Web sites that work: the recipe for a great Web site? Two parts marketing pizzazz flavored with a heaping dash of creative zest. (Marketing).

These days, it seems like everyone and their brother has a Web site, and thanks to ever-advancing technology, each site seems to have better features than the next. But what elements make up a really great beverage Web site? A good start is product and company information, of course, but unfortunately that's where a lot companies call it a day. At the other end of the spectrum, there are Web sites that pack so many bells and whistles, the brand concept can get lost. The challenge lies in finding the middle ground.

But before getting caught up in all of the tantalizing technology that can be integrated into your new site, step back and first consider your brand's marketing goals.

"The first question we ask before creating a site for a company has nothing to do with the site itself--we want to know what's going on with the brand. What are its strengths, challenges, markets and competitive threats?" says Michael LeBeau, president, Byte Interactive, South Norwalk, Conn. From a pure marketing sense, we want to understand where they are and what they are trying to accomplish."

After those …