(Money Magazine) — Question: How can I attract more customers to my retail boutique without spending a lot of money? – Tony Gim, Naples, Fla. Answer: If you don’t have the funds for a big advertising campaign, you’ll need to get the word out yourself. Start by taking a hard look at your product line, pricing and service to figure out what factors make your business unique.

Ask yourself what you can offer that your competitors can’t: A better price? Greater expertise? More convenience?” says Neil Schaffer, CEO of the Longview Consulting Group in New York City. “Then play up that edge to your target audience through direct and guerilla marketing.”

One of the cheapest and often most successful direct ways to boost retail traffic: Send an e-newsletter to past customers. “It’s always more effective to market to the person you know,” says Doug Fleener, president of the Dynamic Experiences Group, a Lexington, Mass. retail consulting firm. This way, you don’t need to advertise to the whole local market just to get these shoppers back in the store.

(FORTUNE Small Business) — Dear FSB: We are in the market to have a Web site built. We are currently gathering proposals, but they range wildly, from $19,500 to $1,800. Help! What is the price range for a typical Web site constructionin Maryland?

- Marylou Barkman, Mechanicsville, Md.

Dear Marylou: With quotes like that, it’s no surprise you’re feeling a bit out of sorts. How can a Web site cost so little – and so much?

A great site doesn’t have to break the bank, but the World Wide Web is becoming more and more complicated as e-commerce grows. It pays to take a step back and make sure you don’t pay for more (or less) than you need. After all, who wants to pay top dollar to be the next Amazon (AMZN, Fortune 500) if you sell nothing through your site – or, conversely, spend too little on a site that doesn’t meet your customers’ needs?