Websites were developed to grow your business, but more businesses spend more money on their website than they make with it.

According to BMC the three essential elements of a business website are:

1. DESIGN -- Get the Right Message Across! Of course, the site should be designed to meet the concerns of the intended market audience. But, not only should your website look visually appealing, visitor comprehension is very important. Your visitors should be able to easily find what they are looking for.

2. FUNCTION -- Time Is Money! Your website is an instrumental tool that can greatly improve your operations, increase your business capacity and reduce cost.

3. PROMOTION -- Increase Sales! How are general consumers being directed to your website, beyond just having your web address printed on a business card, letterhead and office stationery?

This column will touch on all aspects, and particularly focus on number three, Website Promotion. We are finding that many businesses purchase a website, but do not put enough thought and action into driving people to their site. So we are not getting the desired results -- to grow our business.

Who will come to your site if not invited? Is it enough to have a metatag and hope that people run a search on Googles to find us, contact us and buy our goods? Often we must compete with thousands of other websites that also hope to be listed on the popular search engines. It's hit and miss.

When we don't sell we are discouraged. But, how are you advertising your URL (web site address)? You have design, you have function, but where is the promotion? Why blame the graphic designer, the database developer, or the host company if we do not get any hits?

I advise we think beyond search engines to get our website out in the market and increase the volume of prospects that visit your site.

Where to begin? To yield the highest return you have to first determine from whom and how you can make the most out of it. Then develop and implement a market plan.

It's true entrepreneurs don't have time. However, there are some small effective things you can do to promote your website.

* Get an email list of all your current customers, contacts, friends and family and do a email campaign that informs them of your site, and all of its capabilites. Just write one good announcement and then send to all of your customers (and contacts) simultaneously via email.

* If you have an Order Form on your site, encourage your existing contacts and customers to go to your website to make their purchase faster and easier. Also explain how this will benefit them by allowing you to make sure that their request is properly tracked, and less likely to become forgotten, lost or buried amongst junk mail.

* Contacts should know the advantage to them if they fill out your Guest Book. You'll keep them abreast of specials or giveaways from the email mailing list created.

The point being, if you fail to effectively promote the website and the database applications, very few people will actually use them.

We understand it can be a bit overwhelming. Keep in mind BMC has expert strategic marketing consultants that can help you get a solid plan working -- so your website is not just a lovely, lonely place in cyperspace.

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