Researching and posting to relevant newsgroups
Twelve months ago we would have had no hesitation in including this item at the top of the list in any Internet promotion strategy, but the level of Spam in newsgroups has reached such a high proportion - Deja News estimates about two thirds - that its worth is diminishing. Never the less, this is still a worthwhile exercise; choose your newsgroups carefully and post only when you have something of worth to add, letting your signature file act as an advertisement for your Web store.

Keep refreshing your content
It is difficult enough to entice someone to visit your site once, so you need to ensure that they are encouraged to return by regularly updated content.

Online advertising via banners
Budget permitting, you should consider placing banner adverts in sites whose products are complimentary to your own.

E-mail marketing
If your site has been designed well you should have a list of visitors and customers who have left their details and requested to be kept in touch with future developments and offers. This list of names is your most valuable resource and should be treated accordingly. You need to judge when you have something of importance to tell your customers; too many messages and they'll get annoyed, too few and they'll forget you exist.

You have probably come across the following sentence a hundred times but we make no apologies for repeating it here: never, never resort to Spamming potential customers. There is no surer way of ruining the prospects for your new Web store.

Create a signature file
Use an e-mail signature file (maximum 6 lines long and 65 characters wide) which includes the URL of your Web store and gives a good reason why the person reading your message should visit it.

Issue press releases
Although it is becoming more difficult to get journalists interested in new Web sites, a well crafted press release should still generate good results especially if your site has something new to offer.

Print your URL everywhere
Make sure your URL appears prominently on every piece of paper your business generates including adverts, letterheads, envelopes, flyers, shipping cartons and labels, invoices, compliment slips, brochures and catalogues. This is a great source of free publicity