A successful business owner, whether in e-commerce or a mom and pop store, has usually found some way to be of service to their customer. Not only does helping your customer build and strengthen your customer relationships but it also can truly help your customers meet their goals. Free downloads or freebies is just a digital manifestation of what business pioneers have long ago understood. Helping your customer is good business!

The files you offer that are related to your service or industry can do many things for your online business. It can increase your visibility to a target base, make your site memorable, and it can potentially increase your site's traffic. For instance, a programmer may offer free open-source applications to potential customers (which many of them do) in hopes the visitors will share the application (more traffic or visibility), and ultimately the visitors will return to the site when they want to customize or enhance the program. Consumers are more likely to buy from someone with whom they have already built a relationship.

Free downloads can vary from e-books, templates of various kinds, software, screensavers, or others. To make each download effective, you have to let others know they are available. There are many sites dedicated to offering freebies. Submit your download or a link to your download page to those sites. Use your favorite search engine to gather a listing of these freebie sites.

It may seem obvious, but don't forget to include references to your product or service and your site address within your download.

You should see dramatic increase in your traffic but not just to the download page. Many visitors will become genuinely interested in your company and what you to have offer. Keep you site updated and offer incentives to those who download in your freebies. In addition to obtaining traffic, you should see an increase in your contact database and new business. So continuously submit your freebie links to other sites and eventually your efforts will pay off.