Establish a clear objective
Before making your presence felt on the internet, first determine your overall marketing objectives. Bear in mind your mission and your immediate goals. Is it to:

	Build brand awareness?
	Create customer loyalty?
	Generate sales?
	Increase traffic?
	Improve customer convenience?

Be seen on the web
Get your message to stand out among the other ads on the web. Perhaps the best way to do this is to follow some basic principles of online advertising:

	Keep your message simple, to be seen and to be read, and most importantly enticing. Consumers go online to obtain information and research, creating the perfect moment to attract them to your ad or website.
	Stay within a five- to seven-word limit. Keep the message short and easy to comprehend.
	You only have a short time span to capture the attention of these consumers as they surf the web, so your advertising message needs to be targeted to potential customers. Needless to say, the design and copy of the ad have to be outstandingly eye-catching to the potential audience.

Optimize your web site
The average computer screen provides a limited viewing area, therefore planning an effective advertising message in a limited area is a very vital element of online marketing. Here are some handy tips to consider:

	Keep pages simple and easy to load. Don't clutter with too much information or too much graphics.
	Break up text into narrow columns and short paragraphs, so content are easy to read.
	Use hyperlinks to streamline navigation within your site and lead visitors to the most important information.
	Structure the page order of your site so the hierarchy of information and the flow of content make sense.
	Update your web site regularly as key information about your business changes. Keep consumers abreast about new information (through your ad) to keep them coming back.
	Choose a design that accommodates changes quickly and easily, mainly by using graphics sparingly.

Take advantage of the Internet's interactive capabilities
The internet provides a plethora of marketing possibilities than you could ever imagined. Here are a few pointers to try out on your banners or by linking directly to your own web site:

	Take reservations by directing customers to a toll free number or an e-mail address, or by giving them a printable fax form.
	Take meal orders for pickup or delivery via phone, email, or fax.
	Keep patrons up-to-date on upcoming shows and special events with a regularly updated billboard on your web site.
	Use a coupon or special offer in your website to encourage traffic and sales.
	Survey your customers about their preferences and encourage them to respond to you by e-mail.
	Use banner ad and site performance data to track results and evaluate your marketing efforts.
	Test different promotional offers before rolling them out in other media.

The success of your online presence requires some skills, homework and a lot of commitment. A little imagination on the internet can go a long way, especially in maximizing the returns on your investment. Not to mention attracting new businesses as more consumers go online and ultimately, retaining them as your loyal customers.