The internet is a blessing for small businesses, providing them an opportunity to expand their product lines and services, and reach out to new customers across geographical barriers while keeping a tight rein on expenses. However, having a website alone does not guarantee results. Never mind how attractive or worthy your website is, it will be lost in the hoards of websites available on the World Wide Web unless you do something about it.

Business websites have to be promoted to attract customers' attention. You can send emails to customers, newsletters, direct mail, or distribute handouts to inform them of the website. Then, you need to work on the website continuously to ensure customers keep coming. Apart from directing existing customers to the website, you can also make new customers by diverting more internet users to it. Of all the green marketing strategies that businesses use to attract audiences that congregate on websites and search engines, the following techniques rule:

Internet marketing

Internet marketing makes sure your website and your business is noticed by potential sales leads. It involves identifying your customers, offering them something they can't refuse and bringing that message to them through effective placement of pay-per-click (PPC) ads, search engine marketing, email marketing, cross linking, social media marketing and SEO. Effective internet marketing is not driven by a cookie cutter approach. Marketers have to dive into uncharted territory to take advantage of latest consumer trends. To do that, they have to keep in touch with what's happening, what's popular, and the latest community hangouts on the internet.

Social media marketing

Social media websites are powerful viral agents that can spread brand awareness, enhance web presence, make or break reputation, and build a community of customers. Blogs, wikis, consumer review websites, social news, music, and bookmarking websites are all places businesses should venture into to scope out the marketing potential for their products. As social media websites are accepted by the users as genuine and straight shooting, flimsy marketing can get a brand flamed for good. On the other hand, genuine customer support and relationship management can get your brand credits and your website more traffic. Constant interaction with customers builds trust. Business representatives can also participate in discussions and offer other readers the benefits of their expertise. This puts your business in an authoritative position as one knowing its job.

Search engine optimization (SEO)

With or without marketing paraphernalia, SEO is still the best way to keep customers engaged on your website. Effective use of keywords and links leads to high natural ranking on search engines. SEO companies are a great help here, as they understand the search algorithms of various search engines and the right way to go about optimizing the website content. SEO is good, but trying to get there unprofessionally can get your website blackballed by search engines.

Once you get customers on to your website, it is the content that will keep them there. With the entire marketing buzz, you need to focus on keeping your website's content fresh, straightforward, appealing, and pertinent.