Like any part of your marketing strategy, the development of your website needs to be well researched and created with a clear set of objectives in mind. What is the major intent of your site, who do you want to talk to, how will they find you, what do you want them to do when they get there and how will they feel about you when they leave?

If you think that these are similar questions you have been asking about your cellar door, then you are right. Your website is (or can be) another distribution channel and like cellar door, it plays an important brand profiling role.

The Internet is now the most used tool for the purpose of planning holidays. It has also become the largest retail vehicle in the world with millions of dollars being spent on consumer products and services every day - many of these being leisure, lifestyle and travel purchases. More money is now spent on Internet advertising than any other advertising medium, so if you harboured any doubts as to whether people will proffer their credit card details online, think again.

Without doubt you will want a piece of this action - a constant stream of 'qualified' surfers arriving at your site and leaving with a case of wine or at least the intent of paying a physical visit to your cellar door. But, unless you are an Internet marketing expert, there is a distinct possibility that you won't get it right and instead of a powerful marketing and sales tool delivering profitable customers, you will end up with just another website that very few people visit.

As one highly successful web developer put it: "Why do people contract winemakers to make wine, get an accountant to do their tax, go to a mechanic to fix their car and have their hair cut by a qualified hairdresser - but they all think they can design their own website?".

Start by spending some time surfing the Net to find out what you think works or doesn't and why. Call some of the wineries behind the sites you prefer and ask them about the performance of their site. Get some outside opinions as well to determine if they are likely to appeal to your target customers. But, before you do anything else, establish a detailed plan to guide you through the cyber-maze and help you to make the right decisions about this important marketing investment. Talk to some experts in website design and management and always get more than one quote.

If you currently have a website and are unsure if it could be performing better, then you need to focus on ways to verify whether the site possesses the characteristics for success. By having an Internet site audit conducted by a professional, you will find out right away what needs to happen to give your online presence the power to win customers.