Internet exposure is important, Kelly, but mostly on a local level. It's important to have a website because prospects will want to know more about your company before booking you to come into their home, but it's not as important to have a "national" web presence. Because this is a local service industry, it doesn't matter if your site comes up on a general search of Home Inventory Services.

Instead, it is important that your business pops up when someone seaches "Home Inventory Services" and "(Your City or State)." One way to do this is to advertise in the Yellow Pages (or even have a free business listing -- which you get when you order buiness line service -- not currently available if you use your cell phone for your business line.)

Also submit your website to DMOZ (http://www.dmoz.org/about.html) , the free online directory project. This will help get your website some exposure, but links TO and FROM your website will help increase your ranking on any sites you're listed on. (It also helps if lots of people click on your link after they search for it online).

There's lots of other technical information (metatags, internal links, etc.) that are relevant, as well as a whole other category of "paid search" (GoogleAds, etc.) that can be considered, but really, your best bet for generating business from your website is to promote it locally.

In your brochures and on business cards
On bumper stickers and car magnets
In your voicemail message
On any public relations materials you send out
In print ads
In your Chamber of Commerce newsletter
On your fax cover sheets
On your invoices and estimate sheets
On postcards
In Yellow Pages ads
On refrigerator magnets
On doorhangers distributed in targeted neighborhoods

... and on and on...

If you're first in your market, your website doesn't have to be spectacular (see my other article on tips for your website), or even comprehensive. Two or three simple, well-written pages may be enough. You can always add more later. Make sure your contact information is on EVERY page -- phone number larger, with e-mail and address smaller (even if it's just a P.O. Box, that gives the propective buyer a sense of security).

Basic Sections:
* Why Inventory (aka your "Home" page)
* About Us (again, why you started the business, what sets you apart, if you're licensed/bonded/insured)
* Services/Pricing (if you've purchased Fred's software, there's information about this in there)
* Contact Us (a separate page with your contact information -- again, phone number LARGE! Can also include an e-mail link or e-mail reply form for basic information-gathering, but remember, you're going to close the sale if they CALL you, not write you.)

If you're a NAHIP member, include the logo on your site. (I recommend making it a "clickable" logo, so if the prospect says, "Hey, what's NAHIP?" and clicks on the logo, it takes you to the NAHIP website.

Even if your primary focus is networking (with insurance agents, etc.), these individuals *will* look at your website. Creating a "brand identity" for your business is important to building credibility, especially for a start-up. Your website should match your business cards and other materials in terms of colors, look, logo, and name.