Put together a clear and concise description of your business.  If visitors to your web don't understand what you do, then they will not do business with you.  The internet is customer driven and if they can't find what they want quickly and easily they are just a click away from another site that will give them what they want.

Decide what you want your web site to accomplish for you and who your target audience is.  Do you want to sell your products, provide information to your existing clients or attract new customers?  These are just a few reasons to have a web site.  This is one of the most important decisions you have to make if you want your site to be successful.

Decide how you want your site to look.  Classy, sophisticated, modern, wild, professional, high-tech - whatever you decide, make sure it reflects your business. 

Do you want to provide links to other sites?  Pick those links carefully because they reflect on your business in the mind of the consumer.

Do you already have ad materials, brochures, etc. that can provide information for your web site?  If you have been thinking about updating this material, now is a good time to do it.  If you are not satisfied with what you already have, why put it on your web site?

Remember that just because you have a site does not mean you can sit back and expect people to come to you!  You must promote your site and keep it updated on a regular basis - it is a lot of work, and if you are not willing to put in the time and effort it takes, you will end up likes many other companies - paying for a web site that does nothing.

Make sure you can get detailed statistics.  You need those statistics, on at least a monthly basis, to find out what works for you and what you need to change.