A website is one of the most powerful marketing tools that you can implement. You can update it immediately; it is unique to your business; it can be seen by thousands of people who are searching for EXACTLY what you have to offer; and it works as your sales force 24/7. And, it can be expanded and changed over time.

A website is a crucial marketing tool that can do the following for your business:

-Increase your visibility and credibility.

-Provide instant information and answers to your prospects' questions.

-Show your prospects that "I know how you feel."

-Allow your prospects and customers the ability to see the full spectrum of your services/products.

-Give your site visitors a taste of your personality ? you are already building a relationship with them before you ever talk to them!

-Tie together all of your other marketing efforts.

-Offer a storefront to sell your info products including reports, books, tele-classes, e-courses, and digital videos.

-Expand your geographic reach to a much broader audience.

-Provide a place for referrers to send their friends and associates.

-Decrease the length of your sales cycle because by the time your prospects call you, they have had an opportunity to learn about your business online.

Ask yourself a question, "If your website were a salesperson, would you fire him or her?" If the answer is "yes," well'we have some work to do!

Don't try to design your own website (unless you are a web designer). There is a steep learning curve and you should devote your time to revenue-making activities. And unless you have a background in web design, your site will look like YOU designed it.

When you hire firm to design your website, make sure you find an company that understands marketing, as well. There are some web designers who can make your website look pretty, but it may not be effective as a sales tool. You want a team who can make your site easy to navigate with a compelling design AND works for you to sell your services and products.

Key pages for your website includes:

-Home page: Your home page is the most important page ? this is what people will see first. This must be a page that operates as a Sales Letter that explains what you offer, how you will solve your prospects' problems, and what action you want your website visitors to take.

-About: All about you, your business, your staff, company history, and philosophy. You can explain how you work and your approach.

-Services/Products: This is a place where your site visitors can go to find out more about what you are selling.

-Contact: Provide a place to give your contact information. Make it as easy as possible for people to get in touch with you.

-Other Key Pages: Other pages could include Clients (list of your customers), Case Studies (demonstrates who you have helped and how), Testimonials (your customers' raving reviews), Resources (things that your prospects and customers may find helpful.

People don't read websites like they read a newspaper or book. Instead they scan until they find a link that looks interesting and then they click on it. Therefore it is crucial that you make your website pages compelling and make it obvious what a person is supposed to do next. For example, "Purchase now" or "Read more."

On your homepage, start with a compelling headline that speaks directly to your target audience. Next, create a series of "pull" marketing questions or statements for your home page. These are problem-oriented - your prospects should be able to read these and answer, "Yes!"

Then, tell your site visitors that they have a way out. Explain exactly what your prospects can do to solve these problems you've just laid out. Always provide a call to action. Be sure to explain EXACTLY what you want your visitors to do. For instance, you may want to get them to subscribe to your ezine, go to a specific page, or to register for a seminar.

In your website, be sure to include pages in your website that give a comprehensive explanation of your services, products, or programs. Be sure to give visitors information about you and your staff, your clients, the way you work, and be sire to include testimonials. I also recommend that you provide a way to capture the names of your prospects. There are many effective online tools to do this. Otherwise, they can move on and you may never hear from them again. So, offer a free report and/or an ezine in exchange for your visitors' contact information.

ACTION ITEM: Do you have a website currently? If you don't yet have a website, what can you do to build an online presence? What pages will you include? If you already have a website, is it working for you? What can you do to your current website to improve its selling power? What areas can you add to your website (or plan for a new site) to enhance its stickiness ? how can you keep people coming back? Get started now as it can often take weeks or months to overhaul a website to make it a super selling machine.