Websites have replaced brochure as “must have” marketing tool for businesses large and small. While virtually every business has a website, few are harnessing potential of their websites and internet in general to promote and grow their businesses. So how can you be sure your website is working for you?

First, you must look at role you want your website to play in your overall business and marketing strategy. As with any tool you use to promote your business, your web promotion activities must be built on a strong foundation. Start by determining purpose of your website. Is it primarily informational or are on-line sales a major source of revenues for your company? Are you expecting people to find out about your company through on-line searches or are you primarily using your site as a place to send people for more information after an “off-line” contact? Other purposes for your site include:

•Building credibility •Generating sales leads •Developing a database •Building relationships

Your site may also have non-promotional functions such as on-line forms processing or customer service applications.

You must consider who target market is for your site. Is it a market that uses web? And if so, how and for what do they use it? Some individuals may use internet primarily for e-mail, never accessing websites. Others may use it primarily for research and never make on-line purchases. The look and feel of your site as well as content are key considerations. In addition, architectural concerns such as load times must be taken into account. Do majority of your clients have high speed internet access or is a large portion of your market using dial-up access. It is useless to have a site with all latest bells and whistles if majority of visitors abandon site without ever seeing or hearing them due to long load times.

Just because you build it doesn’t mean they will come. Having a top notch website is only half battle. Like glossy, four color brochures that sit in boxes in storage closet or exquisitely designed retail store that no one visits; your website is useless unless there is traffic. If you don’t have a tracking program on your site than you are not capitalizing on one of most powerful features of a website: ability to track results. Be prepared for a big disappointment though when you begin tracking. Most website average less than three visitors a day.

It is important to use both on-line and off-line strategies to drive traffic to your site. Off-line strategies include being sure that your website address is on all your printed materials, using direct mail to drive people to site and personal contacts through activities like presentations and networking.

An interview is easiest way to create a new product for you to sell online or off. By far! Let's talk about it.

There are generally three ways to conduct an interview:

In person (face-to-face interview) By telephone By email

In this article I will be focusing on "telephone" interview.

Many beginners find interviewing a daunting experience and avoid doing interviews even when it could benefit a project they're working on or be a new product in itself.

Beginners Tip: To overcome your nervousness practice, and then practice some more, on your family and friends before ever requesting your first "phone" interview.

Below you will find a few tips for when day arrives and you need to conduct THE INTERVIEW ...

Tools you will need:

Cassette Recorder Online Seminar Service (with recording capability) Notebook and Pen

Background Research:

Do your homework on person before doing interview.

This could involve search engines, library, and who's who directory etc.

Having some background knowledge will give you greater self-confidence and will help you to ask more interesting questions

Interviews can be 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour or over course of a month or more depending on subject and focus of interview.

When you make a time for interview propose to take at least 30 to 45 minutes.

Suggest to person you are interviewing that they find most comfortable place in their home or office to do interview. Being comfortable and in their own environment will put them at ease and make interview process much simpler.

Preparing Questions:

Rule #1 Don't ask stupid questions... ask questions based on research you performed and on

items of interest brought up during interview.

Prepare your list of questions in advance jotting down questions and points you want to ask in brief heading form (they should be used only as a point of reference during interview).

Listen carefully and establish a relaxed style of questioning.

Allow questions to flow according to context, glancing at your list to refresh your

memory or fill a long pause in conversation.

Be open to new questions and new points raised during interview. Flexibility in your interviewing style will allow you to pursue interesting or relevant

sidelines as they come up.

Don't worry about ending up with more information than you expected. If it's valuable information it will only make your audio product more valuable.

If you are planning to use a cassette recorder, make sure you check batteries, cassette tape and volume BEFORE you begin interview.

Always ask permission to record BEFORE interview starts, and then get started on the

interview. Few people object to being recorded but if they do, just use your notebook.