"If you build it, they will come."

    Hogwash. This only works in the movies. No matter how beautiful the build, your web-based business will fail if you don't generate enough traffic to your site or sites. How can you get it? By learning how to promote online.

1. SEO is the starting point. SEO or search engine optimization is the core of any good website promotion plan. SEO involves using keywords which are words that are part of an article on a webpage that are specific in describing what is on eht page. There should be inbound or incoming links from relevant sources, and URL submission to the major search engines like Google and Yahoo to let them and the world know that your site exists.

2. Create relationships at social networking sites. A huge part of your promotion will be involved in getting inbound links, which build your reputation with search engines. Many people use public social networks like Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, or community forums to get those links. The trick is including your inbound link with appropriate anchor text on every post you make. However, never post just to get that link out there; every person reading your comment is a potential customer, and your job is to make them like you. How do you feel when someone barges into a conversation and tries to sell you a vacuum cleaner? Same thing.

3. Article marketing has long been the mainstay of any good promotion campaign. Give them away. Put them in article directories where others can read and use them. Each article picked up has a backlink or inbound link to your site. If somebody on some other site reads your article, likes it and wants to learn more, they will click on the link at the bottom. You, in turn, will receive traffic and potential customers.

Write ebooks and reports and give them away. It's all about information. The power of giving away ebooks builds instant credibility and in each book you can add our website address. If they like the ebook, they will come to your website. It becomes viral, because if they like it, they will pass it on. More ebooks given = more visitors to your website.

5. Get other sites to link to you. Through article marketing, you will get a ton of inbound links. You can also offer other free stuff, ebooks, reports, online tools, free software downloads and more. You may ask to submit on your niche to a another's blog or you can simply comment with backlinks. All of this turns into traffic.

6. Offer free services. Recipes, calorie counters, and exercise charts are perfect content for a weight loss site because people will keep coming back to use the tools. Automated tarot reading and astrology charts work well for paranormal sites. What can you offer?

7. Create an affiliate program. Affiliate marketers are like a freelance sales force - you don't pay them until they make a sale. Not only do you sell product, but they include a well-formatted link back to your site on their own sites.

8. Contests and games are real winners. There are tons of contest clearing sites. If you let them know you have a contest, they will link back to you. Come up with a prize related to your niche so that the traffic that arrives to sign up, will be interested in what you have to sell.

    There are plenty of other ways to generate traffic for your site, but this will get you started. Remember, if you ADVERTISE it, they will come. And come. And come.