So you've got a slick looking website. Is it working? Is it bringing in business?

If you answered "no" or "don't know" to these questions then this article is for you. You've probably spent considerable money and/or time developing your site so you owe it to your business to make it work for you.

Here are six steps to help you get a handle on how your site is performing:

1. To find out if your site is generating leads:
   • ask everyone who calls for a quote where they heard about you
   • where possible use a unique "web only" number so you can trace where leads come from
   • keep a tally of email enquiries that come from the web
   • have a web only email so you can track them
   
   If you don't know what percentage of leads come from the web then you don't know how well it is performing.

2. Put your keywords into the most popular search engines - Google, MSN, Yahoo etc - and see where you rank. If you're not ranking highly then look at the sites of the people who are. You can check what keywords they are using by right clicking on the webpage and choosing "View Source" then look for the keyword metatags to see what's there. Count how many times the keywords are repeated in the body copy of the page. This will give you an idea of how you need to modify your own copy to incorporate your keywords more often. Remember, websites have copyright just like articles and books so don't copy your competitors just learn from them.

3. Find a friend or relative who isn't very web savvy and have them visit your site. Watch them as they navigate the site. Ask them if it's easy to find things and if the text is clear and makes a strong case for your product or service. Make sure you get someone who will give you an honest appraisal.

4. Make changes in line with what you have learned from steps 2 and 3.

5. Check out your successful opposition and see what they do well and emulate it. Do they have special web offers? Do they offer free delivery or 24 hours turn around? If it works for them it should work for you too.

6. Read articles that explain what content works best on the web and apply their recommendations to your website. Check out the sites that purport to be able to tell you how to triple your returns etc. You don't need to buy their reports just look at the language they use and how you react to it and learn.

Websites are dynamic. You're never finished with them. They evolve over time and you need to continuously monitor whether or not they are working for you. Good luck!