Two words that you need to be familiar with when it comes to search engine visibility: SEO (search engine optimization) and SEM (search engine marketing.)

SEO is the process of improving your website's traffic without the use of paid advertising. SEM involves the use of paid placement and advertisment which increases the website's visibility.  
There are a lot of things that you can do, on and off your website, in order to increase your chance of being seen. The best place to start, is with the basics:

1. Keywords: finding and implementing the most relevant and popular keywords for your site and it's products. Take the time to figure out which keywords to use. You will need to be selective, and think about your target market. Make sure you will be able to use those meta keywords within your page copy (such as the title tag.) Use anywhere between 10 - 15 meta keywords, without having to repeat any one more than two times.

2. Title Tags: the title tags are the words that appears in the title bar of your browser. When choosing your title, use words that people will use on the search engine. The best approach to this is, put yourself in the position of your target client. What words will you use to search for your products/Services? Be sure to include at least one of the keywords within the title. One important key point to remember is never duplicat your title tags for all your web pages.

3. Pay to get listed: Let's face it, if you are a new business in the neighborhood and would like to drive traffic in to your store, you will need to pay for advertising. You will not get the necessary traffic, in order to stay in business, if no one knows your name, place of business and the products or services you are selling.  It's no difference when it comes to having an online store.

• PPC (pay per click) : this can be very expensive, but you can minimize your cost by opting to pay a lower price on a keywords rather than trying out bid the more established e-tailers. It's okay if you are ranking within the top 12. As long as you are in the first and second page of the search listings, and your title tags are hitting your target market. You will attract attention.
• Established Market Directories : this can be a very economical way of putting your advertising dollars to work. With established paid directories, a listing and links to your site can cost as little as $299 / year. Although you may cringe at the cost, you may need to rewire how your brain process this method. Just imagine at the possibility of bringing in $500 or more a day in sales at the cost of $299/year. Also keep in mind that targeted directories attracts buyers that is relevant to your business.

Another important part of gaining visibility or brand building is Social Media Marketing (SMM). Finding a workable social media channel can be a challenge. The key point to remember is that you are building relationships with your customers, building your brand name and attracting new customers through word of mouth alone. Keep things simple and fun for those who joins your social media channel. Monitor your competitors social media marketing. Promote exclusive offers in order to gain a strong following. But most importantly, keep your viewers involve.

When it comes to promoting your product / services, know your limits, the risks, and the methods available. Be sure that you set your goals, long terms. Nothing ever happened overnight, but as long as you conitnue to take the necessary steps, something will happen.