Why is any site special?
Is it because the site is unique? Is it because the site loads
the quickest, has the freshest content, is easiest to use, or
contains the best resources? Is the site so useful or so much
fun that people SIMPLY CANNOT stop talking about it?
You guessed it, it's all of the above (and more!).
Making any website a "wow!" takes time, and there really are no
quick-fix solutions. But it is possible to make your site
special - a site that visitors bookmark without you asking; one
that they willingly tell ALL their friends about.
> USE THIS RESOURCE
Use your brain! It is the single best resource you have when
trying to create a website with wow-appeal. It is vital you use
your brain to be creative, to be inventive, to be different! (I
mean just how interested are you in yet another version of (the
brilliantly simple) http://www.amihotornot.com ?)
If you have yet to build your site, I can recommend Site Build
It!, however (http://buildit.sitesell.com/shopping101.html).
Site Build It! lets you use your brain, lets you explore your
passion. It provides the tools to allow you to build (and
promote) a site that pleases both the search engines AND site
visitors. Quite simply, you concentrate on your business (or
passion), let Site Build It! do the rest!
> OR COMBINE THESE SERVICES
Intelligent and imaginative use of these excellent services WILL
make your website a compelling place to visit, a website with
"wow!"
http://www.moreover.com
Add a newsfeed
http://www.everyone.net/main/html/communitytour.html
Create a community
http://subportal.iboost.com/subportals.html
Offer free stuff
http://www.atomz.com
Add search to your site
http://contests.about.com/shopping/contests/mpboards.htm
Offer a prize or competition
http://www.hi2.com
Let visitors play games
http://web-source.net/write.htm
Write an article (or three)
> OR DO IT YOURSELF!
The web is literally brim-full with free website building tools
that can really improve your website. Again, you are only
limited by your own imagination (or creative combination of
other people's imagination!). I recommend you visit all of these
sites, and get thinking...
- http://www.bignosebird.com (script called birdcast)
- http://cgi-resources.com/ProgramsandScripts
- http://reallybig.com
- http://www.zdnet.com/developer/
- http://www.builder.com
- http://www.web-source.net/web/
- http://buildit.sitesell.com/shopping101.html
> READ MORE...
Think for a while about the sites that you really like, and
think why it is that you like them. And always be on the look-
out for good ideas, both online and offline.
Make your site a "wow!", and get everyone talking about (and
visiting) your site. Sounds simple, doesn't it! It isn't, but
there are lots of tools and resources on the Internet to
help you. Just add your brain... then create a buzz!
About the Author
Steve Nash edits Promote! Promote! Promote! a twice-monthly
newsletter. Subscribe, and learn more about promoting your
business (or site) online: mailto:pppromote@getresponse.com
This article appears on his latest site called How I Promote My
Website - http://www.HowIPromoteMyWebsite.com/bin/ap.pl?find-out