One excellent use for a website in many non-retail businesses is as lead generator. The idea is to funnel traffic (website users) into site and lead them to take action. Such action might be to call you, to request a brochure, to request a free sample, etc. The main requirement for this is maximum amount of targeted traffic possible, of people interested in what you have to offer.

By way of example, my marketing website at http://www.seo-writer.net serves these first three goals: online pamphlet, credibility booster and lead generator.

Email Address Gatherer.

This is really a form of lead generation, but it is unique in that you are not trying to sell through website, but through an email newsletter (also called an ezine). The website is there primarily to pique interest, and newsletter is there to build affinity and trust in order to make sale. You need to have a newsletter set up, and you need targeted traffic.

By way of example, my personal growth website at http://www.thehappyguy.com serves this goal, attracting subscribers to my Daily Dose of Happiness.

Sell.

Of course, if you sell hard goods, electronic goods or even many services, you can make sales right online. You need some form of payment gateway and/or shopping cart, and your website needs to be able to make sale from start to finish, which is not always easy. Of course, you also need customers in form of targeted traffic.

By way of example, my liquid vitamins website at http://www.vitamin-supplements-store.net serves this goal.

What you want your website to achieve should dictate look, structure, content, writing style and whether or not site is optimized for search engines. Before investing any more money of time in your website, invest time required to determine goals you want your website to achieve.

Or you could be like that water salesman or my home inspector, satisfied with having "a presence". Of course, many people go through life having "a presence" on Planet Earth, but most entrepreneurs I have met are go-getters. If "a presence" is not good enough in real world, why settle for it in online world?

A website should be an investment, not a cost. If your website is not working for you, or if you feel your business should have a website, determine realistic and useful goals, then set your website up to achieve them.

Maybe you don't need a website at all. Or maybe your website could double your profits. Either way, don't let it sit there gathering dust somewhere in cyberspace.