Internet Advantage

"A lot of people treat the Web like that, but that doesn't make sense," says Mary DeLong, senior vice president of BVK Advertising. "We want to make sure there is always something new for you to come back and see."

You can't assume that people will flock to the site without direction. "People think that you pay out some money, build a site, put up your information and people will automatically find you-and that is really not what takes place," says Seth Freedman, president of Image Marketing Associates of Naples.

A successful Internet effort requires innovation, creativity and cost-consciousness. Here's how aggressive Southwest Florida organizations are using those tactics to build, streamline and market their companies on the net.

For the Lee Island Coast Visitor and Convention Bureau, having a Web site was a no-brainer. A demographic profile of visitors shows that more than 92 percent have a computer and, of those, 96 percent have Internet access. More than three-fourths have obtained travel information online, and nearly half have actually booked travel on the Internet.

Lee Island Coast's award-winning site-www.LeeVCB.com-is an online information warehouse. Then, "once someone comes, we want to provide incentives for them to give us their e-mail address," says DeLong of site creator BVK, which is based in Tampa and has an office in Cape Coral.

A major focus is encouraging return visits to the site and to Lee. To do that, the site offers a bimonthly newsletter and uses the e-mail addresses to create targeted marketing, often including contests and other special promotions.

The results have been impressive: Unique site visits are up more than 30 percent, and visitors spend an average of more than 12 minutes on the site. Visitors being referred by search engines have increased dramatically, too, with nearly 45 percent of all keywords recognized by search engines. The industry average is 35 to 40 percent.

It's crucial to have a site rank high on search engines so Web users will click on that site first, says Freedman of Image Marketing. His firm is in the process of acquiring a company, the name of which Image officials would not disclose, to take that process to the next level for clients. "It's great if the [site's] aesthetics are pleasing but if it doesn't rank high in search engines, people are not going to find it," Freedman says.

Making sure the right people find the site can be achieved in several ways, including using keywords (usually called meta tags) at the top of the site. By researching what keywords people use to look up information, a company can improve its standing.

Another way is through the use of pay-for-click services like those provided by Fort Myers-based FindWhat. com. These allow a client to bid on a phrase-for example, "banks in Southwest Florida." The business that bids the highest will see its site ranked first, but won't pay a dime until someone clicks through to its site. "You know exactly what the results are," Freedman says. "If a client says they want to spend x dollars to generate x hits, you can show them it's happening."

Image Marketing also provides its clients with real-time information about how many hits the site is generating, which pages are being viewed and for how long, and which were the last pages viewed. "That lets us mold, modify, customize the site," he says. "If you spend money marketing keywords, you can see the result in one month, three months or 12 months."

Ad agencies have been telling clients for years that if they increase spending on advertising and increase the frequency of their advertising, they'll see results. Freedman says the problem is that the agency sometimes doesn't get the feedback to quantify those results. But by making special offers only over the Internet, customers and marketers can see the direct impact.

Area ad and marketing firms are increasing their online efforts, too.

David Grant of Parr Media Group in Fort Myers says his agency is working to get all of its clients online. Its site-www.parrmediagroup.com-is a tool, showcasing samples of print, radio and television ads as well as links to client sites.

Naples-based Sealfon & Associates recently launched a Web site division to manage Web content for local and national businesses. President Peggy Sealfon says the firm is now able to offer businesses the technology to deliver messages via the Internet as well as customize intranet operations for a business' specific needs. "We believe it is the future of doing business," she says.

To reach Amsouth's first computer banking system in the mid-'90s, customers dialed the bank's computer and connected directly, modem-to-modem. That grew into a sizable base and in 1998, the bank launched Internet banking. "We've come a long way," says Danny Morgan, AmSouth Bank's city president for Fort Myers.

Banks don't expect every customer to bank via the Internet but they recognize that cyberspace offers customers more choices. "We've added customers at an unbelievable rate," Morgan says. "At the end of 2000, we had 100,000 customers [using the Web to bank]. By the end of 2002, we had 700,000. That's a tremendous growth rate, and we're continuing to add thousands of households each month."

AmSouth credits part of its growth to using www.amsouth.com to provide service for existing customers and attract new accounts. "We make it very simple to click to switch," says Morgan. "When you click on the link, we essentially take care of moving your savings and accounts, signing up for electronic transfers and so on."

First National Bank of Florida, a subsidiary of Naples-based F.N.B. Corp., is using the Internet as another tool to provide services to customers, says spokesman Clay Cone. The site-www.fnb-online.com-was launched within the last year as part of the bank's rebranding campaign. "So far, it's been very well received by our customers," he says. "It allows them 24/7 access, no matter where they are."

It's not just traditional banking services that First National's site offers-there are annuities, insurance, and business and personal banking products. "It's geared to be the central destination for our customers who want to bank online," Cone says.

Online banking at Southern Community Bank of Bonita Springs started two years ago. "Banking has never been easier," says president Joel Whittenhall. "It's very user-friendly."

The site-www.southernbank.net-also gives customers the ability to do financial calculations on everything from mortgages to children's savings accounts. A retirement calculator helps a customer determine how much they need to save each month to achieve their goals. "I think the ease of service is a big factor," says Whittenhall. "For someone who has eight to 12 different accounts, this gives them a snapshot. It's a nice benefit for them and another financial tool."

When Mike Hoyt joined The Lutgert Cos. in Naples seven years ago, field inspectors carried handheld tape records and dot-shaped stickers. If they saw a problem in a high-rise home, they stuck a dot on the wall and recorded their comments about the problem. Then someone would have to transcribe the tape, send the repair notes to the appropriate person, and wait. Under that system, it often took up to two weeks to correct even small problems.

Streamlining the process is one reason why Lutgert worked with Naples-based Neighborhood America to create a comprehensive Web site. It links everyone involved in the building process, from the architect to the plumber, and includes links to external sites that market individual developments to potential buyers. The sites offer sales and marketing, customization for new owners, quality control, construction management and even a community Intranet for the entire building once it's completed. It doesn't take a programmer to update the sites-Neighborhood America built in tools that allow everyone involved in the process to update everything from prices to photographs.

Customers who buy a Lutgert condo have secure access to a site where they or their designer can select everything from the color of the walls to plumbing fixtures. At Lutgert's end, the general contractor, subcontractors and others are connected. Change orders take minutes instead of days to get from the designer to contractors and workers.

During the inspection phase now, inspectors enter problems or changes into handheld pocket computers. The computer is synchronized with the base computer at the office and e-mails are automatically generated, notifying everyone in minutes of what has to be done. "It's a huge cycle reduction," says Hoyt.

Eventually, all computers will be integrated with cell phones or a wireless Internet. An inspector could note a paint drip in the living room and, a few minutes later, be checking out the kitchen when someone arrives to fix the paint problem.

In addition, Lutgert and affiliate Premier Properties of Southwest Florida have acquired naples.com, marcoisland.com and bonitasprings.com. Plans call for expanding and relaunching the sites to provide information about real estate plus area guides, Web cams, event calendars and more. Fort Myers-based IQ Media is the designer.