On the high end, some companies launch elaborate contests with prizes to tempt visitors to a site. Indeed, Gokorsch, the Rockwell marketing manager, generated a launch kit for the site just as he would for a new product. The spread is tied to the site's content and audience, which determine the kind of media Fontayne needs to target. Above all, treat the site like, say, the newest property in a hotel chain. If it is a site worth visiting, it is a site worth promoting vigorously.
Web development can be a tricky proposition, filled with all kinds of hidden costs.
In such a new area, the unexpected should to some degree be expected. Firms that plan carefully and decide precisely what they want to accomplish by going on the Web will do the best job of keeping expenses under control and developing a cost-effective Web site that meets specific business objectives. Joe Mullich has written for over 70 publications.