Business Use of the Internet


So you are interested in getting your business on the Internet?  You want to take advantage of the greatest information explosion and internationalization of business that has ever occurred in history.  Fortunes are being made and why shouldn’t your firm get a piece of it?

First, let me assure you that there are hundreds of people and firms that will “get you on the internet”.  Some of these will be more expensive than ours and some will be less expensive.  What you need to assure yourself is that your web design service provider can provide your web needs.

What are your web needs?  This is the real question.  Some service providers feel that all you need is really cheap template creation.   This is analogous to using a one-line classified newspaper ad to attract attention on the Interstate.  Others will tell you that you need to spend a million dollars to set up a “real “ e-commerce solution.  The truth lies somewhere between these two extremes.  Your needs are really defined by what image you want to project and what business functions you want to provide.  The following list contains some of the more popular business applications on the Internet.  Which of these are you contemplating?

·         Corporate Identity

·         Advertisement Supplement

·         Product Catalog

·         Reseller Support

·         Lead Generation

·         Direct Sales

·         Customer Response Center

·         Off Hours Customer Support Center

·         Order Entry/ Order Status

·         Information Inquiry

·         Job Postings

·         Share Holder Relations

·         Employee Information Center

·         New Product Announcements

·         Reseller Recruitment

·         Customer Services

·         Customer User Group Forums

·         Technical Support

·         Marketing Surveys

·         Customer Satisfaction Surveys

·         Dealer Listings

·         On-line Product Demonstrations

·         Downloadable Sales Collateral

·         e-Commerce

·         Custom web business application

·         Internet email exchange

·         e-Business

 

Not every web service provider can do all of these, and even then, what about the image? Will it be cookie cutter me-too, or project the image you want your firm to be perceived as.  Remember first impressions are lasting impressions.  The Internet can make you look like an industry giant or someone working out of their garage.  Quality and business knowledge is important.

We would like to discuss your needs in person to ascertain what your immediate and long term Internet needs may be.