Start with a vision of your web site. What do you want to say? Who do you want to hear you? How will you connect your customers, the web site and your business? How will new customers find your web site amongst the millions of other pages?

The strength and weakness of the Internet is its amorphous structure. For example, suppose you want to buy an automobile. You pick up the Yellow Pages, look up "auto dealers" and get the address and phone number. Real easy. On the Internet you go to a Search Engine and type in "auto dealers" and get the first of 4,253 pages with 10 "dealers" on each page. As you start to read through this mess you discover that half of them are Casinos that you accidentally picked up because they mention "blackjack dealers". On the other hand if you want a book about "auto prices" it is easier to type in www.amazon.com, get a list of all the books on the subject and buy one, than it is to search through a bookstore that may or may not have what you want. Same Internet, same subject, why did one work and one not work? Easy, you know the name "www.amazon.com" because the management at amazon.com have gone to great lengths to promote their name in traditional media and on the Internet. 

Amazon.com is an Electronic Commerce web site selling books and CD's. Their promotion campaign is based on a three part circular model designed to drive new business to their web site, collect information about their customers and use that information to maintain and increase their customer base.

From your first day of business on the Internet you should center your web site in all of your advertising. Your web site is the best media to describe your products and services. All other advertising should encourage customers to come to your web site for additional information. In bold print on brochures and at trade shows advertise your web site. Register with the Search Engines. Use banner advertising on related web sites. Co-brand with suppliers and related businesses. Put your URL and email address on business cards, letter heads, everything printed that leaves your office. The more the better.

The Interactive Experience. What do your customers see when they finally come to your web site? Is there any reason for them to read on? Is there any reason for them to come back? Here is an example:
 
 

What is wrong with this? It says who they are, what they do and how to reach them. Well, the problem is that it is passive. There is no customer experience. No one would ever bookmark this page. No one would ever return. And Joe missed an opportunity to develop a relationship with his customers. Once they leave his web site that's it, they're gone. Let's add a few basic features to Joe's web site:
 
 

 Now the customer has something to do, something to learn and some entertainment. Joe has a promotional package that assembles the basic elements into a total experience. Customers learn about the web site from the Internet and traditional media. Customers can learn about widgets, ask specific questions and even order one. They have an interactive experience on the web site. Joe gets a mailing list to foster customer relationships. 

The basic web site elements are:

1. Identification: The customer identifies with your name, logo and artwork.
2. Clarification: Tell customers what you do and why you're better.
3. Information and Entertainment: Teach your customers about your business.
4. Interaction: Have something for the customer to do.
5. Order processing: Let the customer place an order or at least request a quote.
6. Registration: Get the customer's email address to continue your relationship.