Advertising and marketing are important but it is NOT enough to just throw a bunch of money at it. Think very carefully about the type/class of client that you want to attract then select a media that will best target them and craft a message that will trigger a response from them. When you have their attention you must deliver stellar customer service each and every time. Have a plan in place to recover if something goes wrong with one of your clients. Bad things happen but the ability to recover and make right separates the professionals from the amateurs. Get a marketing pro to help you if you have limited experience or knowledge in this area.
Most of the naysayers in this thread are actually talking about B to B advertising, which is very tough. B to C advertising is the lifeblood of retail business. No need to fear it.
