Myth 1 - Link to every site

When I first started my link exchange campaign, I would link to every site possible. As a result, my rankings suffered. As I learned more, I discovered that I could improve my listings by linking to sites that complemented my own. In order run a smart link exchange program, it is important to focus on linking to sites that are closely related to your product or service without being a direct competitor.

For instance, my original site sells Ethnic Jewelry. So, I look for link partners among other jewelry stores that do not sell same type of jewelry that is listed in my store.

Myth 2 - All people will add my site if I add theirs first

To receive a link from an Internet business, most people will usually add site’s link first. Unfortunately, not every potential partner will add your link even if you have already added theirs. Sometimes a website is just not interested in linking with your site. The problem is many webmasters will not let you know that they are not going to link to your site. So, you might be linking to a website that is not returning favor.

A great way to ensure that you are only linking to reciprocal sites is to put each link into a “temporary position” until you receive validation that site is listing your business.

Myth 3 - The name of my website should be in title of link

The answer is a definite YES.

Research shows, time and again, that consumers want to spend more online, and that internet is fast becoming an integral part of their lifestyle and it'll continue to be so. Internet consumers are cautious and they want sites that are credible and worth shopping before they part with their money.

The traditional brick-and-mortar rules of business still apply to internet business. It's prudent to remember that internet is not your business goal; it's a medium in helping you achieve your business goals.

Adhere to my following Rules and you'll be on your way to building a viable, sustainable and successful internet business.

---------------------------------------------- 1. Develop a viable business plan ----------------------------------------------

The biggest reason why so many dotcoms failed is an inadequate business plan of how and when they will achieve profitability. To have a successful and sustainable internet business, developing a viable business plan from outset is crucial.

Your plan must have a clear and sincere vision that has meaning to you and your business. Your main focus should be to 'plan to profit' within a set period of time and this would require you to allow time for thoughtful researching, planning, executing and testing. You'll need to test out your business model first and ensure that it's viable and sustainable.

Don't make same mistakes that many dotcoms made - trying to build a global brand before their business model even worked as it'll lead you into receivership faster.

Regardless of how fanciful and good your website is, if your aim is not to make profit, you'll go out of business. ------------------------------------------ 2. Model someone successful ------------------------------------------

It's always wise to learn from mistakes of other people rather than to learn from your own mistakes as this can sometimes be very costly and painful.

Track and learn from benchmarked success stories, be they your competitors or otherwise. Why would you want to spend time re-inventing wheel when you can learn from those who've already been there and done it successfully. Learn how they design their website, create products, write salescopy, their sales process, etc.

-------------------------------------- 3. Focus on a niche market --------------------------------------

Don't be everything to everybody by trying to dominate a huge and general market because you just simply can't do it effectively.

Focus your internet business on a targetable portion of market or a narrowly defined group of potential customers. Address need for a product or service that's not being addressed by mainstream providers. The advantage of this is that it's less competitive in such a market as large businesses won't want to be in it.