Over the past year there has been an explosion in the World Wide Web and it seems that just about everyone has a Home Page on the Internet. From individuals to Fortune 500 companies, nearly everyone is touting an "http://www. . . ." address. With an estimated 30 million users of the Internet and another 150,000 new users being added every month, the numbers alone are enough to get you excited about the potential of the Internet.
But is a World Wide Web Home Page the marketing and advertising vehicle which will make your business take off like a rocket?
One of the reasons for the phenomenal growth of web sites on the Internet is that in the World Wide Web, advertising and marketing are permitted. When the Internet began in 1969 it was funded and used by the military and universities. As more businesses, non-governmental organizations and individuals have joined the Internet over the past few years, it has greatly diversified, attracting more mainstream users.
Today, advertising and marketing restrictions still exist for much of the Internet, with the exception of a few newsgroups and the World Wide Web.
Another reason for the increasing popularity of the World Wide Web is the use of graphic user interface page browsers such as Mosaic, Netscape and others. Instead of difficult to use command line screens, users now have point and click software which makes navigating the Internet a breeze and the screens contain color, graphics, photographs along with formatted text. As the Internet becomes easier to use, more people are trying the World Wide Web and are liking what they see.
While online services such as America Online, CompuServe and others offer much to their customers, marketing and advertising on computer bulletin board systems is expensive and often cost-prohibitive for smaller businesses. Another limitation of marketing on a BBS is that clients and customers must have an account on the service in order to find an advertiser's conference area. Not so with the World Wide Web - your information can be stored anywhere in the network and be accessible to anyone with access to the Internet and a Web browser.
With the more universally accessible nature of the World Wide Web and global infrastructure, it is easy to see why businesses are utilizing the World Wide Web as a way to reach customers around the country and around the world.
A web site can be a "virtual" ad, catalog or brochure complete with color photographs, logos and graphics along with text. Web site pages are created in what is called HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language). HTML, a standard page markup format, allows people with different web browsers to view the same web site.
Because web site pages can be linked to others, it is possible to link key words in a page to other related pages, making a web site very interactive. Different web sites can be linked to other web sites allowing individuals to list their favorite sites on their own page. Businesses who collaborate can link their pages together. Web page "malls" are very popular and allow users to view many different companies starting from one web site.
On the World Wide Web, it is truly a level playing field. Even if you're a one-person business your web site can be just as effective as Coca-Cola's.
The World Wide Web is an Internet protocol which was originally designed for the high-energy physics community but has been widely accepted throughout the Internet. Home Pages or HTML documents exist on thousands of different computers or Web servers. The World Wide Web links various computer networks together and allows users to browse through thousands of Home Pages using powerful search engines. The home page, complete with text and graphics, allows the user to quickly and easily find information by subject matter, keyword or by using a specific URL (page address).
By registering a web site with indexing services and by linking web pages to other web sites, World Wide Web browsers allow you to jump from one web site to another without having to log in the Web site like you would when calling a BBS system. Because of its ease of use, the World Wide Web has quickly evolved into a powerful marketing tool, offering individuals, companies and organizations a way to inexpensively market, advertise and distribute information.
As with any marketing or advertising medium, you must use the strengths of the medium. World Wide Web pages are not mass marketing. It is one-on-one marketing and it's two-way marketing. Television and print advertising rely on customers buying products in response to their ad campaign. Anyone using the Internet and visiting your Home Page can give you immediate feedback about your products or services by E-Mail.
Your web site can provide ongoing information about your business and can be changed or added to at any time. Unlike printed materials, there is no waste with outdated materials and no expensive printings and mailings.
If your company distributes products, your web site may take the form of a catalog, complete with photographs of products with descriptions, and linked pages could offer technical reviews and ordering information. If you provide a service, your web site can have examples of your work, testimonials from clients, or better yet, a link to your client's web site.
Once you have your own web site set up, you will need to use other forms of marketing such as printed materials, press releases, E-mail, business cards, etc. to advertise your web site and e-mail address so clients and customers will know where to find your Home Page.
Don't let the big numbers of users on the Internet get your expectations too high. A web site is merely another marketing tool. If used along with existing printed materials and some common sense public relations, your own Home Page can boost your business. It can provide an added dimension to your company image and give you additional communication capabilities while saving trees.
[
HOME ]
[ CONTENTS ] [
SITE DEVELOPMENT & PRICING ]
[
SITE
HOSTING & PRICING ] [
FEEDBACK ]
email:
quote@onthecorner.com