Some folks will use the same ad everywhere. This only works if all of the publications you advertise in have similar audiences. But, what if each one targets different markets?

The answer is no. Building a website is just the first step in creating an online presence. A website is actually just like a brick and mortar store. It will require the same amount of promotion to attract people.

Food photography is best left to the pros. Sure, you have a camera, and you make a great burger. However, taking an appetizing photo of that burger can be a real challenge.

Search engines use robots, spiders or crawlers to locate information. A robot is a piece of software that automatically follows hyperlinks from one document to the next around the Web.

Sure, you can buy a small ad. Stretch that budget. When designing your tiny ad go for one simple message. Use your logo, include basic contact information. You may have six email addresses, but you only need to include one.

Ugly ads can have the reverse affect on your business. Instead of attracting people, your ugly ad will repel people. Instead of the 2 to 3 seconds a potential customer may spend looking at an ad, your ugly ad will cause them to turn the page.

Increase business by submitting a press release. The best press releases are simple word documents accompanied by high resolution images. This makes it easy for publications to use the submitted materials in a timely fashion.

If you are sending other types of documents, such as pdf documents, or publisher docs, then stop. It takes extra time to extract the contents of a pdf file for use. Sometimes the information can't be extracted at all if the file is actually an image file.

You have a great looking business card, postcard or ad, that you want to use to create a new ad for use in a printed publication. In order to make that happen, I need the original materials you provided to generate the piece. I cannot simply scan in your card or ad. Why not?

Because printed images are made up of dots. Not visible to the naked eye, the scanner can see them. If the image will be enlarged for the final ad, that means the dots will get bigger too. But wait, there's more!

Have you ever sent an image to be used in print and gotten this response? You sent the image in an email message, and it looks very large on your screen. That is because your computer displays images at 72 dpi, while a printing press needs 300dpi images. Dpi stands for dots per inch.

Your 72 dpi image will be resized for use in print, creating a much smaller image. An image measuring 5" wide at 72 dpi only measures 1.5 inches at 300 dpi. Not what you had in mind.

Avoid the nightmare of the loss of a domain name. Keep your account information up-to-date. Keep a list of the names you own, which registrar they are registered with, and most importantly, what the renewal date is. Renew them at least a couple of months in advance, and consider renewing them for a period of at least two years.

Watch out for fake email messages!

Here is one I received recently:
[NAME REMOVED] shared a link on your Wall.
My gosh you have to see this baby its the funniest thing every!!!
Funniest Baby On The Net Be Ready To Cry of Laughter
[LINK REMOVED]
Laugh so hard that you cry with these funniest videos on the net.

This message contained a link that looked just like the Facebook log-in page. I almost fell for it, until I looked at the address bar. It didn't show facebook.com, but some other site. This is called Phishing, beware!

It's never to early to begin promoting that special event. The earlier you begin, the more opportunities you'll have to talk about the details of your event. Most publications need anywhere from 3 to 6 months advance notice to include ads and articles. Keep this in mind when scheduling your event or special offer.

If your event is taking place this weekend, and you are just now sending out notices, you have waited too long. The same holds true for holidays and online promotions and sales. Don't wait until December to add special products, packaging, and other promotions. Savvy shoppers don't wait until December to begin shopping.

Allow at least two weeks notice for postcards. Add one month if you are using bulk mail, since that can travel much slower than regular mail. Let your customers know what other special events or products are on the horizon. There is nothing more frustrating than hearing about a sale or event that you missed by a couple of days. In today's busy world you need to give your customers ample time and notice. 

Online promotions and email blasts, which are great ways to spread the word about your product or event, work best when sent out early and often. Send out a teaser two months in advance. Follow up with more details one month in advance. The closer you get to the date of your event or promotion, increase the frequency of your alerts. Keep your business or company's promotional message fresh in the mind of your customers by sending one message each week. Don't wait! Start that promotion today!

Make it easy for your customer to find what they are looking for with a minimum number of clicks.

Provide accurate and full product descriptions. Make sure your images look great and that they show your product in the best possible light.

Your products should be competitively priced -- clearly state the total cost of the item including taxes and shipping costs where appropriate.

Make it easy for your customer to complete their order and to process their payment. Provide several payment options if possible. Ensure that the payment process is secure.

General Rules of Good Design and Layout:

When typing, use one space after punctuation.

Use fewer fonts - just because you have 500 fonts, doesn't mean you have to use them all on one page.

Limit use of centered text - large text areas should be aligned left for readability.

Balance line length - get rid of widows, those lone words hanging out on a line all by themselves.

Don't type in all caps - Caps are GREAT for calling out singular items. Overuse is overload, making it look like you are screaming at me.

Typographical punctuation - curly quotes are pretty.

Use frames and borders wisely - not everything needs a box around it.

Less clip art - photos are more inviting.

More white space - gives the eye and mind a place to rest.

Think elegant and sophisticated. Remember, less is more.