What is your company doing on the Internet to attract new and returning business? Getty Images

Is your business online savvy or is it being left in the dust by the competition?

Part of your company’s online approach should include properly using SEO to draw more customers to your Web site, thereby opening the door to more potential sales.

Simply stated, the process involves using the correct keywords so that search engines will direct traffic your way.  For example, if your business sells life insurance, it is not in your best interests to be using keywords involving workers’ compensation. Life insurance, life insurance quotes, life insurance policies, life insurance plans etc. should be some of the keywords you promote in your company’s copy.

While companies do not have to spend millions of dollars and countless manpower hours on online marketing, it is imperative to have an online marketing program in place to reap the rewards.

When formulating a program, put these ideas to work for your company:

First, get your company’s Web site recognized. You can do this by using social media venues like Facebook and Twitter, using your LinkedIn business contacts, writing an updated blog, maintaining a Q&A forum with online visitors and more.

Secondly, just having people come to your Web site is not the end game. Your goal should be to bring the right individuals to your site so that your sales possibilities increase; don’t be just satisfied that you have a large traffic number when in turn many of them can likely be one and done visitors.

The next goal is to turn those visitors into customers.

Show visitors what you have to offer differs from the competition and why they should be working with you and you only. Most importantly, give them a reason to keep returning to your company’s site. A good option here can be offering things like coupons and deals.

If your company Web site offers valuable information and is viewed as being worth return visits, customers will bookmark you and return.

If not, you could end up searching for the answer to why you’re in business in the first place.

Dave Thomas and the writers at Business.com author a variety of helpful hints for small businesses.