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To Web or not to Web?
By Stuart Ayling
[This article was originally written in June 2001 and has been
substantially updated in August 2004.]
Do I need a web site? That is the question often asked
by business owners.
The answer will usually depend upon the type of product or service offered
and what the business is trying to achieve. Some products/services are more suited to the web than
others. Plus, a well designed web site can be a superb tool for
communicating with customers, prospective customers, suppliers and the
wider community.
For most service businesses, I'd say "Yes, you do need a web
site."
There are many ways to be 'on the net', with ISP's, web designers and web
hosting companies offering businesses many options in how this can be
achieved. However there are also advertising and sponsorship opportunities that may be cost effective for
businesses, either through web sites or email communication.
Is the web for you?
As use of the Internet matures it appears that company/branded web sites are particularly important for products
and services that are high-involvement purchases. Examples are cars, finance, computer equipment,
and professional services where a buyer will actively seek details for comparison prior to making a purchase.
Conversely, for products that are typically low-involvement or commodity purchases a dedicated web site may not be the best answer. It may be more cost effective to concentrate on building brand awareness via advertising and sponsorships on web pages
(or email newsletters) that have content relevant to the target audience for the product.
But the Internet does lure businesses with the potential of trading on a larger scale. It is up to
individual business operators to decide how important this opportunity is for them.
If you are thinking about creating or expanding your web site it is
suggested you focus on being either a major force in your local/regional
area, or gear up for servicing a national or global market.
If you decide to join the growing number
of businesses using a web site, you must also give thought to the type of site you will use. Apart from the 'look' of the site, content and functionality must be considered.
Your options
Web site options range from a single page (long or short) with contact details,
to information sites and brochure-ware
layouts that incorporate basic product images and descriptions. At the top
end are full scale ecommerce sites that process credit card payments
online, track your previous purchases, allow interactivity with the site
and other customers, and provide personal login facilities to access data.
In many cases the development costs for
hand-coded web sites
with custom built shopping carts, custom product database and online payment capability
starts at around
$8,000. For larger sites requiring complex coding and special functionality
it's easy to go over this figure.
However, there are now less expensive options available, including the use
of Content Management Systems (CMS). A CMS makes it easy to create a site
and make changes. No special programming knowledge is required. The CMS
interface is very much like using a word processor. And you usually pay by
the month. It's like renting your web site. Depending upon your level of
skill, you may still need help to create your own graphics or pictures for
use on the site. An example of a CMS is www.sitezero.com.au
Another option is to use a "virtual" web site designer. These
are simply web designers that work on a remote basis (i.e. virtual). The
virtual designer will create a site to your your individual needs dealing
with you by phone, fax and email. They often offer low-cost monthly update
services so you never need to worry about learning the technical side of
your web site. An example of this type of service is www.bizmagic.com.au
Some major web directories (e.g. Yahoo)
also offer a do-it-yourself online store facility.
Online payment systems
There are numerous options for accepting online credit card transactions that can ecommerce-enable
existing HTML web sites. One example of these internet based payment
systems is the Australian service www.gopay.com.au.
Major banks also offer payment facilities, as do international services
such as www.worldpay.com.
Marketing your web site
Once you have your web site up and running, you also need to make sure it
is found on search engines, such as Google. It's a fact that for many
businesses traffic from search engines is extremely important, with up to
80% of internet users finding sites through search engines.
Online marketing includes:
 Optimising your
site to achieve high search engine rankings
Pay-per-click
ad's on search engines (e.g. Google
and Overture)
Listing in
directories - Yahoo, DMOZ,
industry listings etc
Banner ad's on
other sites
Newsletter (or
e-zine) advertising
Reciprocal
links with other sites
And
much more, like:
- Affiliate programs
- Having articles published online
- Educational webinars
- etc etc...
If you would like to discuss how to improve your business results by using
more effective marketing - including your web site - you are invited to contact
me.
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