Taia Cesana knows exactly how many visitors log on to her company's web site. Likewise, she can tell you how many are reading her blog. But most importantly, Cesana knows the impact an online presence can make.

As the e-commerce manager for East Coast Auto Salvage, Inc. in Higganum, Conn., Cesana has helped her family's business grow by adding an eBay store and a state-of-the-art web site, ECAutoSalvage.com.

"It was something I learned on the job," explained Cesana, who started working at East Coast Auto Salvage part-time in high school and college. "That's when I began looking at the site. It was pretty basic back then. There were photos but it wasn't easy to navigate."

When Cesana joined the company full-time in 2004, she returned to the web site and explored the Internet as a marketing and sales tool.

"There were some channels where we had our inventory online, such as Car-Part.com," she explained. "But I saw an opportunity to create an online brand and sell our products more directly. I played around with eBay for a few years, and decided it would be a good market. I also realized there was a need for a more professionally designed web site."

Cesana hired a web designer and brought the site to the next level. Its modern, professional design is easy to navigate. There's a blog where customers can read updates on new products or find paint codes. There are also photos of products and areas that explain the standard damage codes to customers. There are even forms, from credit applications to cut sheets, where customers can indicate the cut lines for quarter panels. The cut sheet has to be faxed, but it still streamlines the process. Importantly, the web site is constructed so Cesana or a staff member can make changes or updates easily.

"It is our online storefront and creates a first impression," she noted. "It's important to create a positive image because we are marketing nationwide. We want our site to give customers confidence in our operation. Our salespeople use it as a tool. They look at the site with customers when they're on the phone."

The eBay operation is similarly successful. A dedicated inventory staffer takes photos of parts and posts them. An eBay salesperson is in charge of writing up the orders and handling any phone calls about the products posted.

"These were new jobs created as we began to reach out to those markets," explained Cesana, who trained the employees. She oversees those positions, but is also involved in the management and operations of the company with her father, Owner William Cesana.

"My primary function is to explore the different markets for selling used auto parts," she said. "I also make sure company policies are designed around selling to those online markets."

As for advertising, Cesana admits the business doesn't do many paid ads online. "We aim to be search engine driven," she said. "We want to have the content that comes up in searches. We've designed our web site with that in mind, including our blog."