Marti makes some excellent points so do follow his advice. I don't think you need to pay for the directory inclusion either, especially if you are on a tight budget. PPC is definitely one way to gain exposure, but like all things marketing, it requires a lot more forethought and planning than just writing a 3-line ad and posting it in Adwords or Overture.

Organic search can bring you very targeted traffic if you know what you are doing and are patient, patient, patient! You can learn this form of SEO yourself or hire someone to do it. (Just run very fast in the opposite direction if anyone "guarantees" you a top 10 ranking.)

I would also consider a linking campaing to generate back links from topically related sites and directories to your site. This not only helps your SEO efforts, but gives you additional exposure to real human beings who may be perusing a site/directory for what you have to offer.

And, much like you are doing right here on Ryze, there are lots of ways to build relationships and trust with people on the 'net, even if those people never see you face to face. Offer ebooks, newsletters, or other incentives for people to get to know you. And most of all, make sure your website contains compelling, unique, USEFUL content! Here's an article you might find interesting (which I wrote recently):

To Market to Market: Why Content is King

Good luck and keep asking questions Sherry!

Karri Flatla, B.Mgt.
snap! virtual assistance inc.
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