Business on the Web

It's called the World Wide Web or WWW or just the Web. Trying to make sense out of it can be intimidating.

To anyone who has yet to log on and explore the possibilities, it's a jangle of buzzwords and promises. Simply though, it's an electronic shopping mall, QVC on a desktop, and a huge library where information about any topic can be found. While the Internet is the place for e-mail and on-line services, the difference between it and the Web doesn't seem as defined as it used to be. Functionally applied, the difference is semantics.

Windows on the World

There is no doubt that the Web will play a large part in the way we do business in the future and even in the way we live our daily lives. ISDN lines that will carry huge amounts of digital information are being installed. Wireless systems are being refined, and Mr. Gates has plans for a satellite network. That's tomorrow. What about today?

For all the hype and glitter heaped upon the Web, it is just another advertising medium. Well not just: it is potentially the most powerful medium to ever tap into a capitalist's budget. Consider, too, that with global estimates of only 65 million people having access (that figure does not assume use) to the World Wide Web, and significant hardware improvements being introduced daily, the medium is still in its formative years.

That fact shouldn't stop anyone with a mission, a message or a product from taking advantage of what may turn out to be bargain rates for designing and building Web sites. Prices range from $50 to "how much would you like to spend?" Pay an Internet Service Provider (ISP) a monthly charge (the charge depends on the size of the site) to maintain it on their system, and the product is there for all the world to buy, 24 hours a day

Getting Started

Before building a Web site, there are a few things to consider. The first is, do you have something that will sell to a national and international market? Then consider Louis Rossnan's observation. The vice president of On-Line Services says, "If the product won't sell in a store, it's not going to sell on the Internet."

The next bit of advice to ponder is from Ron Welebny, owner of West Side Automation, a Cape Coral-based Web site design firm (www.geoint.com). He says people considering getting on the Web should ask, "What will it cost me to achieve what kind of effect?" In advertising terms, will they be getting the bang for their buck?

Okay, so you're sure your product will sell. Where will it sell? If, as Welebny says, the product is of a local nature and appeal, the money may be better spent strictly on local advertising. Weighing the benefits and possibilities is the responsibility of the business person who decides it's time to have a Web presence. With some sound wisdom from people who know the wiles of the Web, the decision of whether or not to open a Web site may be a little easier to make.

Luckily there are plenty who have gone before. Some successful, some not so lucky.

Chuck Grimes, owner of the Wow Factor (www.thewowfactor.com) in Cape Coral, says, "The people we found who get in and get out are the people we didn't have a lot of success educating." He recalls only one client who attempted to market a board game on the Web, noting they weren't committed.

Staying in Touch

Being committed means marketing the site. Welebny says that means including the site's Universal Resource Locator number (URL) on any other advertising and on all business cards and stationary. The URL is the http://.www seen on the bottom of many television commercials. They are directing the viewer to their site. It is the address for your storefront on the Web. Not advertising the URL is like taking an ad out in the yellow pages and leaving out the phone number or handing out business cards without a fax and phone number. The site should be treated as a product. It's the place people can find out about what you do.

Getting involved also means getting an e-mail address. Grimes says, "What you're trying to do is get e-mail in your in box. That's just like your phone ringing." One of the attractions of shopping on-line is that it is easy. The designers have found that without an e-mail number to receive inquiries there will likely be no business. All agree that people won't cross platforms. When they find something they like, they want to click for the information, not jot down an 800 number and call later. No e-mail was one of the factors in the demise of Grimes' board game client.

How to Benefit

Real estate was an early beneficiary of the Web's instant global reach. Rodney Jobe put his seasonal rental business, Sanibel Accommodations, on the Web (www.sanibelaccom.com). He was successful using conventional advertising methods and knows how to get his product noticed. How is his Web site working? "Last year," Jobe said, "we booked over half a million dollars off the Web."

He continues advertising in foreign papers, airline magazines and the Wall Street Journal, though now it all contains his URL number. "Someone reading the Journal at work can just turn around and punch in the number, and they'll see Sanibel," Jobe says. They'll see site scenes and aerial views as well as general information about the area. It also shows properties for rent.

"We take requests for brochures and correspond on e-mail," he says. Brochure requests doubled to 90,000 since he went on the Web. He has yet to book business directly from his site. "The secure site is available, but I just haven't done it yet."

Many consumers still fear putting credit card information out on the World Wide Web, afraid it will fall into the wrong hands, and they'll be stuck for a large bill. Secure servers now encrypt the numbers so they can only be read by the merchant or their agent. Privacy concerns, which include information and not just monetary transactions, are currently being addressed by the industry. Congress is poised to step in if regulations aren't enacted voluntarily.

Spreading the Word

Hot, or cross, linking is an advantage of the electronic ad. It allows switching between sites by simply clicking on hypertext or a button. These can be set up to link a network of sites that have a common interest. Welebny has his own term for it, perhaps the best one. He calls it cross fertilization because it allows the message to grow faster.

Jobe, for instance, would have benefited from a link to his site from the Sanibel -Captiva Chamber of Commerce site. Anyone visiting in there would have been able to access his site to find area rentals. Their Internet Service Provider (ISP) at the time wouldn't provide the link.

He made sure that visitors to his site didn't have to leave to learn about the area. "I've built a virtual chamber (of commerce) where they can see restaurants, shops, charter fishing. There's a tour they can take. I've been very aggressive." He allows