Websites get old fast, and it’s vital to keep up-to-date information on your site. If a product is no longer available, take off that product information. If you have a new press release, get it on that site quickly. Strive to make some part of the home page "dynamic," and use that space on the home page to call attention to new content.

Also, make sure your entire organization recognizes how important it is to keep the website fresh. Make updating the site part of someone’s job description so you never have to wait until the MIS manager finishes some other project before he or she gets around to updating your site.

5. Successful websites shout "look at me!": They understand search engines.

Everybody wants a search engine like Yahoo to find their website quickly, but with so many websites out there, it’s easy for a site to get lost in the crowd. If a user searches for "allergy medicines," there’s little chance that they’ll quickly get a link to the XYZ Company’s site just because that company makes allergy medicine. Metatags can help.

Metatags are pieces of HTML code that try to convince a search engine to place the site on a higher relevancy scale. While metatags are not a magic bullet, they can help your site perform better on search engines. Create them thoughtfully and add them to your HTML.

Also, maximize the utility of your HTML’s <TITLE> tags – add a few words about your services! The title tag shouldn’t read: "Welcome to XYZ Corp." It should read: "XYZ Corp: The Leader in Allergy Medications." The addition of these words better catches the search engine’s eye.

6. Successful websites make headlines: They engage in online media relations.

If you build it, they won’t necessarily come. And registering your site with the search engines isn’t enough.