Written for InfoAlert.

According to Nua Internet Survey, Advertising Age identified ten trends that evolved on the Internet during 1997. One of the trends is that the Internet established itself as a secure and cost efficient place to do business.

In fact, according to the survey, total revenues for Ecommerce are predicted to be 2.4 billion dollars for the year. Billion!

Yet marketing on the Net is still in its infancy, and at times we feel as if we're groping around with our eyes closed. More and more people are rushing to the Net to market their goods and services, but they don't have role models with success stories to follow.

For the purpose of this article, we'll search for the best sites to find information on Web marketing.

Let's begin with BizWeb2000 , an excellent online marketing resource center.

BizWeb2000 says, "The number one reason people are online in the first place is to find information. Specifically, FREE information. Net marketers who provide valuable content will keep people coming back. Keeping people coming back, is one of, if not the most important factor in any marketing campaign. It dramatically increases the chances of someone actually purchasing your wares."

And yes, BizWeb2000 lives up to its word. Besides their products and services for sale at their site, they offer an amazing amount of free marketing information. You can subscribe to their BizWeb E-Gazette, a free weekly newsletter offering cybermarketing tips and articles. Or, read detailed how-to articles on topics such as "What are the Steps Involved to be able to Accept Credit Cards in your Business," or "Internet Marketing 101."

In any marketing campaign, it's important to target your customers. If you want accurate data about who's using the Net, visit Online Marketing Research . The site presents you with reliable statistics from their survey of online users along with analyzed results that provide demographic information about users and their reasons for using the Net.

What about a site that offers 206 marketing ideas? The Idea Site for Business provides topics such as how to advertise by e-mail, how to set up the perfect classified ad, how to set up your business website, and more. Learn how to use e-mail testimonials on your website, or how to access Educase, a free web-based case studies program where small business owners present their problems to a panel of experts for advice. Sign up to receive A-Marketing-Idea-A-Day-by-e-mail free.

For an expert's guide to smart web design, visit Professor Pete's Page , where you'll find help in establishing an effective online presence. You'll find tips and tricks used in creating an effective business site, listings of what not to do, and lessons with step-by-step instructions.

The site is divided into three lessons, each of which can be completed in five minutes. These lessons will guide you in thinking about what the Internet could mean to your business, in defining your business needs, and finally in designing your site.

Articles on Web Marketing by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson offers an extensive amount of information as well as a free bi-weekly e-mail newsletter, "Web Marketing Today." Review articles such as, "Save Money with Customer Support on the Web," or "Niche Marketing on the Web."

Mailing lists offer an excellent means of sharing information. At Liszt , a search for "marketing" produced 131 mailing lists in subcategories such as: Agricultural Marketing, International Marketing, Business to Business Marketing, and Electronic Marketing.

At Liszt, a search for marketing-related newsgroups produced 16 matches such as misc.business.marketing.moderated, which offers a roundtable discussion of marketing topics. A discussion group for advertising and marketing on the Internet is tnn.marketing.internet, which is also a moderated newsgroup.

Robin Nobles is a freelance writer who can be reached at robinnobles@robinsnest.com.

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