When your company doesn't have a website, it implies your company is a fly-by-night. A traveler. A mom & pop working out of a pick-up. Is that really the image you wish to convey? Why do I think you don't have a website? I see the e-mail addresses of my e-newsletter subscribers.

Over 2/3 of my newsletter readership's e-mails are internet service providers such as: aol, yahoo, gmail, sbcglobal, etc. They should be 100% company e-mail addresses. I was holding off shooting this missile across your bow but I've had 300 new members in the last 45 days and the situation hasn't improved.

Let me cut to the chase with some basic tips, then we'll go back and revisit the WHY you should have a website.

Tip No. 1 - Pick and reserve a proper domain name
Reserve a domain name that reflects your company's name. The closer the better. The easier to remember the better. (The domain name is the thing you type after the www. It's also called the URL.)

Make sure it has a ".com" ending. Not a ".biz" or ".org". If you use ".org" you will be unleashing the non-profit police. They are greatly offended when a for-profit business adopts the ".org" extension. You've been warned.