One of the main advantages to having a Web site to complement your local business is accessibility to customers and clients out of our area.

These days, before traveling to new cities or even visiting areas they have gone to in the past, people are getting online to do research and plan their trip. Most likely, they will begin by looking for places to stay, things to do and general information about the our area. But, depending on their personal needs and length of stay, most types of business will benefit from the extra exposure.

So, to get your business in front of the people planning a visit or stay in our area, you need to start by creating a Web site. You should include things like maps and directions to your business and possibly an Internet-only special to help potential customers commit to your business, or at least print out a page of your Web site to bring on their visit.

It is also import to present your Web site in a clean, professional manner that accurately portrays your business. This will help establish a level of trust from the first moment they encounter your Web site.

And, of course, you need to cover the basics by displaying detailed information about your business, products and services.

However, developing your Web site is just the first step. These days there are so many Web sites out there that the odds of someone just finding your site arbitrarily are pretty slim. That means you need to take steps to actively promote your site and find ways to make it easy for people to find you.

The first thing people think of when talking about promoting Web sites is Search Engines. These are the Web sites like Yahoo! and Google that categorize and index sites and then make their online directory searchable and available to the public.

In other words, people can go to these Web sites, do a keyword search and then find a list of Web sites related to what they are looking for.

There was a time when it was easy and free to get your business listed and found in a search engine. Today, the people that developed the search engines have started capitalizing on their investments and that means charging you, the business owner, if you want to show up in their search results. Some, like Google, are still free but most are charging if you want to get in. For a more detailed explanation of how to get listed in Search Engines, check out the July 1st column, "Search Engines Leverage Traffic-Producing Power."

While it is very important to get your business listed in search engines, there is another great way to get people to your site. Find other local sites that have already gotten themselves successfully listed in search engines, or other sites that your target market is likely to use. Then, partner or advertise with those sites so when their viewers see your information they can click over and see your Web site.

The best way to do this is to put yourself in your customer's shoes. Pretend you are going to be spending the winter in Yuma. Then, go to the major search engines and try some searches that you would expect them to do. Start with "Yuma RV Parks," "Yuma Restaurants" or "Yuma Golf Courses" and see what you come up with.

Once you find the sites that seem the most useful to your potential customers, contact those Web sites and discuss the opportunity to get your business and Web site listed as well.