When a webmaster sets out to market his or her website there are things that are commonly mistaken as good, but really end up hurting in the long run. Taking note of trials and errors is how many webmasters have learned to market a service or product appropriately. Listed below are three ways that have proven to be successful in internet marketing history.

Email Marketing

It would seem like a good idea to buy a list of active email addresses, and then send those email addresses your advertisements. It seems like a good idea- but only at first. The majority of the recipients aren't always opt-in, meaning they had their email address taken online at one point or another to get put down in a list for spam.

The message that you send while marketing to those who haven't subscribed (in a legit manner) to one of your newsletters is that you're a website entity that doesn't care about privacy. If a website doesn't care about the privacy of its users, how can it be trusted?

To counteract this effect (and bad reputation), make sure that a privacy statement is clearly defined when a newsletter signup form is present. The basic privacy statement claims that the email address users give is for legit purposes- and you will never sell their information to third party sources. Above all else, make sure you commit to the promises you make in a privacy statement- or there might even be legal troubles ahead for your website.

Social Networking

Networking is how ideas, plans, and innovations grow- but it's also how the word gets out about new services and products. There is a lot of room for wasted effort here- so be sure to pay attention to how you network yourself and your website.

First, social bookmarking websites such as Stumbleupon or Digg should not be used unless the content is truly worthy to be viewed by thousands of people. If you're trying to sell another Viagra ad to consumers- don't waste your time with these outlets. If you're still interested in social bookmarking, try to get content that readers enjoy- something new, fresh, and perhaps even educational.

Next, be sure to network with websites that have similar interests in yours. Leaving blog comments, trading links, and even adding links to forum signatures is a great way to get the word out. In many cases, this can also lead to advancement in search engine placement since the links usually count toward credibility and PageRank.

Press Releases

Press releases make up the bulk of marketing efforts- although it is something less heard of in today's internet culture. A press release is actually a great way to get a good reputation, as well as valuable links to one's website.

A press release commonly tells readers of something new and exciting that has happened recently. This makes press releases exciting to read by nature- as long as the press release is formulated correctly. Once the press release is released to the general public, it can be expected to get several high quality links to your website- which ultimately equals great traffic.

Final Thoughts on Marketing

There is such a thing as taking it too far- as we saw with the email marketing. Try to find a balance between networking yourself vigorously, and being just subtle enough so not to make your website appear obscene, obnoxious, or spam in general. Just follow the above tips, and enjoy the road to success!