As part of their marketing campaign for Ridley Scott's futuristic Prometheus—an Aliens prequel—producers created a corporate website for the fictional Weyland Industries. And after exploring the well-conceived www.weylandindustries.com, Carol Tice believes your website could take a lesson or two from the design and content of this "fake" one. In a post at Entrepreneur, she highlights takeaways such as these:

It features concise copy that makes a strong impact. When you're passionate about the product or service you sell—as any small businessperson should be—there's a natural tendency to gush. You want to tell the whole story, wax eloquent about minute details, and leave no factoid unshared. When a casual visitor doesn't share your passion, however, it simply looks like a longwinded jumble.

It provides a quick snapshot of the business's history and vital statistics. The Weyland site includes a timeline with brief descriptions of key milestones, and an "about us" page with important information like locations, contact details, and number of employees. "I can't tell you how many small-business sites I've searched in vain for these kind of useful facts," notes Tice.

It archives past press releases and multimedia resources. "Collecting releases and putting them on your site shows that your company has a history and gives media a chance to quickly scan through your highlights," she says. Downloadable images, fact sheets, and video of any speeches you give—the Weyland site includes a faux TED presentation—will also add value.

The Po!nt: Does your real website measure up to the functionality and content of Weyland Industries' not-so-real website?

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