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Starting an online business? Have a great product idea that you think can make millions?

As you start developing your idea, the first thoughts coming to mind are probably technology focused. Who is going to build your site? How much will it cost? How quick you can launch your site?

Unfortunately, the phrase “if you build it, they will come” does not apply to online businesses.

There have been many entrepreneurs that have built great products, but have made little money in doing so. The way the Internet has evolved, if no one knows about your great product, it can and will be a bust.

To prevent this, consider user acquisition just as important as your product itself.

In fact, in recent years, I’ve seen mediocre sites make more money than those with sound business plans, with the primary driver being website traffic.

So how do you get the traffic?

You have two main options. You can pay for your traffic via pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns like Google AdSense, or you can plan ahead and have a great search engine optimization (SEO) strategy in place.

The PPC route can yield quick results, but my best advice is to make sure you have a healthy set of conversion metrics in place. With any PPC campaign, you are required to pay for every click a user makes. If the conversion rate is low, you can quickly find yourself in a money losing situation.

Those successful in using PPC campaigns as their main traffic and revenue drivers typically have a complex reporting mechanism in place, which allows them to quickly asses the profitability of a campaign. This undoubtedly helps, as under-performing campaigns can be swiftly addressed to minimize loss.

The other approach to traffic acquisition is SEO.

Often this is the more preferable mechanism for online businesses because of the lack of cost, but it is imperative to realize this takes time! For every change you make it can take 2-3 months to start seeing the benefits, which is why it is so important to have a clear strategy at the very beginning of your business planning.

There are plenty of online resources out there to help you get started in SEO, but in my experience content is everything.

Assuming you have a strong background in the area you are looking to start an online business in, you have something that other people don’t… inside knowledge of that field. No matter how many books or Google searches one may do, there will never be a substitute for direct experience.

Whether you realize it or not there is the most basic business concept at work here… Supply & Demand

You have the inside familiarity that other Internet users are searching for. By helping them find what they are looking for, you are controlling a critical component of your future success by building an online presence.

Based on my past experiences, I suggest registering your domain as early as possible, even if your online offering is far from completion. Before launching your product, spend 3-6 months writing articles for your new site that are publicly accessible. Additionally, seek out partner websites where you can also post your inside know-how content on.

While this may seem tedious and your initial thoughts are that it will take too much time away from developing your business, traffic will ultimately define the success of your online business, and this will help get you started in the right direction.