As PC prices continue
to fall. As Internet connection and monthly fees become easy and affordable, more and more
people will use the Internet more often. We've already shifted a lot of our ordinary lives
(ordering books, chatting with friends, checking the weather, booking trips, researching
the sticker price of an automobile) to the Net. The "information highway" is the
fastest growing of all media, and over the next few years it's expected to make major
advances in marketing and merchandising. Eventually, computers and the Internet will
become as ordinary as clock radios and the morning news on TV. As with radio and
television, when the public puts its magical belief in a medium, the power of it becomes
real. It has been the same with the Internet. As technology becomes a routine part of
life, we may begin to treat cyberspace and the Internet as we treat television and radio.
The message will become the important thing, not the medium that carries the message.
Computers and the Internet are poised to become just another excellent way of dealing with
information.
At this very moment, e-Business is having an impact on your company. You're either
benefiting from it, or losing business to competitors who have harnessed technology to
their advantage. In industry after industry, business-to-business and business-to-consumer
relationships are being redefined by information technology and the Internet. The
potential is staggering, yet very few know how to adapt this technology to a practical and
profitable business application.
When consumers access your site, what do you want to say?
What is your goal? What benefit is there for those that visit your site? Will they find
general details about products and services, specific product information, ordering forms,
an e-mail connection for requesting additional information or a callback? Address these
questions when developing your Web presence. Don't forget to check out competitors sites
for ideas, too!
Much like television, the visual is all important. You have to grab the visitors
attention immediately by making your site graphically pleasing and creative. Also, the
information conveyed should be easy to read and digest. You should also monitor and update
your information frequently to make it attractive to repeat visitors.
Make sure your site is user-friendly! Don't make it so difficult for someone to
maneuver that they can't find what they are looking for or lose interest. Current
technical restrictions make navigation through the web a slow process. Remember, many
users will be turned off by the time it takes to download materials...and move on quickly
when they think the information is not worth the wait.
Target your site, like other forms of media/advertising, to the demographics you are
trying to reach. Make sure that your visuals and text match the needs and lifestyles of
those visiting.
Negotiate for hot links on other sites. For example, an appliance installation company
might have a link on a company's site that sells appliances. A landscape company might tie
in with a nursery, etc. This is wise utilization of the Net and, like using more than one
media outlet to advertise your message, increases your reach and frequency.
How about a printable Coupon for redemption. Something offered
as a bonus for those visiting your site. You could promote this via traditional
advertising; For example "Visit our Web site at
www.lambis-associates.com today and
receive extra savings coupons."
To best way to promote your site is still the conventional media; television, radio,
print. For example, just watch television for a couple of hours, and see how many
commercials promote different Web Sites on the Internet.
The "PLUS" & "MINUS"
side of the Net.
