The internet has provided an incredible way for businesses to reach a virtual sea of potential customers that might otherwise never know about them. But your business isn't the only one to come to this realization, which means that you are facing an awful lot of cyber competition. And while you have probably covered the basics (setting up a website, listing with search engines and directories, and possibly even advertising) you have to understand that marketing yourself on the web is a totally different beast than real-world marketing efforts. So if you want to increase exposure by expanding your online presence, here are just a few ways to get the ball rolling.

1. Forums. Joining forums is not only a good way to network with colleagues, but it's a fantastic way to get the advice you need to make your online venture a success. People who frequent forums should be able (and willing) to help you learn the ropes. And in some cases they can do even more than simply offering the wealth of their experience - they may offer actual wealth in the way of partnerships, backing, or even overflow business that they simply can't handle. You should not hesitate to take advantage of the many opportunities for knowledge and growth afforded by forums.

2. SEO. Search engine optimization is a must for any business operating in cyberspace. If a mom blogger poring over a copy of SEO for Dummies can figure out how to increase traffic and advertising dollars, you can use SEO to benefit your business. Of course, there are also plenty of companies out there that can offer you the service so that you don't have to learn it on your own, but you should at least gain a minimal understanding of how and why the process works so that you can ensure the service you're paying for is top-notch.

3. Viral marketing campaign. You've probably seen plenty of emails, photos, and videos go viral. But you may be at a loss as to how to capture that kind of explosive momentum for your own business. The trick with viral campaigns (and there is a trick) is to create something simple and attention-grabbing. It should be innovative, humorous, or at least on trend. Think about popular viral campaigns like the "Will it blend?" YouTube series, OK Go's music videos, Quicksilver's "dynamite surfing" campaign, and totally bizarre exploits like sheep art (Samsung has garnered an unbelievable 16+ million views to date with this ridiculous campaign). All prove that viral marketing can do some amazing things for your business if you get it right.

4. Social media. With over 800 million people on Facebook, over 100 million on Google+, and nearly 200 million using Twitter, it's hard to argue that there isn't a waiting audience in the social networking arena. So it behooves you to be a part of it in order to expand your online presence.

5. Blogs. You may realize that creating an on-site blog will bring in more traffic, and that writing a guest post for a related blog could result in a link back to your site, but did you know that you can actually hire a guest posting service to do the work for you? You may not appreciate the positive impact that blogs can have on your business, but a link on a popular blog could drive a lot of traffic your way and significantly increase your online exposure.