For the want of a nail: you wouldn't create a direct mail piece and not send it. So why build a Web site and not promote it? (ROI).

THE WEB IS one of the most powerful marketing and information exchange mediums ever. It permits manufacturing and service industries to share information with employees and customers at a faster rate than traditional methods do. And the capability to share and transfer information in real time can make the difference between a company's success and failure.

To take full advantage of this information exchange and realize a return on investment for your Web site, the key is being able to maximize traffic. Using an applied search engine optimization (SEO) program gives your site a proven leg up. Developing an SEO program is no longer merely an option if the Web is an intricate part of your sales and marketing plans.

Consider the following. The top five search engines (Yahoo, Google, Alta Vista, Lycos and HotBot) reach 90 to 95% of the Internet audience. Because of the waysearches are generally made these five search engines effectively cover all Internet searches. As such, three elements mean success with prospects.

Yahoo! Make no mistake, Yahoo is the primary funnel for a majority of the search engines. It is the most-used search engine, and its directory is a huge traffic generator. To maximize site traffic, it is elementary for online marketers to be properly registered and listed in the directory.

High search results. Your site's search results are based on the proper use of key phrases and content. Phrases are selected based on search frequency determined by several web crawler services. Key word, phrase and content optimization are not possible without a dedicated effort and continuous updates that stimulate the web crawlers.

Targeted traffic. SEO will result in more visits from your targeted audience than can be generated without it. The result is delivery of quality traffic from prospects that customarily use the search portals. The benefit lies in the ability of prospects predisposed to information about your products to find your site, even if they have never heard your company name.

Sadly, most companies are not actively pursuing SEO. They often experience many difficulties and are dissatisfied with their site's performance. Some of the poor results include:

Low search placement. ROI is a business fundamental yet many overlook the return on their Web sites. Most site owners are satisfied with searches based on their site's URL. Obviously, a unique company or product name will come up when that name is entered as a search, but only if the prospect knows that word. Research shows, however, most searches are done based on a topic, a type of product or a key word.

Poor placement position, Companies that are not properly registered with Yahoo, even those that conducted automated registrations, will not get the maximum placement positions in a search unless the site has been registered manually and Yahoo's fees paid. These everchanging search engine rules have become more and more important as sites are added to the Internet.

Low search results. Most site owners are satisfied with a much lower number of targeted hits. They don't consider the increased sales and contacts that could come from optimizing search engine results. In trying to maximize sales potential, sites must be able to generate traffic. Prospects need to locate your site quickly and easily. Being on a 55-page list of 140,000 competitors won't work. Consider your search tendencies: Do you browse for more than a few screen pages generated by a key word search?

If the goal is to be in front of as many targeted customers as possible, use SEO. Traffic reports generated from this tool offer data on how visitors view and navigate your site, the amount of time they spend, and how often they return. To achieve true records and evaluate your site's performance and how prospects or customers access it, these reports can filter things like employee visits.

The Internet is as critical to your sales success as any other form of marketing and advertising. Would you create a direct mail program and not mail it? Would you develop an ad and not place it? To properly deliver your message and get a measurable return, employ SEO services. SEO is to the Web what postage and media space are to a direct mail or ad campaign.

As part of our series to make board shops better, here's sound advice from one of our industry marketing experts. You spent a lot of money and your Web site looks great! But where are the customers? Pat Fay tells you where ... and what to do about it.--Dan Beaulieu

PATRICIA FAY is founder of Futurelook (futurelook.net), an advertising agency for the PCB industry. She can be reached at [e-mail].