At today's Easthampton Don't Eat Lunch Alone, I sat at a section of the table with a graphic designer (Lisa Hoag) and a software developer who does website programming (Tom Novelli) - a potent triple-threat combination.  Rounding out our group was a small business owner, and we discussed the three components of a successful website:

1. Great design.  The first thing that catches a visitor's eye is the design.  Choose a graphic designer that has a portfolio you like to design your logo and graphics.
2. A back end system so that you can easily update your website.  Whether it's WordPress or a custom content management system, make sure that you can easily add blog posts or special offers to your site without having to call your website designer or other techie.
3. Great copy.  Writing your own website copy doesn't work.  You're just too close to your own business and will end up spending too much time writing copy that may not result in the sales you expected.  To truly boost your sales, your website copy should be written by a professional copywriter who can speak to your target market.

These three prongs are what make a website a successful component of your marketing.  Choose professionals that can do what you need, whether it's a splashy graphic design, a simple content management system for keeping your blog or special sales up to date, or a copywriter who can craft snappy, grammatically correct copy that enhances your credibility.  Then watch your sales increase.