Your web site gives you a direct connection with your fans. Unlike TV, films and radio (which are uni-directional), the Internet is bi-directional. This is why the Internet is such a radical departure from everything that preceded it, and also why it is such a potentially powerful tool in the hands of musicians.

When people arrive at your landing page, you have their attention for about 5 seconds. That is it a very short window of opportunity. That is why it is crucial to have something at your site that magnetizes visitors, keeps them interested, engaged and willing to return.

Here are five ideas to bring more interactivity to your web site and make your fans love you even more:

1. Set up a discussion board. Ideally, what you want to do is start an ongoing conversation with your fans. Having a message board enables this conversation and helps establish a lively and loyal online community. You are essentially saying, "Your ideas and input is important to us - come closer". Fans can interact with each other and the band if they wish. This is the online equivalent of talking to the crowd between sets at your gigs. Once your fans are aware of the board, they will come back to see if they've had response to their post and what other posts may have been put up. If you want to set up your own message board on your website, the easiest method is to install someone else's software. You can install or use most of these for free or for very low rates. Check out these to start with: www.bravenet.com or www.webcrossing.com.

2. Create a band blog/journal. There is a good reason magazines like People do so well. Fans like to feel they have a personal connection with the artist. Fans are fervently curious and want the inside scoop. This is a place to provide that for them.

A band blog gives fans an almost real-time feel for the band's day-to-day activities, thoughts and plans. It gives artists an opportunity to share the less visible aspects of the band. It can also be set up to integrate with IM and other text messaging services so that you can broadcast messages to fans at a moment's notice. They can also be set up so that fans can respond to your journal as it develops.

Two popular, easy-to-use blog-creators are typepad.com and livejournal.com.

3. Give fans a page of their own. A page dedicated to your fans, including pictures from shows and prize giveaways to be determined, will be visited often. Fan photos from shows and both candid and live band shots can also be included. Photos can be scanned from prints, taken with a digital camera, captured from video, or delivered from the film processing plant already on a CD. You can announce at shows that you've been taking pictures and they need to check out the website to see if their photo is there. Everyone likes sharing their claim to fame with friends.

You can tease your fans with "members only" areas on your website. This site feature will be possible only if your web host has provided you with a secure server feature. You can then put web content in areas that are password-protected, and only people who have registered with your site, or purchased a subscription, or have been given a "secret password" from you, can access it.

4. Start a "Fan of the Month" contest. Each month take entries for why your fans think they are fan of the month. Urge them to be creative in their submissions, stretching the truth of why they should be chosen. The fan of the month can also have reign over the fan page, telling you what you should do to it. If the fan wants it pink that month, then pink it is! Contests are another good and fun way for growing your mailing list. And they keep people coming back to your site.

5. Chat with your fans at scheduled times. Here is where the power of the Net really shines. How about a live virtual party with your fans? Real time interaction with fans once a week can have a tremendously bonding effect. Some of the newer chat software allows you to create a branded chat presence that totally integrates with the look and feel of your own site for as little as $20 per year. You can schedule your chats with an email blast to your list or, if something urgent comes up, call an impromptu session for all who can attend. Integrating these chats with IM (instant messaging) is a cinch.

Be sure to establish ground rules when setting up chats. These may include prohibitions about verbally attacking others and being sure a person's message is complete before responding.

Some good chat services to check out are 96decibles.com, everywherechat.com, and myspace.nuclearcentury.com.

Of course it takes a lot of work, time and effort, sometimes even some cash to develop a site that communicates like this. But when you think in terms of the life value of your potential fan, it makes a lot of sense to go out of your way to make your visitors feel really special, delighted and willing to talk with you.

Simply because there are so many voices trying to be heard on this global forum, you will need your fans or customers to help you get noticed. The more personal relationships you build online, the farther the word of mouth spreads.

Peter Spellman is Director of Career Development at Berklee College of Music, Boston, and author of the new book, Indie Marketing Power: The Guide for Maximizing Your Music Marketing