Your Web Site Isn't Finished

"Sometimes companies inadvertently create a needle-in-a-haystack problem," Rosenfeld says. "If you study data on Web site use, you'll find that a small percentage of pages get the majority of the traffic. The same holds true with search. A few terms will dramatically outrank everything else."

The takeaway? Focus your efforts on those pages that are viewed the most, keeping them constantly refreshed and relevant. Make sure that when someone types in one of those common search terms, they are directed to the right place and can access the right information instantly.

"It's about being surgical," Rosenfeld says. "A Web site is not a democracy, where every page gets equal treatment. Do the work on the stuff that really matters."

The best way to stay up-to-date on how browsers are using your site is to track and analyze what they're doing online, using a program such as Google Analytics. Search results can be especially informative, because they tell you exactly what your customers want; knowing what your customers are looking for can also give you a heads-up on possible brand extensions.

While most small businesses hire outside experts to design their sites, it's crucial that owners stay involved in the day-to-day maintenance. "If a Web site is not constantly refreshed, it falls into what we call ROT: redundant, outdated and trivial," Rosenfeld says. "You need a process in place to handle that fine-tuning, and you have to allocate the staff time to do it. Totally outsourcing all the work on your Web site can destroy your brand. "

Information architects are the research librarians of the digital age, guiding people through overwhelming amounts of data toward the exact resource they need. An effective Web site can direct users in the same way, but only if it's designed with their needs in mind. "Web sites are forums for us to have conversations with our customers," Rosenfeld says. "A Web site is not a monologue -- it should be a dialogue."

>To submit a news tip, email: [e-mail].

RELATED STORIES:

>>How Much to Watch Your Workers Web Surf

>>iPad and Small Business May Be Perfect Match

>>Creative Freelancers Bid, and Sites Take a Cut

Follow TheStreet on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

>To order reprints of this article, click here: Reprints