It seems as though everybody today is hooked up to the internet in one way or another. From PC's to laptops, even to cellular phones, online capabilities have become a huge part of our everyday life. Students are using it for research, businesses are using it to communicate with their customers and others use it for entertainment purposes. The "Information Superhighway" has become just as important, if not more important than the television.

You may be asking, "Well what does this have to do with haunted attractions?". The point I'm getting at, is that almost all of the big name companies are using this great tool to expand their horizons to potential customers, and as a tool for communicating with buyers. This same principle can easily be applied to the haunted attraction industry. "We're not losing any customers by not having a website" you say? How do you know this? What about the potential customers you might be able to reach by having a website online? How do you know that this person may or may not come to your event if you had a site for them to visit?

"The Web" offers convenience for customers. By just clicking in a URL address they can find out all kinds of information on your event, from times, to prices, maybe even perhaps browse through some photos of your event that you may have. Plus, with the emerging of "e-ticketing" programs, such as ScreamPass, it makes it easier than ever for potential customers to buy tickets to your event in advance and not have to wait to buy them. The content and design of a webpage can be just as crucial as the design in flyers and other advertising mediums.

Why does design and layout matter? It's simple, an easy to navigate site that is appealing to the eyes can draw people to your site and possibly to your event. Advertising design has always been important because a good advertisement draws people. Whether it's the description you give, or the artwork that accompanies it, these things appeal to people. If you just "throw" your site together people aren't going to flock to see what you have to offer.

Photos are another way to capture the attention of your audience. This works the same way a preview for a movie does. Give the people a "sample" of what you have to offer. Tease them with appealing images. Make them want to come to your event. Pictures are a great way to show what you have to offer without showing too much. It's almost a guarantee that if you have photos on your site, that most every surfer who visits will take the time to look at them.

Customer testimonies on a website are another great way to boost your event. This works in almost the same way word of mouth does. If someone reads what other customers thought of their experience, they are more likely to attend the events. If you use your own testimony, (ie: "This haunt is so scary, you'll need a new pair of underwear"), let's face it, we aren't very credible when it comes to our opinions of our own haunts. We can say we have the scariest attraction around, but it doesn't mean much to the average joe. The opinions of the paying customers are what matters most.

Communication is an essential tool between businesses and their customers. The internet is a huge communication portal. Having a site bridges that gap of communication between you and your audience. Think about it, you can receive feedback from people who went through your event, you can find out what they want, how to improve, what they liked and so forth. You can also answer any questions someone might have about your event. The internet has brought customer interaction to a new level.

So why do you need a website for your haunted attraction? It's simple, you can interact with your target audience, draw in potentially new customers that you might not have ever had without spending loads of money on advertising, you can give them a preview of what you offer and let them decide if they want to go to your event and you can even save money on ticket expenses by taking advantage of online ticket sales. A website can be your advertisement, ticket booth and sneak preview all in one. It makes so much sense why any haunted attraction would need a website. Who knows, your site could possibly even draw customers from out of the area, maybe even out of state.