The internet is full of distractions. With so many social media sites out there, it's easy to see why people have a hard time focusing on their jobs. But this distracting environment can be a benefit to an online business owner or even just a curious individual if they create a web poll.

Polls are a way of finding out information from someone. They are also a fun way to pass the time or to voice an opinion. TV networks or newspapers often create a web poll and then publish or discuss the results. For them, it's a quick, effective way to find out what their audience thinks.

You can do the same for your business. Maybe you want to drive traffic to your site--if you create a web poll that is fun to answer, and keep the content fresh, people will come to your site. They will associate you brand with fun, entertaining things, and your ad revenue can increase accordingly.

You can also create a web poll that deals with issues you know your users care about. This information can be invaluable for a lot of reasons. Firstly, your users will know that you care about their opinions, making them more likely to see your company as trustworthy and honest.

Secondly, your users will be telling you what they want to see or do or have sold to them. If you're an online retailer, you can create a web poll to see which items people would most like to see in your store next, get a sense of what to put on sale, or even use to push items people may not have known about. A poll is a great way to find out what your users really want, and then provide it for them.

Lastly, when you create a web poll you get near instant feedback without a lot of work. No one has to read comb through emails or deal with angry phone calls. You simply ask people for a few seconds of their time and most people are happy to give it. It's a quicker, faster way to figure out what people love or hate about your brand than market research or a consumer hot line.

Polls have a lot of value for businesses, especially if they want to expand their brand recognition or get consumer feedback. When you create a web poll, you have a chance to harness the distracting power of the internet for good.

Zoe Holmes is a New York based Midwesterner who loves food and will often create a web poll to find out where her friends want to eat next.

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