There are even sites that help you find out information about your own ancestors. You can get more insight into why you are way you are after reading newspaper articles centuries old about exploits of your bloodlines. Maybe you’ll come across name in a family tree of a relative you didn’t even know existed. They might even live just around corner!

Just hit ‘finding people’ on your search engine and quest begins. You can search your own name through Detective type agencies and see just how much information about yourself is out there. These agencies pride themselves on finding hard information like your ‘silent’ phone number! I guess these guys could be going a little too far. For example, one site invites you to search out background information on person you’re just about to start dating. What ever happened to judging someone on his or her actions? How about innocent until proven guilty? Sounds like there might be a little too much paranoia going around.

If used for positive means I believe these ‘people finders’ can be a great help to humanity. I just think we have to be careful about getting a bit to intrusive on our neighbors. It’s none of my business if they’ve been divorced or been to jail.

Whatever content they want, give it to people in a way they can't find anywhere else (or at least not very easily) and make it easy for them to see that your site rates a bookmark in their browser so they can return often.

** Brain Teasers **

People love a challenge, especially in an area that holds great professional or special interest for them.

If you can provide a quiz, trivia questions, puzzles or some other "brain teaser" for people, many will take up challenge.

You get them to return to your website by posting answers and making that only way they can see if they got it right.

** Breaking News **

People crave up-to-the-minute news on subjects about which they feel very strongly.

Some investors, for example, spend hours combing Web for nuggets of information to help them evaluate specific markets, companies, or stocks.

One way to make your site invaluable to your audience members is to simply post a news bite, tip, or current "nugget" of relevant information on your site daily.

(Gee, kind of sounds like a BLOG doesn't it?)

If information you give makes people jump up and holler "MORE! MORE!" then you can quickly build up a regular following.

** Resource Directories **

Few things keep people coming back to a website more than a constantly updated directory they can tap for industry- specific resources any time they need them.

This technique works especially well if it's hard to locate good resources related to your topic because people place a higher value on hard-to-find information.