| My first web site was nothing more than a | | | | beauty of the bulletin board is that your |
| brochure that was transformed into an HTML | | | | visitors create your content. However, in |
| document and installed on the web. Since then | | | | order for this to work you must have enough |
| I have learned that web pages can do a lot | | | | traffic. If you have a Britney Spears fan |
| more than printed brochures, because they can | | | | site, then it should be no problem to get |
| offer several different ways to involve the | | | | your bulletin board up and running. If your |
| visitors. Here are some of the ways that I | | | | site doesn't have a strong flow of visitors |
| use to bring my sites to life.The first and | | | | there is still a way in which you can use a |
| most obvious kind of interactivity is to have | | | | bulletin board. Hold a special forum. |
| a way in which someone can send you a message | | | | Announce, on your site and in your |
| or contact you. You can do this by putting | | | | newsletter, a specific period in which there |
| your e-mail address as a "clickable" link on | | | | will be a discussion on a topic: "Visit our |
| your web pages. This is normally enough, but | | | | special forum on Racing Bicycles which will |
| sometimes people are not surfing on their own | | | | be held from September 1-5. Participating in |
| computers and can't click on the mail link | | | | the discussion will be the webmaster and his |
| because they don't have an e-mail program on | | | | staff of racing experts". This is a good way |
| that particular computer. The answer is to | | | | to tie together your newsletter and your |
| put a contact form on the web site. This | | | | bulletin board to sustain interest in your |
| allows anyone to contact you, no matter where | | | | site.Put Up a Bulletin BoardIn order to have |
| they are surfing. Also, as far as I can see, | | | | a bulletin board you may have to install a |
| the contact form seems to get more responses | | | | script on your site. Or perhaps your hosting |
| than a simple "mailto" link, perhaps because | | | | firm has a pre-installed bulletin board |
| it requires so little effort to complete.If | | | | script. You can get bulletin board scripts |
| you do use a clickable mailto link on your | | | | for free or for a small fee. If you are not |
| website be sure to encode it and protect your | | | | able to install a bulletin board once again |
| email address from being harvested by spam | | | | you can get one hosted on another server for |
| merchants--see our article.Forms can be | | | | free (with advertisements) or for a monthly |
| activated by a CGI script, or if you are | | | | fee (without advertisements).Finally, here is |
| using Front Page, through the Front Page | | | | another idea on how to draw your visitors |
| extensions. If you are unable to use either | | | | into the site. You're an expert on something, |
| of these methods then you can get free form | | | | that's why you have your website! Start a |
| processing on a third-party server (such as | | | | questions and answers column on the site let |
| bravenet.com), but you will have to put up | | | | your web visitors send in their questions and |
| with advertisements or pay a fee to have them | | | | you and or your team of experts can give the |
| removed.Another way you can involve your | | | | answers. Award a prize to the person who |
| readers on a regular basis is to offer a | | | | sends in the best question of the month. It |
| newsletter related to your site. The | | | | will help you to generate some useful and new |
| newsletter or e-zine in its simplest form can | | | | content for your site and also let you know |
| be nothing more than an update of new | | | | what your web visitors are thinking.Taking |
| features on your web site. Or you can be more | | | | this further, you can offer free advice on a |
| ambitious and write an article on themes | | | | one-to-one basis for visitors who have |
| related to your web site. For example, if | | | | questions related to your product or service. |
| your web site represents your bicycle shop, | | | | Put a form on your web site. It can be right |
| your newsletter could contain articles about | | | | next to your product's order button. Give the |
| cycling. Explain the scope of your newsletter | | | | people a chance to either order your product |
| with an announcement on your web site: "Get | | | | or ask for more information. By offering good |
| updates and information related to the themes | | | | advice you will win the confidence of your |
| of our website in a free e-mail newsletter" | | | | web visitors, some of whom will eventually go |
| followed by a sign-up form where the people | | | | on to purchase your products or |
| can sign up for the newsletter.Start a | | | | services.Donald Nelson is a web developer, |
| NewsletterIn your newsletter provide links to | | | | editor, and social worker. He has been |
| your web site, and your products or services | | | | |
| order pages. I find that whenever I send out | | | | working on the Internet since 1995 and is |
| a newsletter, traffic on the website | | | | the proprietor of A1-Optimization, |
| increases as do orders for my products. Also | | | | |
| provide information on how people can | | | | a firm providing search engine |
| subscribe and unsubscribe, and tell people to | | | | optimization, |
| forward the newsletter to friends and people | | | | |
| who might be interested in your website.You | | | | copywriting, reciprocal linking, and other |
| can keep people coming back to your site by | | | | web promotion services. |
| using a bulletin board or online forum. The | | | | |