One of the most overlooked keys to success online is traffic.  Most websites teach you how to create that beautiful masterpiece of a site, but they just don’t show you how to market the site properly.  So, what you end up with is a website that looks and works great, but that no one ever sees.

For any new website owner that I have the opportunity to meet, I try to stress to them that they need to promote their site before they can expect to get any sales or visitors.  Even something as casual as listing your site in a business directory can make a big difference - each link counts.

Instead of waiting for free link directory submissions to be approved, quite often I suggest using a link bid directory - quite often you can have instant approval and get a back link to your site quicker than you can blink your eye.

But traffic is not an overnight success - website marketing is something that has to be worked at.  Just make sure that when you are looking at your pretty site, you are not forgetting to market it too - it would be sad if no one were to see your masterpiece.