Your reason for concern is a valid one.  With all the competition on the web you want to have some sort of assurance that your website will get traffic.  I may have just the solution for you.

Depending on the nature of the business you’re looking to start you may have a great option in working with one of the big web names such as EBay or Amazon.

Not only will you get instant recognition by being "partnered" with either of these companies, but there’s a steady, heavy flow of traffic to both sites.

While this doesn’t guarantee success and you still have to work hard to get your business up and running and seeing a profit, it does give you a boost.

So what can you sell if you’re "partnered" with one of these sites?  Well, just about anything.  I know people who have created EBay stores and they’re selling things like gift baskets, automobile parts, candles, computers, you name it.

With EBay you have the option of creating an EBay store or simply putting your items up for auction and using your own website for your store, whichever you prefer.

I know another person who sells used books who uses EBay, Amazon and half.com to list his inventory.  Great exposure and credibility from being "partnered" with these sites have provided him with a very comfortable living.

While I’m not saying that these sites are the only options for sites to "partner" your business up with they do make a fine example.

You’ll want to check out each site carefully to find out all the details on how you can build a business with them.

Be sure to take careful notes for each site you’re considering and then compare them with one another to find the best fit for you and your business.

When you’re in business on the Internet the competition is tough enough for a solid, successful business to deal with.  But when you’re a newbie and your business is just beginning to grow, certain mistakes can make growth of your business painfully slow, if not nonexistent.

The mistakes I’m speaking of is little-to-no content being offered on service-based businesses sites and bland, run-of-the-mill services.  What’s the big deal?  Let me tell you.

When you run a service-based business on the Internet it’s difficult to gain customer’s trust.

This is true for any type of business, but when you can’t truly "see" what you’re buying, as is the case with service-based businesses, gaining the customer’s trust is particularly important.

So what does that have to do with offering rich content?  Everything!

Offering rich content on a service-based business site will help you gain credibility in your market.

If you have content that is well-written, accurate and abundant it shows your customers and potential customers that you know your area of specialty.

For example, say you’re looking for some legal advice and you don’t want to go to a physical office to visit with a lawyer so you’re browsing the web to find one who will provide you with a web-based consultation.

You find one you think may be good, click on the link and up comes a website with little-to-no content.  Would you feel like this was a knowledgeable lawyer that you would want to consult on your legal matter?  I wouldn’t.

As for offering run-of-the-mill services, this is a big mistake because it doesn’t provide your customer or potential customer with the feeling that they’re important enough for you to really go the extra mile for them.

Not to mention the fact that there are probably many other businesses offering the same, or very similar, services that you are.

If you go that one step further, add that extra little something, you’ll show your customer that they’re important to you and deserve the very best that you have to offer.  And this will keep them coming back for more!