Many people have turned to Internet marketing as a viable way to make money. The Web is a powerful tool that can connect you and your product to potential customers across the globe, with surprisingly little monetary, time or effort requirements. Consistency over time is important, and by following the tips below, you can begin building an Internet business that generates real profits.

1. Always choose quality products to represent. Whether promoting your own products or those of others as an affiliate, you will not be able to get repeat customers and build your reputation with poor products. Check out your competitors and see how you can make your product offer better than theirs.

2. Choose a brand that works well with the type of customers you want to attract. If you sell products for the over-50 senior market, you will not attract them with branding that focuses on loud, bright designs that appeal to 20-somethings. Your customers want to feel understood, and you can accomplish this by having your website, products, articles and everything about your Internet business in sync with your target customers’ likes and desires.

3. Once you create a good brand, use various methods to spread the word across the Internet. This could include setting up a Facebook page, doing tweets, maintaining a blog, doing guest posts on other peoples’ blogs and article marketing. Promoting your Internet business requires constant work so that your product remains fresh in peoples’ minds.

4. Open up the lines of communication to your customers and prospects. Start a forum for your product, and participate in it actively. Send out a newsletter to opt-in subscribers. Ask for feedback and comments, and respond to people that take the time to leave their thoughts. Use your customers’ names in emails to them. As you build a relationship with your customer base, they will bring you more traffic because they trust you and believe that you offer quality products.

5. Come up with creative ways to keep your customers coming back for more. This includes special offers, contests and new promotions. Ask your customers to help you design your next product, and give them a healthy discount on it in exchange. Run contests or have polls on your Facebook page or blog that help you find out more about what makes your customers tick, then use this knowledge for future products.

6. Find complementary products to offer your customers. Even if you have your own products, you can become an affiliate for other related products. This helps bring more traffic to your site, and also makes you into a “one-stop shop” for your target customers.

Keep the above methods in mind as you build out your Internet business. This list is not all-inclusive; there are many other ways to increase your online profits. These tips are just the beginning, and each is relatively easy to implement. Keep working your strategy consistently, and over time you will be rewarded with stronger traffic, more customers and higher profits.