product to serve on of the above functions, there are several do's and don'ts to keep in mind as you move forward with your virtual goods market. Do: Integrate virtual goods as early as possible. It's wise to develop your virtual goods strategy as you work the early stages of your business. According to Balfour, it's a lot easier to integrate virtual goods in the "ground stages," rather than try to wedge them in later. Make the experience engaging. In order for your virtual goods market to be a successful one, you must create a need for the product. What is the content that your goods are centered around? Whether it's a virtual world or social networking site, your service must be engaging enough that people will actually want to invest in the experience. If you're a game developer, for example, create levels that might actually require a certain item in order for the user to move forward. Leverage the creativity of your users. One key to having a successful virtual goods market is creating a large catalog for users to choose from. In order to accomplish this, some sites, such as IMVU, a social networking site that allows users to create 3D avatars and interact through virtual worlds, allow users to design, create and sell their own virtual goods. By employing this method, IMVU's virtual goods selection boasts more than four million items. "User-generated content is paramount and almost mandatory to the path to success," says David Fleck, vice