To get started, pick a couple of groups you find interesting. Join up, but don't post just yet. Hide out for a while and get a feel for interests of group and tone of conversations. See who posts most and who seems to be most respected. Also, see if you can pick out naysayer, or "troll under bridge," (every group has one it seems) so you can avoid any hassles.

When you're ready to dive in, pick a question and give a good solid answer, without a lot of opinion or comment. Make it a goal to answer a question once or twice each week. Keep your answer strictly non-commercial but DO include your commercial signature file at end sending people to your site and email. If people respect your answers, you'll find yourself with more business.

3. Chat Rooms:

Chat rooms are least formal of these formats. These are those discussion groups you can get involved in where there is a scrolling conversation of people commenting back and forth in real time. They can be very entertaining, and also a great marketing tool.

Before you can start you will have to register with a user name, and usually a bio. Once again include your url, and email. When you start chatting, keep a friendly tone and get to know people you're talking to. Don't immediately start pushing your product. You have to use soft sell approach. People in general do not like being "sold", especially by someone online they've never met. Though they can see you in chat rooms, read your website, view posts on a bulletin board, you will need to build a reputation with them.

It is important to appear in chat room at same time every day or several days per week. Let visitors know what your chat room schedule is. If you make a positive contribution to discussion and stay on top of what's going on, you can become resident expert who visitors and regulars turn to for information and for business.

So remember, Internet is a great marketing tool in more ways than you think. Use bulletin boards, discussion groups and chat rooms to promote your business. If you just keep your eyes and mind open, all sorts of opportunities will present themselves.

Some companies that offer free web pages will also bombard you with unsolicited "junk" emails and many other undesirable things. Some of them will also sell your name to list brokers.

Free web pages are usually limited in size (typically not more than 5 megs). None of them will give you state-of-the-art web building software and tutorials to help you build a web site. The free software is pretty basic.

In end a paid private web site will ultimately convey to your customers that you are a serious business person and that "they" are your most important asset!

WHAT YOU SHOULD LOOK FOR IN A PRIVATE WEB SITE COMPANY...

> A web site that is large enough and has enough pages for all of your needs.

> The ability to edit and maintain your web site yourself rather than pay a webmaster to do it for you.

> State-of-the-art software that is simple enough to use for beginner and advanced enough for experienced professional

> Tutorials that will teach you how to build your web site that are easy to understand and in multiple languages.

> Hosting that is free or very inexpensive.

> A secure web site which will have free live unlimited technical support available.

So do yourself a favor and stop fooling around with "free web sites." If you are serious about either starting your own business or promoting your existing one, it will ultimately be to your advantage to have your own private web site. Your customers will feel more comfortable and more likely to buy from you which in turn will definitely increase your sales.