There are many factors that will determine your level of success on the Web, but Web site automation may be one of the most valuable processes you can invest your time and money in.

In more detail, Web site automation can consist of:

1. Web Site Administration Processes
2. User Convenience and Entertainment Value

1. Administration Processes

Can you honestly say to yourself that your current process for updating your pages, your online store, or database is the most efficient process you could be using?

If you just had your doubts about that question it's time to rethink your current processes.

If you're currently updating your pages or databases manually the process could be processed a lot faster using Web based forms.

Now obviously this kind of process requires some time and money setting up the administration system, however if you're not the one processing the updates it could be more cost effective to set up a system and do it yourself rather than pay a Web designer an hourly rate, right?

Simply put, using Web based forms you have the ability to add information and images through your browser window, without the need for HTML coding, file searching and FTP sessions.

2. User Processes

Web site automation for the user can be the key to keeping visitors at your site rather than sending them away before they've even wiped their feet at the front door.

Simply put, the automation of Web site processes can not only be used to establish a level of convenience, but it can be used for entertainment value too. Let's look at some examples:

3. Automated Links Page

A user will be far more pleased with your Web site if when they submit their site for a listing on your links page their link is added automatically. Again, this will save you adding the links manually yourself.

4. Message Forums

People want their voices to be heard and a message forum can be an essential tool for the discussion of your subject area. If you look at it in the view that whenever someone wants to check for new messages, they are revisiting your site over and over. That holds value in many ways.

5. Automatic User Registration

Do you have a password protected area on your Web site? Are you adding your registrants manually when they apply?

If you answered yes to both those questions it may be time to rethink this process. It not only takes your time to create the new user, but the person who originally signed on to gain access to the section must wait until you're available to process it.

Many programs will allow you to set up automatic user registration, to allow users to have a username and password processed for immediate access.

6. Question & Answer Forums

Allowing others in your industry to share their knowledge will be a valuable addition to your Web site. By allowing visitors to post their own questions and answers you should find the same effect as mentioned above for message forums.

Don't jump in the deep end if you know you can't swim

The above are just a few examples of what you can do to make your Web site more populated and automated. However you must also be aware of environmental factors that may affect the success of your automation. For example, a site receiving 20 user sessions wouldn't likely qualify for a discussion forum.

And frequent policing is essential to ensure that visitor's abusing the privilege of such a system are dealt with.

If you're looking to set up such a facility as above ask yourself what value it will have for your Web site. Too often Web sites add such tools to show off their supreme technical knowledge, more often than not failing miserably.

Setting up your facilities

The possibilities are endless as to what you can do with your site. The most common way to set up these programs is using CGI (Common Gateway Interface) under which you can use languages such as Perl, C++ and Visual Basic.

You'll need CGI privileges on your server, and access to a CGI-Bin for security purposes (a directory where CGI files are stored which is not viewable via the Web).

Facilities can also be set up using other languages and platforms including Active Server Pages (ASP), Pre Hypertext Processing (PHP) Cold Fusion (CFM) and many others which are often easier to learn and use than the languages under CGI.