The magic word on the Internet is "content." The $1,000 site with content will always out-pull the $20,000 site with nothing to offer. You don't need to spend a lot of money to develop a popular Website. You DO need to spend some time planning your strategy.

Ask yourself: "If I were one of my customers, what would entice me to spend my time visiting this Website? What would make me want to come back here again and again?"

Think of "CONTENT" as "FREE STUFF." The World Wide Web was built on the concept of FREE STUFF. Free software, free information, free girlie pictures.

What kind of FREE STUFF can you offer visitors to your Website? How about a music store that offers copyright-free MIDI files for their customers to download? Or a car dealer who offers service coupons visitors can print out and bring in for a discount? A book store could offer book reviews. What do you have to offer?

I've said it before and I'll say it again: "You don't need to spend a lot of money." You only need to spend a little time THINKING.

It Needs to Be "INTERACTIVE"
Any salesman will tell you that the prospect who actively participates in a product demonstration is more likely to buy than the prospect who just sits back and watches. The same is true of Web surfers. Give them something to DO at your site. Have them push buttons, enter information, ask questions, enter a contest. Get them involved with your Website and your company.

It Needs to Grow
Just like the American West was once littered with "ghost towns," so is the World Wide Web littered with abandoned Websites. Don't let your site become another casualty. Add new content at least once a month. You wouldn't subscribe to a magazine that had the same articles month after month, would you? Would you rent the same video every Saturday night? Of course not. Then why would you expect your customers to return to a Website that never changed?

Other Ways to Attract Traffic to Your Website

Include a META header in ALL of your Web pages. A META header includes a brief description of your site and a collection of keywords that people looking for your site might enter into a search string. The header is "invisible" to visitors, and is only intended to be read by the various search-engine "robots" or "spiders" that roam the Web. Choose your keywords carefully. The right header can ensure your site a top listing with the search engines. Many site designers overlook this critical element.

Of course, if you only do business locally, you may not want to be found by out-of-towners. In that case, avoid the search engines entirely and focus your efforts on promoting your site locally. Send out press releases (something a little more exciting than: "Our Company Now has a Website!"). Include your URL (Internet address) on all of your printed materials: invoices, repair orders, business cards, stationery, envelopes, brochures, newspaper ads, direct mail packages, catalogs, etc.—EVERYTHING. Don't go crazy and order all new printed materials, but as you do reorder, be sure to include your URL on all the new stuff.

Okay, we've talked about attracting people to your Website, and keeping them coming back for more. Now let's talk about the "Technical Stuff." (CLICK HERE to continue)

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