Banner ads: You see them all over the place. Average response rate is reported to be about 2-4% click through for each banner displayed. Rates can vary though from zero to 17% or higher. Try to advertise on sites that are related to your target audience. Consider using a free banner exchange service such as LinkExchange if your budget is tight. For every two banner impressions you allow to be displayed on your site, they will display your banner on another site for free. It's all automated and can increase your traffic at zero cost. However, there are drawbacks to using banners. You risk losing your own potential customers who choose to click on someone else's advertisement. Also, banners can increase the load time of your page somewhat.

Offer something for free: This one is used all everywhere and can work well if you have a related product to the product/service you are offering for free. Combine this technique with another to be effective. Also, don't give away too much so that you fail to convert many to sales. Many make this mistake and are never able to turn a profit.

Newsgroups: Frequent newsgroups that your potential customers would participate in. Leave helpful messages and sign your message with a tag line describing your web site, product or services. Be careful to not sound like a blatant sales pitch or you'll violate the rules of many newsgroups.

E-mail: E-mail is a powerful sales tool but you should avoid sending unsolicited and untargetted e-mails. You'll get far more hostile and negative replies than positive ones. Use e-mail for follow up and where they've asked to be on a list or to receive certain types of information. Never share the names on your mailing list without first informing your list participants of this possibility or getting their permission.

Postal mail: Regular postal mail is still a powerful sales tool but you must have something that the will catch the eye of your potential customers.

Newsletters: If you have good writing skills, write a free newsletter about the subject area you are targeting and send it by e-mail to subscribers. These newsletters are also know as e-zines. Make the content fresh and interesting and release a new copy at regular intervals.

Cross-linking: Find sites which will attract the type of visitors you're looking for on your own site. If you're not a direct competitor, you could e-mail the webmaster of those related sites and ask them if they'll add a link to your site if you add a link to theirs.

Content: It's extremely important to put in as much effort as possible into the actual content and design of your site as you do in any of your promotions. Otherwise, you may get people to your site but few will take advantage of your product or service. Always try to capture the user's name (or email address) in order to follow up later with a friendly e-mail or special offer if at all possible.