Several customers redeemed their coupons, while others had trouble printing them out, but overall the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association considered its first effort a success. And so did the many customers who said they would revisit the site if the association had another promotion.

Chris Carris, owner of the Willow Glen Coffee Roasting Company, took part in the promotion, offering a 2-for-1 deal on a coffee drink. The promotion was from April 6 through April 20, but Carris' coupon expires May 30. The printable coupons were only available through April 20. So far only one customer has redeemed their coffee coupon, but despite the low turnout Carris said he still believes in the spirit of the promotion.

"It might be kind of discouraging" to have so few customers redeem coupons "but we still need to support the business district," he said.

He said he'll also participate in the association's next promotion, which is to coincide with Dancin' on the Avenue on June 14.

The association's second vice president, Kay Wolf, owner of The Posey Garden Florist and organizer of the promotion, also saw a limited number of customers redeem coupons for her store.

But she said, "I think it was a great success. It was a clever use of the website to integrate merchants and consumers."

Wolf's coupon offered a discount on her merchandise, but the experience taught her that visitors may be more willing to print coupons if they will get something free.

The association's president, Cara Finn, who owns The Grapevine wine shop, offered a free quarter-pound of cheese. She said several customers redeemed coupons for her offer.

Like The Grapevine, Mann's Jewelers employed the giveaway promotion, offering a free pearl bracelet while supplies lasted.

Merel Heggelund, manager of the jewelry store, reserved 30 bracelets valued at about $40 each to be given away. He said he gave away about 20 bracelets.

"If you want to get people in the door, offer something free," says Heggelund. Even if no one prints the coupon, the investment can always be seen as an advertising expense, he said.

Customers had mixed responses to the promotion. Some customers didn't find coupons they could use; others who visited the site printed coupons but haven't redeemed them yet.

Willow Glen resident Rebecca Morgan, a business management consultant, said, "I thought it was cute and attractive, but it didn't make me think I should be a regular visitor to the website unless there was a promotion of some kind."

She did print some coupons, however, mostly ones offering something free.

"A free something is more enticing than a percentage off of something," she said.

She said she would have liked to have seen more coupons for restaurants, particularly for Aqui Cal-Mex Grill.

Why customers aren't redeeming their coupons is a mystery, since about 3,000 coupons were sent to the print function of their browsers, according to Kim Jennett of Kim Jennett Studios, which manages the association's website.

What she found astounding was the number of visits to the website during the promotion.

"Oh my gosh, it was amazing!" she said. Jennett said that visits to the site increased by 1,000 percent during the two-week campaign.

"I think for the first time out this is a tremendous result," she said.

The Willow Glen Business and Professional Association launched its website, www.downtownwillowglen.org, in September. In an attempt to count and increase visits to the site while promoting it as a viable advertising outlet to Lincoln Avenue merchants, the association invited visitors to click on "lightly hidden" costumed Easter egg icons. Clicking on an egg would reveal a printable coupon. Merchants paid $50 per egg to participate. Twenty eggs were offered and all were sold, bringing $1,000 to the association.

For the Dancin' on the Avenue promotion, Wolf said, she is considering a similar campaign involving printable coupons, but website visitors would click on a dancing icon of the downtown Willow Glen logo or a pair of dancing cats, the event's mascots.