As I spend time monitoring what people (some of them self proclaimed "experts") are saying and doing with respect to business strategies on the web I can't help but think that there is currently an over reliance on strategies related to third party websites. Social media strategists offer copious amounts of advice on how to get the most out of Twitter and Facebook. Those are the darling web destinations of the moment after all. There are lots of people on Twitter and Facebook now but will the masses be in those places in a few years? It's very possible that the masses will go elsewhere. Remember that it wasn't too long ago when MySpace was ahead of Facebook. Times change and the traffic chart below shows that.

So here's the important question. Are you setting yourself up for failure by putting a lot of resources into developing a presence on the hot social network of the moment? It's possible that you are if you aren't putting in at least an equal amount of effort into the website that you own and control. Perhaps it's time that you started addressing the real issues with your website. The question you want to answer is this. Why don't people want to spend more time on the website that I already have?

I understand that places like Facebook and Twitter have large audiences and that you want to be where the people are. So you should utilize those outlets. But that still doesn't address the important issues related to the place that should be a constant in the future no matter how popular Twitter is at that time. What about your website? What can you do to start making it a more attractive place for people to visit on a regular basis. People don't necessarily have to visit your website either. They can subscribe to an RSS feed or get an email newsletter, which can emanate from your own website and not a third party service. If your first thought is, "Why would they want to do that?", then you've got some work to do.

If you haven't done it already then today is the day to start improving your own website. Consider it insurance against an uncertain future. You don't know what will be hot six months from now. Although I'm sure that someone will gladly tell you for a fee. You don't know what scandal may hit that reduces the attractiveness of a particular service. Remember Facebook Beacon? If you're still in business then your website should be the primary destination for people interested in what your business has to offer. Let your website be the hub while places like Twitter and Facebook are the spokes. Too many people are pitching the idea that companies use social networks as the hub with the company website relegated to the spokes.

If you're thinking about how you make your website the hub you probably want to know where to start. I stay start with a blog. You can start a blog with little or no investment of money. You don't need necessarily need to hire consultants to teach you how to start a blog. You need a little technical skill (although sites that offer integrated web systems make it easier than ever) and a little creativity. A blog with interesting content that is updated regularly is worth its weight in gold for your business. It will get the attention of people who are already interested in your business and may help to attract new fans to what you are doing. All blog systems generate RSS feeds these days so you can make things covenient and allow people to subscribe to new content. So even if they don't visit your site they still get your message from a place that you know will be around even if other sites go dark. Oh and they do go dark from time to time.

If you're thinking, "What do we blog about?", I can offer up the same advice that I have offered before. Be FUNI (pronounced funny). Write about things that are Fun, Unique, New or Interesting about your business. Write in a human voice. That means you shouldn't be pasting press releases into your blog.

You may already have a blog integrated into your current website. If that's the case then perhaps you should approach it with a renewed dedication if you have neglected the blog in favor of Facebook and Twitter. By all means share and import your blog content into your off site social networks. Remember, the goal is not to abandon 3rd party sites. The goal is to establish (or re-establish) your site as the hub for information and interaction. By doing so you can then consider strengthening that connection by creating a social network or content community based around your business. It's possible to do that but it takes time and effort. Consider the time and effort that you put into your own site a smart investment that you can control and count on in the future.