By Jon-Mikel Bailey, Owner and Director of Business Development, Wood Street, Inc. (Published November 22, 2004)

Have you ever heard the term "brochure ware"? It refers to a site that is basically an electronic brochure- bland and lacking useful or stimulating content. While brochures are effective and serve their purpose in general marketing efforts, this approach does not take full advantage of the Internet.

With over 26 million ".com" web sites currently active online- are you standing out in the crowd? Our experience has shown that becoming an online resource can help gain both traffic and business. If you find your site looks like "brochure ware" and is not the online resource it could be, start making that change by thinking about these points:

• Turn your site into an online information resource. Whether you are a business promoting your product or service on the web or a non-profit looking to increase membership or awareness, becoming an online resource can increase your efforts.

how can this help? Remember: You are an expert on your business; experts can provide "expert information" about issues in their field. By doing this you open yourself up to a whole new world of self-promotion. All while helping people and strengthening your reputation in your industry.

• Break into informational search engines like Ask.com. This will further help you establish credibility as an expert and increase your traffic tremendously. They don't let just any site on here.

how do I do this and how can it help? Ensure your site is rich with industry specific terms, lingo and jargon. Remember to be sure to target your main audience without alienating newcomers who might not know all of the terms associated with your business. By making your site specific and keeping it fresh search engines are more likely to keep you near the top of the list.

• Take charge of your Internet presence. You don't have to spend thousands of dollars; you simply need to take an active role in the evolution of your web site. Keep your site fresh and useful.

how can this help? If you want repeat visitors or an increase in referred traffic, give people a reason to come to your site. Change your content as often as you can (daily is best). Add things like a news script or a PR page or an ever-changing online resource guide. Breaking out of the "brochure ware" mold will instantly set you above the competition. For more ideas see our Applications Page.

• How can you get started? If you are interested in becoming an online resource, simply contact your webmaster, or web development firm and ask how you can add information to your site on a regular basis. Most firms should be able to handle this request with little difficulty. Make sure your information is relevant and useful to your visitors.

Jon-Mikel Bailey is owner and Director of Business Development for Wood Street, Inc. If you would like more information about writing content for the web, Search Engines or any other marketing issues, feel free to contact Jon at jbailey@woodst.com.

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