Suppose that the site we are talking about is for attorneys. We can draw assumptions about attorneys with respect to their level of education, income levels, and even preferred leisure activities as they relate to those income levels. This is valuable information. If this site can document to advertisers that 5 percent of its highly specified users purchased advertised products, the organization will continue to be able to develop an increasing source of revenue. Web sites collect information about people through the use of cookies.
Cookies are computer code identifying people and their personal information.
Personal preferences are stored in databases, and cookies trigger the release of that information, thus giving a personalized Web experience. Web site owners run reports that document user activity on the sites and, if possible, sell that information to advertisers to generate revenue. Now, let's shift gears. You're an association executive, and you're charged with the task of building a Web site or enhancing the functionality of the existing Web site. Like most associations, yours is not flush with cash, and the board of directors has indicated that the only way it will approve the expenditure is if the Web site generates revenue.