Does that mean you immediately commit to a store and get a merchant account so your customers can pay for their orders - NO. Start your web site, and advertise it heavily. One of better bets is ezines and newsletters that target audience you wish to reach. Try to build a following on your website - consider your own newsletter.

If you are able to get a respectable number of visitors to your web site, or subscribers to your newsletter, you just might have a shot at your online store succeeding. Remember, "Content is King". If you provide good content, you will have return visitors. Return visitors are potential future customers.

Offer freebies, run contests, have guest columnists contribute; these all enhance your site. But forget some of hype you will run across. This does not happen overnight. Once established, will you make money while you sleep - you betcha.

Like any business, you will need a war chest. How much? If you're going to be selling a product, you'll need an inventory. But don't be like person who bought into Equinox (see http://www.mlmwatch.org/06FTC/Equinox/equinoxftc1.html) who has $5,000 worth of junk in their garage they can't sell.

Look for a distributor who will sell in small lots. Sure they will charge a bit more, and you will earn a bit less, but you're not in over your head. If product moves, you can then afford to buy larger lots at a lower price.

You should then know pretty quickly if it is going to work. If it is positive at that point, move to your next level. Open your online store, get merchant status so you can accept credit cards, and move forward.

Above all, use "due diligence" in any venture you take, and you just might avoid "misery" of failure.

The following are ideas on how you can get your site visitors to return:

·Live content feeds of news and information ·Online surveys that change regularly - This can also provide valuable marketing information! ·Provide relevant information that changes regularly ·Opt-in e-mail - Ask permission to e-mail visitors updates, newsletters, etc. ·Rent opt-in e-mail lists - send broadcast e-mails touting your site to individuals who have opted in to your area of interest ·Online contests - if you have a brick and mortar presence, tie contest in with your store to drive traffic both places, make it fun! ·Make it easy for them to bookmark your site

By developing an ongoing program of driving and maintaining traffic on your site, you can be assured of a continual stream of traffic. By regularly following up with individuals who have opted into your e-mail program, you can be assured that your company will remain at forefront of potential customers minds when it comes time to purchase.

After purchase, this also presents an opportunity to maintain contact with your customers to further strengthen and cement relationship with goal of making them a customer for life. By proactively anticipating their needs based on prior buying patterns, you can provide an indispensable service to your customers. As we all know, it is much less expensive to keep an established customer than to develop a new one.

While this article focuses on Internet strategies, traditional marketing channels should not be ignored. It is important to include your URL on all published materials, advertisements, and broadcasts. It is also important that your web site and traditional advertising channels be co-branded with a similar look and feel so that visitors can expect same appearance across all channels.

The Internet presents tremendous opportunity to develop prospects and customers. It also allows you to further strengthen your bond with customers so that you can develop a relationship with them that they are unwilling to walk away from.