Okay, so maybe the title of this article is a little off. I believe that you can and should personalize your site and be professional in the process.

I have decided to make sweeping changes to my site as a result of this concept. It had come to my attention that my Web site was becoming "professional" and "business like".

Don't get me wrong, I don't feel that there is anything wrong with those things in and of themselves. However, some people have been wishing for the "good old days" when my site was more of a friendly place to visit, and you could relax and have a good time, even while learning.

I have come to the realization that, although my feature writers do an excellent job of writing interesting and helpful articles for my site, there is still something lacking. Something to tie them all together, and create a more friendly atmosphere. In short, the personal touch of me as the site's owner and editor.

You may have already read through my popular promotion tutorial at promotionworld.com/tutorial. In a large part I credit its run away success to the fact that firstly it is full of quality information and secondly it is very humorously written. It gives my visitors a very welcome feeling, making them want to stay around.

I have received a whole pile of comments from my visitors to back this statement up. For example, Jupiterstar from geocities.com/Tokyo/Harbor/7045 sent me an email saying, "I just wanted to say that your page really helped and I laughed every time I saw something about raising and selling beetles". Patrick Van Slyke from aaaalliance.org said, "Great tutorial! Easy to understand. I knew a lot of the information but kept reading because it was fun and I kept learning little things that make a big difference. I am happy I found you."

This makes me realize that people want personalization. People like to be entertained while learning. I have learned that my visitors like my site the best when I relax and talk to them on a personal level.

Of course, I haven't thrown professionalism out the window. In reference to the tutorial, it is relaxed but in a professional sort of way, if you get my meaning. There is a fine line in my mind between "relaxed" writing and sloppy looking, unprofessional writing.

Relaxed style means a more friendly, one on one type of writing style. Professionalism is clean, smooth reading material, error free and, well, professional. I have come to the realization that to build a good community, which visitors want to come back to, both are needed. And yes, they can both exist quite happily, and, in fact, prosperously together.

There are many ways you can implement personalization. You can avoid saying things like the old "we have added such and such" in your "What's New" section, and say things like "I have just added a new such and such" instead. It gives the personal touch.

If you run a newsletter, you may want to consider having a section in it where you give your own opinions and ideas. Don't just rely on your guest writers!

One person, commenting on this subject, told me:

"I don't know if I should [personalize my site]. I am trying to run a business; I am trying to be a professional. I don't want to be boring - but it's hard to figure out where to draw the line."

I can see the point here. You don't want to downgrade your site in an effort to personalize it. Lets have a look at a few sites that that give you a welcome feeling, and yet that haven't lost their professionalism in the process.

One example of an excellent, professional, and yet friendly and personal site is located at jellybelly.com.

This site makes you feel quite at home. There is just something about the design... maybe it is the dancing jellybean at the top, or the friendly, well-designed buttons. Maybe it is the clean design and excellent color selection, or maybe it is a combination of all of these things. Not to mention the outstanding content.

Of course, this site is generally geared for a younger audience. Are there any larger sites out there that really make you feel at home while maintaining their professionalism? Good question. I spent a large chunk of the morning searching for a good example.

I finally found a reasonable example. fortunecity.com has built up a community of users, and seems to have a very personable site. As they say, "...we're themed on a real life city, which means interaction between the citizens, district related and seasonal activities, and a multitude of events happening around your very eyes, just waiting for you to take notice of them!"

Of course, we won't mention the fact that I can't stand sites with black backgrounds. That is a subject for another time.

There are other types of personalizing, as well. Many of the larger search engines such as excite.com are offering personalization to their users, letting them edit the search engine's main page to suit their preferences. Of course, this is beyond the average Web site owner's means, but it helps to get you thinking of the possibilities.

There is a real need out there, in my mind, for corporate Web sites that make you want to spend time there. How many of you really *want* to return to the Microsoft Web site, for example?

If you really want to personalize your page, (ahem!), you can try the free Dialectizer at rinkworks.com/dialect. It will quickly convert your Web site from English to... well, maybe you should just go have a look!

We need to realize that visitors want to feel welcomed and at home at a Web site otherwise they will leave. I know that I personally really don't like surfing the web that much, and I find that when I do spend large amounts of time at a particular site it is usually because I feel welcome and at home there.

Here is a challenge for you: Go on a personalization drive around your site... try to make it a place your visitors would want to come back to.