Open For Business... Now What?

You've spent time and money getting a web site designed and built. You think it looks great and you're sure it will sell your product.

Now you need to open the doors and let your customers in. On the web, that means getting incoming links to bring in the traffic.

When you first open your site, don't expect a lot of traffic.

After your initial debut on Google, you will probably not show up in the search results for at least a couple of months. There are many theories floating around as to why, but you can be sure Google is trying to protect the integrity of their results from spammers.

Be patient. Your site will work it's way onto the results. During this time, it is important to build your incoming links through directories and related sites. Adding 2-4 new incoming links each week is a reasonable goal.

If you can afford the $299.00 annual submission fee, submit to Yahoo Directory right away. Be sure to review Yahoo's Directory Submit Guidelines first, and make sure your site meets their requirements.

Be selective of sites you are exchanging links with. Linking to a site that doesn't meet standards for quality content can hurt you. Linking to sites that are unrelated to your products can confuse the search engines about the focus of your site. Maintain a resources/links page, but use links in your content as well, if appropriate.

In the first few months, you may need to purchase traffic. Google AdWords and Yahoo Search Marketing (formerly Overture) provide text ads in the respective company's editorial search results, and you pay for each click-through (PPC).

Don't get discouraged. It takes time to build a business. Even online.