by Shelly Estill

Created on: September 26, 2009

You've spent hours creating, editing, scrutinizing, and rethinking your business's website design. In some cases, you've spent a few hundred dollars to have someone else create the perfect website for you. You heave a great sigh of relief as you survey the work and hit the publish button. Now the customers will flock to your website like geese in winter having spotted an inviting pond teeming with fish. Right? Wrong, the work has just begun.

You have the perfect website, but how do you make it work for you? If you have created you own website using a service such a Yahoo, they will take the first step for you. The hosting website will submit your site to the biggest known search engines: Google, Yahoo, and MSN. If you designed your new website with off-the-shelf software, or had an independent designer create it for you, you will need to submit your website yourself. For optimum coverage you should resubmit your website on a regular basis, such as each 3 months. Do not over submit your website. If you do, you will be removed from their search engines for over posting.

There are a few free services offered by the bigger search engines that will help you get the coverage you need. One is from Google and will place your business in searches in your specific location for the services you offer. This free service can be found in Google's Local Business Center.

There are also little things that can help promote your website. Place your internet address on your business cards, invoices, and on your service vehicles if you use them. Free services such as Craig's List are great for generating business and getting you exposure for your new website. Getting great traffic to your website takes time and a lot of patience. Even when you do all the "right moves" it takes time to generate results. As more people view your site, the closer to the top of searches results it will appear. But, be forewarned, there are a lot of business out there that will promise to "get you to the top of searches on Google." Google offers this service for free in their Local Service Center. Take all offers to promote your website with the proverbial grain of salt. It will save you money in the long run, and can damage your greatest asset, your business's reputation.

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