Last month, I showed you some ways to "spice" up your website and make it more productive. This month, I'd like to take this a little further and make sure your site is really working for you!

First, is your site changing and growing, or is it as stale as last week's bread? You don't have to have your site revamped every week. In fact, it should stay familiar to your regular viewers. But it should have new things added on a fairly regular basis, whether that is monthly, weekly, or even in some cases daily. (Yes, I know that's a lot of work but in some cases it's necessary.)

I can hear you asking: What am I going to add new every month? Well, you've got several options, according to the goal of your site. One site that I view at least weekly has a weblog written by the owner of the site. It might only be a paragraph written "on the fly", but I always check in, because his ideas are always so good. (If you're interested, let me know and I'll send you the link.) I know he's going to have something I want to read, so I check in often. (And when he has something to sell, I also check that out - I know he gives good value for my dollar.)

You could also have the "special of the month". If you sell several items, you might want to give a special price on certain items or packages of items. You might even consider having a mailing list on your site - the subscribers would be the only ones who could get this special price every month, and in exchange you have the names of interested visitors. (Some very big sites do this, including Office Depot and Franklin Covey) You might even consider having the special listed on a "hidden" page that can only be reached by reading the email. I'm a member of a list that does this - they offer free downloads just to the members. Almost every month, I find something that I can use. This is another site that I find value in every month- I'm constantly checking the site for new information.

And speaking of mailing lists - have you considered writing a newsletter? I can vouch that it's very interesting and can be very rewarding. I also would encourage you to write articles for other sites' newsletters, especially to get your feet wet. You might be surprised how much traffic you'd get just by having a guest article featured in someone's newsletter. (Again, if you're interested in more information, contact me and I'll point you in the right direction.)

So, if you've stayed with me so far, you see the theme - value for my time and money. Any site that I visit regularly offers me value for my investment. I trust these sites to be regularly updated and kept fresh and current. I know that the time I spend reading their site is going to be worth my while. Is your site offering the same thing to your viewers?

If you believe your site needs something to offer your visitors, but you're not sure what it should be, please contact me and I'll be glad to look over your site and make some suggestions that may help you. (Just call it a Christmas present if you'd like!)

Beth Rogers is a web and graphic designer located in Rutledge, Alabama, in Crenshaw County. She's dedicated to making her clients the most successful business people in the world. You can visit her at Rogers Web Services.