Then we were told to dress our sites and blogs up with logos, graphics, and photos. That helped to bring traffic, too.

Finally we were told to give your sites all the right keywords to bring in the utmost in search engine traffic. By now, that technique has been used just about everywhere it can be.

Now, the Internet is moving to a different phase. Increasingly, top sites are using video to increase their value and bring in lots of traffic. Think about the last time you logged into Amazon or CNN. You very likely were greeted with a professional-looking video that started up on the page and relayed a movie preview or news report.

In the past, you would have to hire a video production house to create, process, host, and post your video, all at a cost of thousands of dollars. But not any more.

Now you can have that same kind of professional video on your site or blog for a price that fits any budget. It's relatively easy to create using low-cost equipment commonly sold for home use.

In the course I teach, I show students how to use Hollywood tricks to transform any space in your house into what looks like a National TV studio. You can do this for under $97, camera not inlcuded. Now that's an advantage for your site or blog that you shouldn't pass up.

What should your site or blog video be?

* Interview yourself or an expert, giving information that your visitors would find interesting.

* A demonstration of how to use your product or service.

* A high-tech, entertaining addition to your ebook or instructional CD.

We live in the television age, when just about everybody would rather look at a video that SHOWS them how to do something rather than have to read about it or listen to someone tell them about
it.

A video gives you much higher response and a far better informed customer base. When people really understand what you are offering and what you can do for them, making sales (often at a higher price) is far easier.