For those of you who don't know what an FFA site is, it's basically a website where you can post a link/add to your website for free. Generally it is also posted to many other sites at the same time and hopefully somebody sees your link...free advertising in other words. When you post a link, you are also giving permission (whether you know it or not) to receive confirmation e-mails back from the site owner.

Though there are millions of registered users on eBay, many people still don't know how to sell goods themselves. A Trading Assistant fills a need in the marketplace, allowing you to make a profit while helping others unload their stuff. Almost everyone has a box of items in their garage or closet that they would like to sell.

In my opinion membership programs are the best products to advertise for. Even if you only sell one membership per month. Doesn't sound much, doesn't it? But it's probably more realistic than the high flying promises of the membership program owners. Focus for just a minute and follow my math.

Before posting free ads I STRONGLY recommend that you set up an extra business e-mail address. Free classifieds are free for a reason: When you post ads you will receive "confirmation e-mails" that your ad was posted. If you post to classified networks you can receive hundreds of confirmation e-mails per day. You can set up a free Hotmail or Yahoo account. Once a week I recommend that you clean up your e-mail account by deleting all e-mails so the inbox doesn't get full.

You should track EVERYTHING...yes even the free classified ads you place. People will dispute this with me and say "what for, it's free, if I get a hit, cool, it didn't cost me a thing!"

Pay Per Click Services - Consider using some Pay per click services such as Google Ads or Overture. This can help increase the exposure of your web site by adding it to the Sponsored Listings section and the first page of search engine results. Most keyword bids start as low as .10 per click and you can specifiy your budget and the amount you're willing to spend each day to keep yourself on budget.

There are also numerous places that will take free classified ads, or you can pay for ads in selected publications. Make a list of magazines and other publications that make sense for your business in order to broaden your audience. Traditional print and the media are also a great way to get noticed.

Off Season Ad Specials

Summer and mid Winter (December and January) are usually slower months in terms of advertising. Many ezine owners who don't normally offer ad space in their publications will offer special deals to subscribers. These advertising specials are limited in number and may sell out quickly. A recent ad I ran in one of these ezines produced the best response I've had yet.

Now let's get to the heart of the question. Do Free Classifieds make sales? They will if the site you choose gets descent traffic and the site offers photo uploads and hyper-linking to your website. Many of these sites use the same quality software that the pay for ads sites use. You may ask what's in it for them if my ads are free? Good question, many of these sites rely on you clicking on their paid advertisements and you visiting their affiliation sites, hoping you will place an order.