With the current economic scene, many businesses of all sizes are shifting in the direction of online marketing. Most other methods of getting new business are decreasingly effective (such as Yellow Pages, direct mail and ads in magazines / newspapers) and often require big budgets to work.
Click ads and other paid online advertising is one route.
Publicity and links to your site are another route.
The third (and most basic program that nearly any company should be doing) includes three or four main key elements which all work together to create traffic to your site and RESULTS (meaning leads, contacts or sales). Links to blog postings on each of these follow:
1. Local Listings/Reviews (if you are selling local goods or services)
Local Listings on Google and Yahool
Reviews for Local Goods and Services
and
2. Organic SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
Organic SEO
Both of these so people find your site.
3. Controlling what displays on the search results pages so people click on YOUR link.
Snippets
Google Search Options
4. Fixing “leaks” on your website so it does a better job of handling visitors, so more of them contact you and become new patients.
My Website Leaks

This kind of program takes a while (usually at least a month before you seen any results) but that’s true of most new business development efforts.
The potential upside for many businesses is large. And the gains persist. Once you get high rankings you tend to keep them. That’s different than a Yellow Pages ad or direct mail you have to keep paying for to get any results.
It’s worth a close look.