I know, I know. It doesn't sound too nice. But lets face it, in business, if customers don't pick your business, they've picked somebody else. I want to help you so that the customer picks YOUR business over somebody else's.

This is basically for e-commerce, so for traditional business, emails, e-zines, etc., might not apply but you might still be able to implement the idea behind the statement.

* Give people a free subscription to your e-zine. Almost everyone is publishing a e-zine nowadays so it's important to give something extra with the free subscription. You could offer a free gift or advertising when people subscribe.

* Offer a free online directory. The directory could be full of interesting ebooks, e-zines, web sites etc. If people find your directory to be a valuable resource they will visit it over and over.

* Give your visitors a free ebook. You could also include your own ad in the ebook and allow other people to give it away. If you don't want to take the time to write one, you could ask other writers permission to use their articles. I have written a few articles on this topic. Go to Google or Yahoo and search under my name and e-books. Otherwise, email me and I'll send you my article.

* Give visitors a free entry into your contest or sweepstakes. The prizes should be something of interest or value to your visitors. Offer more entrys based upon # of items purchases or total dollars spent. Example: 1st entry with purchase, additional entries for each $50 spent. Also, most people who enter will continually revisit your web site to find out who won.

* Offer free original content. It's important to give your visitors information they can't find anywhere else. If you're the only source, they'll visit your site. If you are selling beauty products, do your homework and find beauty or health tips and post them on your site.

* Make your web site look professional. You want to have your own domain name, easy navigation, attractive graphics, etc. Again, target your competition. If they have a very basic site, take advantage of that and get a great looking site.

* Survey your existing customers. Do this on at least an annual basis. It is VERY important to find out who your customer base is. By knowing who you are servicing, you can serve them better.

* Test and improve your ad copy. There are many people who write an ad and never change it. Make sure you get the highest possible response rate. Ask people for their opinion.

Take what you can from this; hopefully I've helped you today. Remember, its your business, & you know it better than I do. The goal is to have you know more about your customers than your competitors do.