Your goal is to create an environment that attracts and retains customers who feel part of your online community. Community is real people communicating with real people. Success will come to those who build relationships that will endure. Free drives traffic and increases value. The Internet culture continues to reward sites that provide useful information, and free products and services.
More traffic equals more ad revenues which increases property value.
The goal is to drive quality traffic from many sources. Search engine and directory listings, linking, advertising, affiliate referral programs, traditional marketing, other new media marketing. Know where your traffic comes from. Branding includes many image-creating activities. Branding is marketing s job, not delegated to the technical department.