It is also important for the owner not to rely on the strength of his product or service, or of his employees. In addition, any effort to boost traffic does not have to entail huge costs.

The owner should endeavor to maximize use of all outgoing print or electronic documents to promote the site. These would include business cards, business stationery and other print material.

The company's name, URL and all other contact details, logo, address, and slogan should be prominent in all distributed material.

This move to exhaust all promotional possibilities should also apply to emails, bill payments, faxes and receipts. The data should always contain updated information, including pricing and special offers and awards received, if any.

Press releases and articles are also useful tools for low-cost business promotion. Such articles can serve as free advertising and lead to word-of-mouth promotion of the site.

An article should be as specific as possible and appear in a print publication or e-zine that reaches the website's core audience. The market now offers quite a number of both print and online sources open to unsolicited content from unknown writers - as long as the article is not in any way offensive or would create legal problems.

Press releases are another free tool for building a company's site traffic. However, such a release should be newsworthy and attract interest. This means news such as business expansion, a new product, sponsorship of a major event, or an award for business excellence.

High-traffic Internet forums are another inexpensive way of marketing the site. Although blatant advertising is generally prohibited, the site owner can let forum members know his business background and basic data on his company's product or service. This approach is ideally geared more toward business-related forums and sites.

Buddy marketing is another inexpensive way to promote the site and boost traffic. The strategy calls for adding a partner company's leaflet or card when sending out one's own brochures, with the other busines reciprocating. This gives both businesses the ability to reach more potential customers.

This marketing style works particularly well for complementary businesses such as a sporting goods store and a store offering athletic apparel, a newspaper dealer and a magazine seller, and a pet supplies and pet grooming company.

Offering freebies either as a reward or business promotion also works for most businesses. This could be extra roses for a buyer of a bouquet of flowers, free cones for every gallon of ice cream bought, or a strong hanger for someone who purchases a particular type of coat. This approach builds positive consumer sentiment that can easily translate to more traffic.

One more way of site promotion to boost traffic is by appearing on a local radio or TV show looking for guests or an expert in a particular field or industry. An auto mechanic can offer advice on car maintenance and repair, while a pet store owner can give pet care tips. Similar to freebies, such appearances generate goodwill for the business.

Free seminars or presentations will also help boost site traffic. A local carpet maker can schedule one to teach participants about installing specific flooring types and later offer special discounts for that particular product.

Some companies also have their names and key contact details painted on vehicles. This mobile form of advertising is ideal particularly for businesses that depend a lot on the transportation of their products or goods.

An enjoyable way to promote a business is through the owner's leisure activities. Participation in a rock band, a local race competition or marathon can be taken as an opportunity to have the company's brand on printed on promotional t-shirts or simply mentioned to identify the owner and his business before or after the performance.

Free public relations opportunities are also available ove the internet. One crucial factor with Web-based PR work is that it should match any campaign in print or other traditional media. This will ensure that consumers are not confused with mixed messages.

The main consideration a site owner must remember is that any effort to promote the business and increase traffic without incurring significant costs only requires creativity and the willingness to try simple ideas that already work. However, any approach adopted must not pull target consumers away from the company's product or service.