Do you remember a time - perhaps in high school - when being "talked about" was the worst thing that you could imagine? If you had done something that warranted the other kids discussing you (usually in whispers), you would do everything in your power to avoid going to school until the situation had blown over. Well, now your all grown up, and believe it or not, being talked about can be the best thing that happens to you - and your business - as long as you are being talked about in the right way.

Some people believe that the money is in the list. I'm sure you've heard that said. These people are referring to your email or subscriber list. Some people believe that using the proper keywords is the most important aspect in marketing. Still others believe that using the exact right colors on your website is the most important aspect of internet marketing. All of these things are vitally important, however, your image - the perception that people have of you - comes above all of that. It is true that unless you get them to your site, they won't know who you are, but getting them to the site is easy compared to building the image that you want to portray, and making people talk about you in the right light.

Once your name is in the hat, people will start looking at you, talking to you, and talking about you. You need to decide how you will be seen, how you will respond, and how you will be talked about before all of this occurs. The first impression is a lasting impression. Make it good.

One thing is absolutely certain. You cannot hide and expect to make sales online. Building trust online becomes increasingly difficult as more scammers appear on the scene. People want to know the person that they are buying from. They want to talk to them. They want to talk about them. They want to hear about them.

Think about this right now. If someone were to go to the marketing message boards and ask if anyone knew you. What kind of response would they get? Will anybody respond? Will the people that do respond say good things? Will they say that they know you, but don't really know that much about you?

Begin building your image before your image comes into question. It WILL come into question if you are to be a success. Make sure that you are seen and heard around the internet. When you write or respond to a post, make sure that you sound professional. If you don't know what you are talking about, don't talk.

When you send out email to your list, be friendly. Tell them something personal about yourself or your life. Let them see that you are human. Set some standards and some rules for yourself. For instance, make a rule that all email sent to you will be answered within 24 hours of receiving it. Offer your customers a 100% money back guarantee, and stand by it.

That image that you are now creating will follow you around the Internet forever. You may have been able to live down a silly mistake you made in high school - that isn't so on the Internet. Everything you do will be viewed, judged, talked about, and never forgotten. Make it good!