After a few months of proofing, testing and retesting you have finally launched your ecommerce website. You're done, right? Wrong. It's not like those commercials back in the mid 90's where once your site is live and all of a sudden you have received 1,000 orders for your products in a matter of minutes. Nor is it like those infomercials on late at night selling you 10 websites with people basking on their yachts after pulling down an average of $10,000 a day or whatever. How the heck are you going to be on a boat if your website is on the 10th page of Google after a search for your product?

Welcome to the real world. Now I hate to do this, assume that is; but I am assuming you spent a fair amount of money on your website. So why not put the icing on the cake? Just because you spent $10,000 on a fully functional ecommerce website, doesn't mean you're going to see a return on your investment immediately.

There are steps needed in order to ensure your site is seen by your target audience and you can do them concurrently with the development of your website. Without giving too much information away in this 'teaser' article, take a look at these areas of focus.

Do some research…
Think about your Target Market. Is it local, regional, national? Who is your target market? Think about your product(s). Is your product a niche or are you selling T-shirts? What comes up on the Search Engine results when you type in a product you sell on your website? Do you even know what a keyword is? (By the way these questions apply for service-related websites too. For the sake of this article, I am using a tangible product as an example).

Leave it to the Professionals…
Based on your input from the questions above, your website design company should be able to analyze your answers and focus on what can and cannot be done. (By the way, I am also assuming your website design company also performs Search Engine Optimization. If not, then say Bye-bye.) Typically, an analysis can be of keywords you would like to optimize; while cross-tabulating that information with your target market and the product market.

Your website company should be able to provide you with a list of keywords that have a good opportunity of producing results on the first page of the Search Engines. A little more free advice - Try and incorporate those keywords into your home page and internal page copy of your website as this will only provide more opportunities for the search engines to familiarize themselves with your site.

Choose your battles…
The list of keywords will have some competition with some and not so many with others. If you are selling T-shirts, there is no guarantee you're going to land on the first page of a major Search Engine. However, it might be best to optimize for a specific city your store or corporate office is located in. For example, if you are located in Kansas City; your keyword should be Kansas City T-shirts. Quite simply the quest to make it on the first page of a Search Engine may not be as much of a conquest at a city level versus a national level.

Prepare for the long haul…
Rome wasn't built in a day; nor is getting to the first page. Your website design company should have an analysis prepared for you with results in 6 months. This is contingent upon the product or service you are selling of course. It may take less time, but on average, you and your website design company will have a clear picture of what's working and what isn't.

Two-pronged approach…
If you have a website company that knows what they are doing, you can get to the first page of the Search Engines. While programmers and coders are working feverishly to attempt to get your site optimum results, your website company should also advise to take on a Pay-Per-Click approach. Pay-Per-Click can get you on the first page immediately, but not in the core search results. Typically, these are located on the right-hand side of the Search Engine's results. While studies have shown users initially read the core results first, the fact remains that you are on the first page and the search engines do become familiar with your domain name. Ultimately, this helps your placement in the core results.

Network your site…
Getting your website's link on other websites can also be helpful. Directories, Chamber of Commerce Websites and the like all can help increase your website's popularity with the Search Engines.

Obviously, a lot to think about. But better now then when you have launched your website and you hear the proverbial crickets chirping (or whatever it is they do that keep us up late at night in the middle of summer). Budgets shouldn't be a problem either. If you have made the step to launch a website, you'll know that Leisure Suit Larry, working out of his Mother's basement can't achieve your website objectives for $500.

Contact your website company today and inquire about what they can do for you from a Search Engine Optimization standpoint. Without it, you are sitting in a three-legged chair. At some point you could fall and fall hard.