Bridlewood Golf Club
(Flower Mound, TX)

Texas Star Golf Course
(Euless, TX)

Tangle Ridge Golf Club
(Grand Prairie, TX)

For Immediate Release

Fort Worth, TX
February 8, 1999

Seeking an opportunity to establish a niche in the web site design industry, Fort Worth based Don Dowell of Dowell Internet Services turned to his favorite sport ... Golf.

"Golf in the SouthWest evolved from email inquiries from Kim Brown, Head Professional at Keeton Park in Dallas, TX," recalls Dowell. "Kim was looking to have a web site for his golf course. After searching the Internet at the time, there appeared to be a great opportunity to develop a Texas golf web site directory and e-zine."

The result --- Golf in the SouthWest, a multiple award winning web site that has received outstanding reviews. "We quickly added the help of others and established the Ask the Golf Experts section," said Dowell. DFW PGA teaching professionals Scott Robbins and Tom Ward provided instructional articles, along with LPGA Hall of Fame Instructor Cathy Mant, while Gardner & Gulliver's Travel handled vacation inquiries. Other national writers such as golf fitness expert Don Tinder are also now included on the site.

"The focus of our design services became developing sites for golf courses and related businesses. We quickly realized the advantages of specializing in a particular niche, and were able to pass along our expertise to our clients." said Dowell.

"Other designers simply build a site and leave the marketing to the courses. We provide content and a regular traffic flow while also specializing in placing our clients on the top of the major search engines, where up to 90% of all Internet traffic originates," explains Dowell.

"Many golf courses don't have the resources to advertise outside their immediate area. The Internet changes this. It has become a great way to attract golfers visiting your area for business or on vacations," said Dowell. "We have had companies and groups from out of state plan golf outings and events at courses and these contacts came directly from web searches."

Making Money in Cyberspace profiles how Golf in the SouthWest got started while using Dowell Internet Services as the case study for specializing in a type of web site. The book was written by Paul and Sarah Edwards, authors of the best-selling Working From Home book series.

"When I first went online, one of the best resources of information about small business and self-employment opportunities was the Compuserve Forum by the Edwards," recalls Dowell. "I quickly found one of the best features of the Internet at the time was the ability to email questions to experts such as the Edwards and actually get a helpful, informative reply."

After initially focusing on web site development, Dowell quickly learned the importance of also being able to market the sites online. "The first step is to build a web site, but then you must be able to get them to come," said Dowell, who has since become the only direct partner with Get Ranked, a search engine placement specialist firm.

"There is no better, cost-effective method of promoting a site than search engine placement. It delivers an extremely focused group of prospects at a fraction of the cost of traditional banner ads."

For more information on Dowell Internet Services, Golf in the SouthWest or Get Ranked, please contact Don Dowell at don@dowell.com or 800-977-8542.