When you first make a decision to start an Internet business or to put your existing business online, it helps if you have a realistic appreciation of just how long it takes to break-even on your efforts. Usually, it takes several months!

Putting up a business Website is just the beginning. The real challenge is to achieve visibility in the crowded Internet marketplace. The days are long gone when you could expect to sit back and wait for potential customers to find you. Now, you must be prepared to invest heavily in time and effort to attract traffic to your site.

Depending upon the type of traffic you are trying to attract, your efforts will be focused on: • Submitting your Website to the major search engines and relevant directories.

• Continually optimizing your Website for the major search engines so that your site at least appears in the first three pages of returns when someone performs an Internet search using your keywords.

• Setting up link exchanges with complementary sites.

• Online advertising through pay-per-click (PPC) vendors (such as Google and Yahoo), article submissions, ezine classified ads, blogs and RSS feeds.

• Promoting your Website through an email newsletter.

• Setting up and/or participating in affiliate programs.

• Offline advertising in local newspapers, flyers, industry periodicals and relevant association publications.

These activities are not difficult to accomplish, but expect a learning curve if this is your first experience at Internet marketing. And equally important, it takes time and effort away from your business operations to focus on these activities.

But focus your must. Otherwise, your new Website will lie there, invisible to your target audience. So, if you can't devote the time – or don't have the expertise to – accomplish these necessary tasks, then hire someone else to do it. Your investment will pay off many times over.

Nonetheless, a tree doesn't grow overnight. Even with continual attention, it normally takes six months to a year before your search engine rankings alow you to achieve visibility in your targeted markets. You can expedite traffic to your site through PPC advertising and other means, but the bottom line is that it can be a long haul. The most important thing is to have a solid marketing plan…and lots of patience.

About the author:

Al Kernek is an Internet marketing consultant and the author of "Put Your Business Online," a step-by-step guide for successfully creating and promoting a low-cost Website.