Creating a website can be an overwhelming experience. You need to ensure that your designer is easy to talk to and keeps you updated on your sites' progress. If you have questions . . . ask! After all this is your site and you have a right to know how it is coming along and in terms that you can understand.

You also need to check out websites that your designer has made in past. Check to see that graphics load quickly, that it is easy to navigate between pages, and that overall you like their style.

Finally, cost! This is a very important factor for small business owners when deciding on a website designer. Larger companies will charge more and can probably make your site very elaborate. If you need a site filled with all bells and whistles, you will be paying for it. If you simply need a site that is a background of your company and products or services that you provide, cost will be considerably lower and you can use a smaller company or independent designer.

Your website is going to be a 24-hour advertisement for your company. Skimping on any of above listed factors will have an effect on final result of your website and outcome that you want from it. Do your research and you can join other successful businesses who are using Internet to boost their exposure and their revenue.

This can be as simple as "come up with a slogan for my site" or "write a caption for this photo." It can also be more in-depth, like, "write a poem about [your topic]," "write a top ten list of why you should win this contest," or "tell funniest/most embarrassing/greatest thing that's ever happened to you."

These kinds of contests offer chance to boost traffic in three ways:

1. It gives you something newsworthy to announce on other sites. Visit other message boards and drop notes to webmasters, asking them to announce your contest. 2. Visitors will return next month to check out your next contest. 3. You can ask site visitors to vote for best entry after you've selected "finalists."

By offering this last option, you'll drive new traffic to your site, because entrants will ask their friends and family to come to your site to vote for them. Your regular visitors will come back to see who made "finals" and who won. You can use an automated voting script if you don't want to hand-count results.

HIGHLIGHT YOUR VISITORS

Appeal to your visitor's desire for Internet fame. Here are possible ways to let your visitors become stars on your site:

· Post short interviews or bios of people who actively participate on your message board. · Set up a links page, where visitors can post short descriptions of their websites · Give visitors option to post a photo. · Profile a "visitor of month" on your homepage. · Allow visitors to submit columns or articles for inclusion on your site. · Post a "quotes" page, in which you post most interesting quotes from your message board or e-mails. · Offer an award for other webmasters. This is also an easy way to get other webmasters to link to you, as your award graphic should be linked back to your site. · Include a "brag page" in which visitors can submit their latest accomplishments and good news.

You'll build loyalty when visitors feel that you recognize them. In wide and anonymous world of cyberspace, many people long to "get personal." And if you make your visitors feel at home at your website, they may just decide to sit down and stay a while. And come back for more.