By Larry Johnson http://www.BizSiteBiz.com/

Your site is now up and running and you're trying to figure out just how to let others know about it. How do you create a wave of traffic to it ?

Here are three simple steps that anyone who is really serious about marketing and selling online must do to be successful:

1) Get your own domain name. A virtual domain name is a virtual necessity when trying to promote and market your site and it's products and services.

Which would you more likely take as a serious webmaster who could be trusted to do business with ?

A: http://www.geocities.com ripod/lite/889765

OR

B: http://www.MrMarketer.com/

It's pretty clear, right? The site with virtual domain name is pick of litter everytime. I hardly every visit, or take seriously, those sites without one.

The cost for a virtual domain name is a drop in bucket for two years of potential income from a good producing site.

2) Create and market your own product or service.

This is one that may cause you to lay awake at nights for a while. Coming up with a unique service or procuct that fills a niche market is a challenge, but not one that can't be overcome.

A sales focused website functions simply as a retail cyber-store. With that in mind, it's just as important that visitors be welcomed and feel comfortable while browsing a website, as they would be made to feel in a shop on Main Street.

Here are a few quick tips that will help to gain your cyber-visitor's interest, and keep her browsing for awhile.

1. Capture visitors attention immediately with a bold headline or a thought provoking question. You have about 10 seconds to convince a first time visitor that it might be worth her time to browse your site further.

2. Keep slow loading graphics, animations, and flash presentations to a minimum. Most visitors will not wait long before clicking off to another site.

3. Avoid loud or overbearing color schemes. What may look great on your living room walls might be difficult to view and read on-screen. Background colors should be pale or white, with dark or black font for maximum readability.

4. Compose your primary message to focus on visitor's interests, needs and desires, and how you and your site can fulfill those. Few people will be interested in your accomplishments or how great you think your business is. Save that for 'about us' page.

5. Inject a conversational style into message that your website conveys, avoiding dry corporate syntax or technical jargon. A site that portrays a personality and casual human element will be much more attractive to repeat visitors.