• Next, write down why you go back to each site. It could be product news, industry insight, humor, free utilities, demos, expert discussions, tips, etc. Write down as much detail as necessary, give examples. Indicate what you find useful.

• Finally, try to describe how these "reasons for coming back" can be applied to your web site.

That last step will be the most difficult, but also the most rewarding. Remember, your customers aren't that much different from yourself, and you may be interested in the same types of information. [If you're building content for something you're not actively interested in, find people who are and have them give you the same kind of feedback.] Pay special attention to the sites you visit with the greatest frequency, and what keeps you coming back to that site. Make an effort to see if you can apply any of those reasons to your industry, products and services.

Provide a reason to return
Here's another tip to help you with this exercise: you want to provide some service that your web clients have to have, or can't do without. This is actually not as difficult as it would seem. For example, maybe you could provide beginner and advanced tips for users of your product. Adobe does this on their web site. However, in order for something like this to be successful, it must be updated on a regular basis. Thus, if a user knows that you will be updating your postings on a regular basis, they will return.

By now, you should realize that this process will take some effort: both to develop and maintain. However, you must think of your web site as an essential part of your sales and marketing effort. Now, my last tip should probably get a few wheels turning. Here's the hook: only registered users get to see the directory of past tips (or whatever you decide to put up). Make the site registration free and easy (HmmmÉperhaps the subject of the next article). Even if they don't buy from you, you have their email address (and whatever else you choose to collect).

[We at Component Enterprises -- the publisher's of DominoPower -- have a fundamental belief about this. Our belief is that "name capture" is incredibly important, but the less information you require, the more registrations you'll get. That's why we only ask for name and email address for our tips and issue announcements, across our publications.]

There's a sales adage that goes something like this: "Always keep your name in front of the customer". It's a proven fact that people are more inclined to buy from companies that they've heard of. Now, this doesn't mean they can't have heard about your company from you through advertising or some other direct sales effort. But, often, the more familiarity they have with your company, the more pre-disposed they'll be to buy.

Tying it together
Let's tie some concepts together:

• A new customer comes to the web site;
• He or she browses and sees the "hook" section; the tip of the day for example;
• Our visitor wants access to past tips, but he or she needs to register to gain access;
• If the promise of added value (i.e., the tip) seems interesting enough, he or she will register, and now you have his or her email address;
• You now contact all such registrants via email when you post new information to your site (and you will do this often, right?);
• Your name, your URL, and other important information about your company is now in front of this prospective customer once again;
• Your new registrant comes back, hopefully again and again.