** Always Tell The Truth

Actually, this basic lesson from your Mom ranks best way to avoid all kinds of trouble! "The truth shall set you free" ranks just as appropriate in online world as in offline world.

In fact, in light of recent events, truth might actually keep you out of jail!

** Avoid Outrageous Claims

Don't make outrageous claims you can't substantiate.

A big difference exists between good copywriting (salesmanship in print) and making claims that no sane person, or at least average person, could ever achieve.

It's one thing to tell people you can show them "how to get thousands of hits to their website." It's quite another to say you will "show them how to get 10,000 hits to their website by tomorrow and make $15,000 this weekend."

** Turn Tables

Look at what your business promises and actually delivers from standpoint of a consumer.

Would you feel happy or sad once you did business with yourself?

Would you feel like you got your money's worth, or would you feel like you'd been held up at gunpoint in middle of night in mini-mart parking lot?

Your gut answer to that question will go a long way toward keeping you out of trouble with government.

Sort of funny how "Golden Rule" of "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" keeps cropping up in life as a way to consistently avoid trouble and heartache.

Jim Edwards and Bruce Safran are co-creators of "The Online Marketer's & Website Owner's Legal Information Clinic" -- the authoritative guide to protecting yourself and your website against needless harassment, lawsuits, and other legal problems.

Bobette: I have also seen Streaming Media used to deliver Internet radio programs, pre-recorded tele-seminars, and information products.

I understand business can enhancing customer relationships with Streaming Media as well?

Ronni: Absolutely. Streaming Media is invaluable as a customer service tool. Voice and image messages add a personal touch that intrigues listener and encourages them to remain on site.

Use it to guide visitors through a sample order form.

Explain when shipping charges will be calculated and added to their order.

Perhaps your numbering system has caused confusion in past; a brief audio message can unravel mystery.

You can add an audio-based FAQ page to your site or integrate voice instructions at crucial points in ordering process.

Bobette: How about in employee interactions?

Ronni: Employee training is greatly enhanced with audio or video. Use it to orient new employees and keep information archived on site for easy reference.

Sales training can also be archived and quickly retrieved when needed. The ability to offer customized training materials on a 24/7 basis makes streaming audio a very versatile and efficient learning tool.

Bobette: Wow. You have me convinced. How would I go about adding, say, and audio clip to my site?

Ronni: That's a good example because audio is most mature and economical of streaming technologies. Also, it doesn't have bandwidth requirements associated with video. Any Internet user connected at 28.8k or better can enjoy quality sound.

You should start with a good quality tape recorder and an external microphone to record message. After message is recorded and edited, a streaming vendor can encode it into one of several formats. We recommend Windows Media or RealMedia for audio.

You then store finished clip on your site host's or encoder's server and link directly to file from your Web site.

Bobette: Is Streaming Media affordable for small businesses?

Ronni: Absolutely. We'll convert an audio clip to Streaming Media for less than $75. The fee includes setup and up to five minutes of audio. There is a small per minute charge for time over five minutes.

Bobette: Great! Thank you, Ronni, for your time.

Visit WBC Imaging to learn more about Streaming Media: http://www.wbcimaging.com/articlesbyexperts.htm

Bobette Kyle draws upon 10+ years of Marketing/Executive experience, Marketing MBA, and online marketing research in her writing.