“Getting information off the Internet is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant.” Mitchell Kapor

I am using this particular quote: “Getting information off the Internet is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant.”   Mitchell Kapor – for the title because I feel that way sometimes. Trying to learn something new, do research on a project or keep up with the industries I spend time working in. I feel overwhelmed sometimes. There is so much information out there. And it’s easy to get swept away by a well-written blog or article but I often stop and wonder where they got their information from.  And then there are the multitude of pages that turn out NOT to be useful information but a sales letter trying to sell me on why their useful information is worth paying for. That has turned into to an art form as clever as the Ad Men.

As a local business owner with an internet presence, keep in mind what your visitors are exposed to on the internet. The average person spends less than 7 second on a site (how many sites can you look at in 13 yours if you are only spending 7 seconds there?). And that’s assuming it loads. In 2009, studies show that they were only willing to wait *2* seconds for a page to load before going to another site. (source)

If you want to create and increase revenue from your internet presence, you want to have dynamic information that is updated frequently. This can be done with changing specials, new testimonials, guest articles, updated news or a blog that the owner or a staff member updates regularly. Blogs are a great place for new and changing content because you can let your customers get to know you better, have guest bloggers on that you interview or repost and cover areas beyond trying to sell the customer your products or services.

Adding a revenue source to your site is also important. Consumers are not just reading, interacting and learning online. They are SHOPPING online.

“Today’s consumers demand a fast, engaging and secure online shopping environment when searching for a product online. We see a direct relationship between online revenues and site performance and therefore, we have to ensure our site performs well and loads fast,” said Michael Cooper, Vice President and General Manager, HomeDepot.com.

You can offer this through affordable e-commerce options that are dynamic, high tech and secure. There are also options offered by top online retailers like Amazon.com and MarketAmerica.com that allow you to earn additional revenue through your site without having to add inventory, shipping or customer service of those products.

Create an oasis for your visitors with rich content, up to date design, quick page loading and ways for them to enhance their lives either through learning, relating, supporting or buying.

Thanks to techcrunchies.com where they have a plethora of statistical information and data available including the source of the studies they are quoting and summarizing.