A web site can be a great way to communicate with clients and prospects, but it only works if people know it’s there. You have to direct clients and prospects to your site, and then give them a reason to come back, say experts.

To do this, include your Web site address (also known as the URL, or universal resource locator) on all correspondence, says Tony Richardson, president of AdvisorNet Interactive Communications Solutionsin Abbotsford, B.C. A lot of people won’t visit a site until they see the address written out.

“Your e-mail signature is a great place to put advertising messages,” Richardson says. “Many advisors miss an opportunity to advertise their Web sites when they omit to put their domain name or e-mail address on their signatures.”

If you have your own e-mail server, you can have it set up to send automated e-mails to clients. When someone sends you an e-mail, it can send an automatic response that says: “Thank you for your message. By the way, we have a new Web site. Click here to check it out.”

Once visitors have found your site, make sure they get your key message at first glance, says Michael Wickware, creative director of Toronto-based Wickware Communications Inc. “The messages on the site should be clear and consistent about how the advisor can help the prospect.”

In addition, the message you want to put out should be in headlines on your site, Wickware says. It should be expressed in short, simple summaries aimed at your target audience.

“If you have a certain area of specialization or expertise, whether it is serving dentists or helping people make the transition to retirement, the message should be short and up front,” he says, “so the readers get the message in the one or two seconds you have to get their attention.”

Here are more suggestions to keep traffic coming to your Web site:

> Put Your Web Address Everywhere You Put Your Firm’s Name. Place the URL prominently along the front or back page of your newsletter. When you send out a mailing, add a simple message on coloured paper that says: “Find us online at…”

Place your URL on monthly statements. “That’s a great place to put an advertising line about your Web site,” Richardson says. “Clients will look at their statement because they care how their money is doing.”

> Use A Name That Reflects Your Business And Is Easy To Write Down. “If your Web address is too long, people won’t bother to write it down,” Richardson says.

> Choose A Name That Reads Well Visually And Phonetically. Richardson tells of a company in Las Vegas that combined its acronym, IHA, with Vegas as its Web address. “IHA Vegas” became “I have gas.”

> Keep The URL Short. “You want the domain to roll off your tongue when giving someone your Web address,” Richardson says.

> Build An Audience. If you want people to visit your site more than once and to forward it to their colleagues, you need to present more than your service offering, Wickware says.

“Create fresh content by starting a blog,” he advises. “Once or twice a month, write a few paragraphs about a specific problem you helped a client to solve or a goal you helped a client achieve.”

> Provide Interesting Links. For example, link to an article about a current economic issue or about the risks of allowing emotion to guide investment decisions and add your own commentary, Wickware suggests. People will pass interesting information along.

> Advertise Online. On Google AdWords, you can create a small text ad that appears when people search for specific keywords. You get to choose the keywords and pay only when your ad is clicked on. IE