The web has leveled the playing field in many ways for small businesses, but the biggest impact has been in the effect on niche marketing. Niche marketing has always been a smart idea for small businesses. Targeting a very specific market turns your clients' efforts from casting a net into the ocean to shooting fish in a barrel.

While it's true that several years ago, there was a certain element of distrust about making purchases on the web, we've well passed the tipping point for that particular concern. In 2007, the vast majority of potential customers are as comfortable handing over their credit card information to a legitimate, professional e-commerce site as they are handing it over to the teenaged clerk at the local mall. In point of fact, with Verisign and other SSL services, most consumers understand that their credit card and bank routing information is probably safer online than it is in a local retail store, where an unshredded receipt or a dishonest clerk could result in identity theft or credit card fraud.

Far too many businesses seem to believe that their Website and online marketing requires only a one time investment of time and money. What they don't realize is that the time that prospects and clients spend on their site is as valuable as there own. If you want to realize a return on your client's investment online you have to provide value to site visitors.

The most frequent use of the Internet is research and comparison - to provide value to site visitors the information provided on your client's site needs to be up to date and relevant. The messaging of your client's online marketing efforts and the messaging of their site needs to be coordinated.

Every good business person knows that there is no asset more valuable than information about your client's customers. Knowing their prospective customers, what they are looking for, and what is important to them makes all of the difference in making sales.

While many of these businesses minded individuals spend large amounts of their time involved in research - far too many forget what is probably the least expensive, easiest, and most reliable method of gathering this information. Your client's customers are the best source of information you could ever ask for. Who knows better what is important to the customers than their customers themselves?

One of the simplest methods of getting traffic to your client's Website is through the use of a directory. Directories are Websites that provide links to a number of other Websites, usually based on a particular category or site type.

When selecting a directory to be listed in, consider the following items:

• How trustworthy is the directory? - Prospective customers will make assumptions about your client's company based on where they find them; does the directory reflect well on your client's business?
• Is the directory relevant? - Generally speaking, internet users don't want to have to work too hard at finding the information they are looking for, and directories will generate more return when they are relevant to your client's product or service
• What is the cost? - Many of the most beneficial directories involve some type of cost to have your client's site listed, look at the cost and expected benefits before making a decision regarding a directory

Directories also provide a secondary benefit - an external link to your client's site which helps to increase Search Engine rankings. Search Engines will look at the relevance and ranking of the sites that link to theirs, providing additional incentive for careful selection.

There are approximately 380 Million people every month on Google alone searching the Internet for information, products, and services online. That represents more people than the entire population of the United States of America (est. 296 Million by the U.S. Census Bureau.)

Search Engines represent the largest available consumer base in the world. Regardless of the information, product or service your client offers, the internet provides a source of potential customers that can not be ignored.

Your client's message is what sets them apart from the competition - it explains to your client's prospective customer why they want your client's service or your client's product. Your client's Website represents the first step in communicating that message, by making it available to the enormous number of Internet users browsing the Web.

It is estimated that 69.6% of Americans use the Internet (Nielson/Netratings 2007). This represents over 210 Million potential new customers for your client's business in the U.S. alone.