To Web or Not to Web?

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 need help to improve your business results by using more effective marketing -- including your web site -- you are invited to contact me.

(c) 1999-2004 Stuart Ayling

Stuart Ayling runs Marketing Nous, an Australasian marketing consultancy that specialises in marketing for service businesses. He helps clients to improve their marketing tactics, attract more clients, and increase revenue. For additional marketing resources, including Stuart's popular monthly newsletter, visit his web site at www.marketingnous.com.au

SpectrumDNA, Inc. Taps Seth Levenson to Lead Product Marketing
MarketWatch - 2 hours ago
Mr. Levenson will lead the strategic sales and product marketing activities for the company's properties and strengthen the strategic leadership team ...

KENIC embarks on aggressive .ke marketing campaign
NetworkWorld.com, MA - 9 hours ago
KENIC has formed a joint marketing team comprised of registrars and other technical experts that are interested in the growth of .ke, said Vincent Ngundi, ...

2006 Annual Report on 3G Business Marketing Strategy of Leading ...
MarketWatch - 12 hours ago
... has announced the addition of the "2006 Annual Report on 3G Business Marketing Strategy of Leading Overseas Vendors" report to their offering. ...

Boston Globe
Souvenir Sales as Obama Campaign Marketing Tactic?
FOXNews - 19 hours ago
by Cristina Corbin Those looking to purchase souvenirs from the Democratic National Convention in Denver Thursday night may have needed to offer up more ...
Video: Democratic Convention: One Woman's Journey to Invesco Field WSJDigitalNetwork
all 1,109 news articles

BBC News
Search Marketing & The US Presidental Race: Case Study: Sarah Palin
Search Engine Land, CT - 7 hours ago
After reading yesterday how savvy both US presidential campaigns seem to think they are about search marketing, I decided I'm going to take a closer look at ...
Video: Raw Video: Schwarzenegger Praises Palin kcratv
Who is Sarah Palin? Here's a good profile San Diego Union Tribune
McCain Panders to Christian Right in Choosing Sarah Palin as VP The Public Record
Adrants - Iowa Independentall 5,549 news articles

Press Release: SIM2 Names Ambassador Marketing as Representative ...
CEPro, MA - 5 hours ago
SIM2 USA is pleased to announce the appointment of Ambassador Marketing, effective immediately. Jim Ribail leads a team of seasoned veterans who will ...

Politics mirroring business strategic internet marketing
Business Feet, UK - 10 hours ago
Internet marketing strategies that have been used in business for some time are now being played out in the political arena, as the American presidential ...

Apple (AAPL) iPhone problems undermine AT&T (T) marketing
BloggingStocks - 2 hours ago
The new Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) 3G iPhone is becoming more popular for all the wrong reasons. It drops calls and has trouble connecting to some cell carrier's ...

Palo Alto Software, iContact Provide E-mail Marketing
TMCnet - 12 hours ago
As per the agreement, iContact’s e-mail marketing best practices will be available to Palo Alto Software’s small- and medium-sized business customers. ...
Palo Alto partners with iContact to provide email marketing services Computer Business Review
all 3 news articles

FreightCar America, Inc. Names New Head of Marketing and Sales
Business Wire (press release), CA - 12 hours ago
Mr. Baun first joined FreightCar America in 1994 and has held roles of increasing responsibility in operations, marketing and sales. From 2003 to 2005, ...

Wind Chimes and more...

Windchimes for great gifts!

Good Marketing Pays for Itself