Promoting websites has never been easier yet more complicated at the same time. While you still have basically the same promotional choices you used to, they have grown up into somewhat difficult mechanisms to understand and use. To help you sort through the complexities, here are 5 keys to your website promotions.

1. Build a good website.

By this, I mean begin with a visually pleasing design. No screaming colors and flashing banners–those are just too 1999. After you have a good design, place content that is clear, relevant, and reader friendly. This will help the search engine spiders lock onto your site.

2. Register your site.

If you register early with Google, Yahoo, and MSN (even before your website is done), you will have a jump start on getting it indexed. Don’t wait until it’s finished because it can take months to begin appearing on search results.

3. Get backlinks.

If you have found a related website, ask for a link to your own site. The more backlinks you have the more important the search engines will think your site is. However, don’t trade your links–if you link to someone who links to you, the search engines will frown upon you and possibly eliminate you from the search results.

4. Blog it, Baby!

Get on blogs and forums and promote your website. If you dedicated only 15 minutes per day to this activity, you will end up ahead. It’s as much consistency as it is content.

5. Write some articles.

Write articles that you can offer to other websites for free. Even if you can’t write well, hire it done. Then get a backlink in exchange. Not only will you gain importance to the search engines, you gain importance to your readers as an expert in your field.