If you are relatively new to the idea of using the internet to sell your business it can be a little intimidating as there are many new things to learn however it is definitely learning about a few basic pointers before beginning, as it can save a lot of time in the long term.

1. Most traffic on the internet comes through Search Engines. The big three are Yahoo, MSN and Google, but Google is by far the most popular search engine. When building a website it is important to always keep in mind search engines. If you design your site well the search engines will reward you with a free stream of potential customers.

2. Choose your site name carefully. If you are wishing to sell Cycling accessories it is best to have the word cycling in the title. cyclingandcycles.com The actual title of a site is one of the most important criteria in determinining your ranking in the search engines.

3. There are no quick fixes to getting high rankings in Google. You have to be patient. New sites tend to get sandboxed for the first 6 months. This means that whatever you do you will get very low rankings, there is nothing you can do about this you have to be patient.

4. Be wary of SEO companies who promise you quick fixes. In some cases Google will ban sites who try to cheat the system. Generally it is best to avoid getting 1000s of free links from link farms. At best the links have no weight at worst Google may penalise you. There are many things that you can do that can cause your site to be banded. Some of them are included here http://www.google.com/webmasters/seo.html but there are more. Basically search engines dislike people who try to use fancy tricks to get artificially high rankings.

What makes a Successful Site.

1. Good Quality Content. This is the most important. If you have interesting pages that are clearly laid out, it will attract customers, and also encourage people to link to your sit. For example if you have a website selling cycling equipment it might be useful to have a section on your site with articles on Cycle training or advice on cycle maintenance. These articles could also involve the use of product placement. However if it is unique content the search engines will like it and also potential customers will be more inclined to visit your site.

2. Inward Links. This is when another website offers a hyperlink to your website. It is kind of like democracy. The search engines see a link as a kind of vote. If more sites vote for you then it implies your site is good. However links vary in quality. Links from powerful, large sites like the BBC, University sites .edu will count more than from a richardsblog.co.uk. Links are also more valuable if they are from related sites as well. There are various techniques for getting inbound links. This will be discussed separately.

Reciprocal Linking is when you link to one site and then they agree to link back to you. This used to be a big strategy a few years ago because it was a way to get many inbound links. However the search engines have cottoned on to this and have found ways to discount linking in this manner. One way links are the best. However reciprocal linking can help a little if it is from related sites.

3. High Rankings and Traffic This is related to 1 and 2 if you have good quality content and inbound links you will get more traffic from search engines. However there are other techniques you can use. Choosing your keywords is very important. If you try to get a high ranking for a phrase like gambling or cycling It will be virtually impossible to get into the top 10 or 20 (something useful to remember if you wanted to sell your site).

However although you may not get a ranking for bikes, if you choose a more specific phrase that people search you may have more look. For example you could choose a phrase like winter cycling tops or Carbon Fibre Bikes For these phrases it will be much easier to break into the all important top 10. thus you can get people entering your site through different pages catering to a specific target phrase. It is important to choose a niche for your product and specialise in that area.

4. Good Layout/ Design. There is a lot to be said for simplicity in designing websites. Sufers tend to be impatient and may not spend much time on a website. You have to engage them pretty quickly. Also it is worth remembering that search engines dont reward fancy graphics or flash graphics, they reward text.

5. Develop a loyal customer base. It is worth investing in developing a good customer base and emailing list. It is good if you can give a weekly newsletter or something to encourage people to subscribe