Information can enhance ANY Web site

What's the most common activity on the Internet? Email. What's second? Looking for information.

The Stanford Institute for the Quantitative Study of Society did a study of more than 4,000 adults to see how they used the Internet. In all age groups, the most common activity was consumer information searching, reported by 40 to 60 percent of the respondents. Shopping, banking and stock trading were much farther down the list, used by 10 to 25 percent of those on the 'Net.

A lot of businesses use their web site like an online brochure, or an online store. Don't stop there! Add information on how to use your product. That way, people who are searching for information are more likely to find your site.

A few examples of how this can be done:

The strawberry seller. My friend Fred is a commercial strawberry grower. He wants a Web site to help consumers remember his brand name when they're shopping. How can Fred add information to such a web site?

Tell consumers how to store strawberries at home. Should you leave the stems in until you use them, or take them out right away? Can you freeze strawberries for later use, and how do you do it? What are some good strawberry recipes? Can you tell me how to make strawberry jam? Are there any good craft projects that use those green plastic strawberry baskets?

The firewood seller. My friend Russ sells firewood. He could help his customers with this kind of information: How often should I clean my fireplace? (A good opportunity for a link exchange with local chimney sweeps.) What should I use for tinder? How many fires will a cord of wood supply? Should I use more than one type of wood for the best fire?

The manicurist. Leslie, who makes The Web Site Maid's nails pretty, has all the work she can handle as a home-based manicurist. But if she had a nail salon and needed a web site, customers probably would want to know information on the various types of fake nails and how to do everyday tasks without ruining that gorgeous (and expensive) manicure.

Get the idea? Someone searching the Internet for a strawberry shortcake recipe would find Fred's web site, someone wanting information on when to clean their fireplace would get Russ' web site, and someone wanting to know how to open a soda can without popping off a nail would find Leslie's web site.

What are the questions your customers ask the most? Keep track, and put the answers on your web site.