Have you ever looked up the websites of your competition online?  As you *YAWN* your way through, you will most likely notice that 9/10ths of them appear to have been done by a high school kid back in 1999.  You will find that many of these companies hire “cheap” web designers to build their online presence.  Having a website on the Internet with nothing but your name, a pretty picture and your story will get you no further than stapling your business card to a telephone pole in the middle of nowhere.

As you continue dredging forward through your competition’s websites, you will undoubtedly come across one or two that are FANTASTIC.  It is inevitable that you will see at least one that makes you say to yourself “WOW!” 

When this website graces the front of your monitor, pay attention!  What are they doing differently than everyone else?  What sets them apart?  What is it about their website, that would compel YOUR prospects to do business with them instead of you? 

 As you objectively consider the differences between the leader of the pack and the followers who are fighting for crumbs, you will notice most likely that the leader has done various subtle things (and perhaps a few that are not to subtle) differently from the others.  In doing this, not only do they separate themselves from the pack, they also tell their prospects (and yours!) that they are not interested in just showing you a picture of their building, and telling you about the company history - they are saying they actually WANT your business!  Here are a few things to consider:

- The design of your site should not only be better than your competition, but it should also be relevant to your audience
- Your site should offer up free tips and information that will *help* your prospects.
- Show how you have helped those who were previously in your prospect’s shoes.
- Be creative with how you get your message across.  This is the web!  You can use video, audio, text, pictures - and any combination of them!

Finally, don’t forget to keep your website fresh.  Try various combinations of things, and take note of when your website is best received by your audience.  Keep in mind you will need to ensure that your website has a healthy amount of traffic in order to accurately determine if/when your website modifications are helping or hurting.

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