PrivacyRights.com claims that between January and July 2008, over 230 million records containing sensitive personal information were breached.
Sesamestreet.org spent two years and $14 million developing their website.
Since the web entered our lives in the early 1990s, it has become a powerful force in business, used as a means to promote companies, products, and ideas. The internet has grown increasingly sophisticated and expectations continue to climb in regards to both design and value.
In this environment, many people are looking to build their first website or are reconsidering their current one because it does not meet expectations. Small business has been particularly slow to take advantage of the web as a means to reach their audience. Many small business entrepreneurs believe that word of mouth is their most effective marketing tool and the web is an unnecessary expense.
Your market is online. 
With over one billion people online, you can be sure that a large part of your market surfs the web on a regular basis. The top reason for going online is to find information including in-depth descriptions of services, products and companies through visits to vendor's websites and online reviews.
Validation and credibility. A website validates your business and shows that you are serious enough to invest a bit of time and money to engage the attention of people who want to meet you.
Protection. Your online presence includes not only your own website(s), but information written about you or your products/services on social media sites like Facebook, on blogs, and on review sites like epinions.com. You need to be online to counter discouraging comments and to protect your brand.
A website is one of the cheapest methods of mass marketing. A basic site costs about the same as an ad in the Yellow Pages. In fact, what other advertising costs this little to reach this many? And unlike most advertising channels that require regular substantial fees, the price of keeping your website up-to-date is negligible, if you build it using sound principles.
ONE. As with any business venture, to succeed a website needs goals and a plan designed to achieve those goals.
TWO. Traffic is an essential part of success and so every site should inlcude search engine optimization (SEO) and a social media campaign. .
THREE. Protect the privacy of visitors. Develop a policy that holds you and your staff accountable for managing information visitors supply you online and let visitors know that you care about their safety.
FOUR. Enhance the experience of your visitors:
FIVE. Ensure that your website conforms to the corporate brand or style guide.