They established trading stations around the Mediterranean Sea littoral. Two of these grew into city-states - Carthage and New Carthage.
They established trading stations rather than colonies, to promote their carry-trade activity.
It depended on technology because they couldn't deliver goods across the sea to other colonies if they didn't have technology like the wheel and sail. Furthermore, other colonies kind of depended on the Phoenicians to deliver trade across the sea...
They spread colonies around the Mediterranean too, but they did it by seizing land rather than trade.
Their homeland was unable to sustain a growing population, so they turned to trade rather than conquest, and the trading stations gave them firm and protected operating bases in their main trading areas.
Profit.
Trade.
Trade.
The Phoenicians were a people who became prosperous through international trade.
The Hittites expanded militarily, the Phoenicians expanded through trade.
They had a fleet of armed vessels to conduct the trade, and established trading depots in the areas of interest.
The 'colonies' they established were in fact trading stations. This allowed them to trade extensively in local produce and cross-trade between areas as well as just in their own produce of timber, food and dyes. The exception was their colony Carthage, which grew in strength to establish its own trading colonies in the western Mediterranean.
They were trading stations - as great traders, the Phoenician need local bases to carry out this trade and protect it.