Starting a business online can be one of easiest things you can do. It doesn't take much money, and with all of free software available, it is very easy to automate every aspect of your business.

Once you start to market, things can change very quickly. The Internet is like Wild, Wild, West. There's no structure to organization of Net, and if you don't give your customers a way to find you, you won't make any money from your business.

Although you will find that there are as many "guru" opinions on how to market your business online, as there are gurus, there are four methods than can help you to increase your profits very quickly and mainly involve investing your time.

1. Write articles. You may think that you are not a writer, but if you are starting a small business, and you plan to do everything yourself, eventually you will have to do some writing.

Writing articles can be as simple as creating a list of items and then adding detail to each one.

You can also write step-by-step instructions on how to do things. This technique will work with just about any type of business because internet surfers are always looking for information on how to do something.

2. Create an optin list. The one thing that all of "gurus" agree on is that you must have a list. Although you can purchase leads, if you currently don't have a list of your own, to get most targeted traffic, you need to build a list of your own.

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Writing for web audience is a whole brand new ball game. Throw out all rules you learned in school or writing for print media. Why? They simply are not appropriate for Internet crowd.

It doesn't matter if you are clever at turning a phrase or your prose is beautiful. The Internet reader is in a hurry. They make lightning fast judgements. If your writing doesn't hit them like a fast ball, they're gone.

If you give hungry Internet reader what they want they will stick around long enough to digest all your clever prose.

In order to write for web and keep your audience you must follow these basic rules.

1. Don't Get Wordy. Web users are busy. Most will not read your 2,000 word article about history of widgets. Keep word count around 800 maximum. If you can't bare to trim your 2000 word article, break it up into 3 separate articles, part 1, part 2, and part 3.

2. Use Short Paragraphs. Forget long winding paragraphs that go on forever! Break up your paragraphs into easily digestible bits. Why? Think about how foreboding a long paragraph is to a reader who is in a hurry. They'll click away quick.

3. Use White Space. Use lots of white space around your article. This will make your article more inviting to eye and easier to read.

4. Use Bold Headings. Internet readers are pro's at skimming articles quickly. If your writing doesn't click they are gone. Use a bold heading before each paragraph or one that tells exactly what paragraph is about. This will draw reader in and capture their attention.

5. Start With A Surprising Lead. Start your article with a surprising statement, statistic, or fact. This will capture readers attention. Follow with a few sentences summing up how article handles problem.