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Kevin Costner heard the now famous words, 'If you build it, they will come,' in the movie Field of Dreams. He had the notion that he should build a baseball diamond in a cornfield. The passion grows until he abandons logic and builds a baseball field complete with lights and bleachers.

The movie always leaves us with a feeling that we may be able to pursue a dream and it is in the pursuit of the dream that we will find success.

The truth is the pursuit of the dream is a perfect first step, but you will need to learn all you can about marketing. In the world of online marketing, 'If you build it you may have a beautiful site no one knows about.'

It is a misnomer that the simple act of developing a website is enough to bring large groups of consumers to your site. Every highly publicized site has had some form of structured (or even loose knit) marketing plan that drew attention to what the site was seeking to accomplish.

Without a marketing plan your site is simply a well-developed baseball field in a cornfield. No one can see it, no one knows it's there and no one will come.

There is an incredibly large web community out there and the best course of action is to jump into that community and let people know who you are. Visit blogs and leave comments and make sure you develop an account so others can find their way back to your site. Visit forums and add positively to discussions related to your field make sure to post a link to your site in your signature line. Use newsgroups to get the word out that you are in business. Develop press releases that point people back to a site launch, upgrade or new product line. Don't be bashful about letting others know you built something you are proud of.

Certainly you can hire someone to assist in the marketing of your company, but taking a firm hand in showing your interest in the success of your online business will translate into a positive passion for what you've created and the benefits you are certain will help your customers.

You also should not be bashful about letting your friends and business associates know you are in business and would welcome their patronage. Encourage linking to your site and work to build traffic to your site in comprehensive and legitimate ways.

Build it ' talk about it ' customers will come.