Initially the most important factor in attracting people to your site is its overall look and quality. We have changed our site several times since it was launched, each time updating and improving its content. The site must certainly not be static, it must be seen to be ever changing. It should be simple and clearly laid out and easy to navigate. Visitors don't want something that will take them too much time to get through as invariably they don't have that time! Promotion is the key to success and we are only just starting to learn what actually works and what doesn't. Email for instance is one that just won't reap rewards. There's no point in emailing anyone and everyone who you might think is interested. You may get one or two positive responses from 300 emails. However the rest may never read or simply delete what you send. One way of emailing that we have found to be a success is to reply to people's questions, problems and thoughts within a newsgroup. There will be several, if not, many newsgroups that will match your target audience. You have to remember that newsgroups have rules and regulations, and that you can't just post blatant advertising. You may be found to be in breach of these rules and banned! E-mails must be targeted to reach your audience and not sent out randomly. People get upset if you send too much unsolicited junk mail! Another successful way of promoting your site via email is to use a signature file. This is a small and effective tool. It just involves leaving your name, URL, email address, telephone and fax numbers at the bottom of every email you send out. It is much easier for people to just click onto a URL than having to type it in, even if they have just a quick look. Flooding people with your site address is another must for companies promoting their web site. Put it anywhere and everywhere you think, on everything that is sent out. There are lots of promotional items that can be sent out with your URL on and these can be purchased relatively cheaply. Sending promotional items out by post such as newsletters or leaflets can, like email, be very hit and miss. It is virtually impossible to know the person you are mailing to, what their circumstances are, whether they are even on the net or not and if they really will be interested in what you are sending to them. Again it is better to target specific individuals and groups. For those that are trying to find what may be on your site, but don't know your URL, search engines are by far the best way of getting 'hits'. Getting your site positioned high up on a search engine is a highly difficult and complicated matter, but if you get it right it can reap substantial rewards! There are numerous search engines, such as Yahoo! and Excite, and registering with most is free. There are sites that will submit your URL to several search engines, but to be effective, your site needs to be submitted regularly. E-commerce is now a major commercial tool used by businesses world- wide. If you have something to sell, sell it on the internet! It is estimated that 10,000 new users are logging onto 'the net' every week and any company worth it's salt will now have a site and a facility for people to buy it's products on-line. The process is simple and quick for customers, just a few clicks of a button is all it takes. And that simplicity means they are more likely to come back again and again! Keeping in touch with colleagues and friends, wherever they are, has never been easier. E-mail can be accessed anywhere in the world as long as you have a PC and a modem. The facility can be used to send promotional information, special offers or just a simple 'hello' to customers around the world. By maintaining regular contact, customers feel wanted, even when they're not necessarily buying your products! And it helps in building up a personal relationship. I hope this helps in your future marketing decisions.

About the author: David Bell is Manager, Online Marketing, at http://www.wspromotion.com/ , a leading Search Engine Optimization services firm and Advertising Agency.