behind you or them at the stoplight will no doubt read it. (Examples: STOP HONKING AND START SHOPPING AT http://www.yoursite.com - or - IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE WAY I DRIVE, THEN STAY AT HOME & SHOP! http://www.yoursite.com)

If you think about it long enough, you can come up with all sorts of other ideas like this. Just make sure that if it involves other businesses or their property, always ask! Because the last thing you want is to be professionally embarrassed or humiliated! Good luck!