There are myriad methods to promote a website. An online entrepreneur is faced with so many choices that it’s hard to commit to a decision that will result in an effective and informative campaign. There are so many factors to take into consideration: target market, startup costs, budget, minimum and maximum traffic capabilities, and more.

And whoever said that any publicity is good publicity clearly wasn’t in the business of online business. Bad word-of-mouth is to good word-of-mouth what the hare was to the tortoise…except bad word-of-mouth ensures your site will never see the end of the race. Determining which method of site promotion will best fit your business takes experimentation, diligence, and patience.

There are three great ways to start exploring site promotion methods:

1 Article submission. Articles are a great way to put your business out there in a positive light. They’ll allow for re-distribution to many publishing sites, as well as provide name recognition in the experts’ circles of your target audience. Articles give you a forum to display your knowledge without seeing pushy about your product.

2 Social networking. You started your business because you thought it would be a great idea; find other people who would identify with that and network with them. You’ll be able to reach people with a common mindset and shared interests. Internet social networking categorizes the participants for you, so you know right away that your time will be worth it.

3 Think outside the net. Your potential customers aren’t just online, they’re everywhere. You can distribute flyers, brochures, and leaflets with your web address on them. This will encourage your audience to purposely go to your site and not get sidetracked along the way. Manual marketing can generate great feedback, and it will give you a break to get out from behind your screen for a while.