A guide to web sites and the Internet.
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A web site can be:-
Anything from a text message or a picture book to a
full blown animation.
What is the Internet?
The Internet is a huge library that contains information
ranging from the factual to the purely speculative. It is a place to go to
find answers to every question and even to shop or browse product ranges,
find suppliers or even to get advertising opportunities.
What does a web site actually do?
A web site conveys a concept, idea or point of view
and should do so in a concise manner. Some Web sites are nothing more
than an electronic portfolio and others are electronic shops offering
all manner of goods and services for sale.
Who use the Internet?
The Internet is used by people across the world. People
of all ages and from all walks of life go on the Internet for pleasure,
business or study.
Is the Internet over hyped?
No. Every day millions of people are discovering the
Internet and the gross revenue of online transactions is set to go on
increasing.
Is the Internet going to last?
The Internet is going to be around for a long time.
It will continue to evolve and expand and will get faster and faster as
new technologies emerge.
Your Company image.
What would people think of your company if you didn't
have a fax machine or a telephone? Would you be able to run your business
without these advances? Email and the Internet is the next evolutionary
step - don't get left behind. Become a forward thinking company.
A service to your customers.
Your web site can impart valuable information to your
clients and will help to build loyalty to you and to your brand. A good
web site will often answer your customers questions, freeing up your valuable
time to run your business.
Develop your customer base.
Most of your existing clients use you for one particular
service. Most will not be aware of your versatility and will go to a rival
company solely because they were not aware you offered the alternative
service they were seeking. Many 'hits' or page views on web sites come
from existing customers.
Expand your customer base.
At the click of a mouse a customer from Kent, Scotland
or the middle of Alaska has found out about you and your company. They
are motivated by your web site to make contact and are willing to become
your customer. (NB: Access can be restricted to a selected country or
region if you do not want to approach a global market.)
Your credibility increases.
By entering the Internet age your suppliers and partners
will be suitably impressed and at the same time your competitors will
be intimidated as you poach their disillusioned clients!
Level Playing field.
The Internet has brought in a level playing field. Some
companies are already emerging as market leaders. The key is to seize
the opportunity now! It is becoming harder and harder to get listed in
directories and on search engines so the sooner you act the better.
Name availability.
The best Internet names are easy to remember, but the
availability of an easy to remember name is fast diminishing. Thousands
of domain names are registered daily. Your company name may be unavailable
already.
Global Marketing.
What other advertising medium allows you to reach so
many people and so wide a market place for such a small initial outlay?
Targeting.
Getting a .com after your name will almost guarantee
global appeal. You can restrict yourself to the UK by selecting a UK dominant
name suffix such as .co.uk. But there is nothing to stop you from marketing
a .co.uk name globally!
Statistics
Your web site can tell you much about those that visit
it such as the type of computer system they use and it's capabilities
or where they found out about your web site or even how long they spent
at your web site and which pages they visited.
Instant transactions.
Within seconds of a persons order you can be in receipt
of their instructions, credit card number and contact details. It depends
upon you to keep up with the demand for your product or service!
