Finding success in the online advertising and promotion game is one of the biggest obstacles that most business owners face. Small business owners are at the biggest disadvantage because of significantly smaller advertising budgets than larger corporations have. The solution to this problem is not at all an easy one. New customers are essential to the survival of a business and good, effective advertising is the key to generating new business. There are four steps to effective advertising and promotion online: planning, strategizing, tracking and studying. How much of the businesses profits should be reinvested in advertising? The popular consensus is between four and ten percent. This may not seem like a lot of money, but it can add up. Thankfully, there are a lot of websites that allow free or low-cost advertising. The dollar figures, though, are only part of the big picture. Developing an effective marketing plan is the most important part of the online advertising and promotion game. Marketing plans give you the opportunity to examine your products and services and see where they fall into certain market niches. Then, look at your competitors advertising. Ask yourself if it is working. If not, why and how can you fill the gap they are leaving and use it to your advantage? For extra help, the Small Business Administration has a website with many resources for advertising assistance. When developing a marketing plan, it is important to develop a good strategy. Strategy means knowing what you want, how you plan to get it, and what you will do with it once you actually have it. Getting the big picture will help you to see what kinds of advertising will bring the biggest returns for your business. Part of a good advertising strategy is professionally done ad copy. Good quality and eye-catching appearance does not have to cost a lot. Today, most desktop publishing programs, even some word processors, do a great job at graphic layout. Do not sink huge amounts of money into an advertising campaign without first testing it in a very small market. This will allow you to eliminate the advertising that is not going to work for you and try others that might, without breaking you financially. Track your advertising. The only way to know which ads are working and which are not is by tracking them. Most websites have counters and trackers available for a small fee. Offer extra discounts for mentioning your ad when a customer shops in your store. Offer coupon codes online for free shipping. Both ideas allow you to see where the customers are looking at your ads the most and which ads are getting their attention. Your advertising must have a focus. If it does not, you are not targeting a certain audience, and therefore, may be wasting your valuable advertising dollars. Once you know which ads are working for you, spend time closely studying the numbers. Knowing your profit numbers and advertising statistics will definitely help you to start winning the online advertising and promotion game.