Internet business guide

Animated Pentagon These days more and more businesses are discovering the benefits of establishing a presence on the Internet. This could be achieved in many ways - from an online brochure used to compliment conventional promotion through market research and customer service right up to fully fledged online catalogues or ecommerce solutions, where customers can actually order goods online. But whatever it takes, many companies are finding the web an excellent resource - something backed up by market research which indicates that a large percentage of UK businesses have made good use of the Internet within a relatively short time. From small beginnings the web has evolved at a tremendous rate making it the fastest growing advertising and marketing medium of all time.

Other attractions of a website include its low start-up costs, its flexibility and its huge global market - no other media offers such a huge audience at such a low price. What's more, the web gives any business the opportunity to expand its operation to international dimensions without the costs normally associated with setting up such an operation. It also allows the small business to compete on an equal footing with large multi-national corporations. In fact, in the UK, it is often the small to medium enterprise sector (SME) working in conjunction with web developers, copywriters, and optimisation specialists who are making the best strategic use of the web, overtaking large business in the process!

We can help your business to do the same. We are a marketing oriented web development company who can help you realise the full potential of the Internet. We are experts in design, copywriting, optimisation and direct marketing and our unique approach allows us to give you a professionally designed site for a fraction of the price charged by other companies.

Using Technology As a Marketing Tool

Probably the greatest reason for the web being the main sales and marketing channel of the world is due to the fact that the technology that gives the web its interactive nature can be used as a highly effective marketing tool.

Modern marketing strategies are based on database analysis, profiling, targeting and relationship building - in other words, discovering who your customers are, finding out about their needs and likes and creating a database from this valuable information. You are then in a position to regularly direct to them the kind of targeted offers that they are most likely to respond to and thus building up a long term relationship. The world wide web offers one of the greatest business opportunity of all time, and by getting involved now, you will be able to learn the strategies and techniques that will bring unparalleled success to your business in the years ahead.

Getting Online

To begin, you will need to find an Internet Service Provider - in other words, a company who will connect you to the Internet through their network. They supply you with the software that instructs your computer and modem to automatically dial a special phone number whenever you want to connect to the Internet.

Extras You Need to Get Your Business Online

Web Space - Many service providers, give you a certain amount of free web space with your Internet connection. However, this usually has a limited capacity and is not really suitable for a professional site. A hosting company will provide you with hi-speed commercial webspace that will enhance the overall potential of your site.

Web Site Developer - You may be tempted to design your site yourself, but considering that this is a very specialised area, it's best left to professional developers. Besides, after purchasing the necessary software, learning how to use it, taking the time to design the site and then making the necessary changes so that it actually function properly on the web, you will find it is more cost effective to let a professional do it!

Tips For Choosing a Website Design Company

The first and most important step involved in setting up a website is choosing the right web developers. Beware! Not all companies are the same as many web designers come from creative and advertising backgrounds and as such they are well suited to producing sites that look good, but this is not enough when most business sites require direct response from their advertising.

Website design is highly specialised, combining graphic design, programming, copywriting and marketing and different companies have different strengths and weaknesses. As the main purpose of a business web site is its marketing potential, the over-riding factor to consider when choosing a design company is whether they can develop your site as an effective promotional tool. Therefore out of all the abilities a company should possess, by far the most important is direct marketing skills because without applying effective marketing techniques, expert copywriting, and search engine optimisation to the site, a good-looking design will be of little use to your business.

Judging a web design company's capabilities shouldn't be too hard as the work that they have already done will be available for you to view from a page that exists within their site including a list - or portfolio - of sites they have built for other clients that will show up as either displays of the designs they have produced or direct links to the individual client's sites. The exception to this rule comes from newly established companies whose own website is the best and, for a time at least, the only sample of their work offered. In the absence of a portfolio, they should have a style guide showing the types of designs they can produce and at least one or two real examples of their work.

Opportunites On The Internet

Online Company Brochure - Having your company brochure put onto the Internet means it can be viewed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Attracting New Customers - With millions of people connected to the Internet at home and a far larger number having access through work or friends, the web offers an excellent opportunity to market your products and services, opening up many new international markets that you may not have considered before.

Sales Channel - This is also known as E-commerce and is the real future of the Internet for businesses, involving automated sales and order processing through a shopping cart set-up, thereby reducing overheads and man hours. Combined with traditional advertising techniques, making the Internet part of an over-all marketing strategy ensures guaranteed success for many businesses.

Customer Service - In addition to using the web to generate sales directly, it offers an excellent means of servicing existing customers in an extremely efficient way.

On-Line Catalogue - This is an extension from an on-line brochure combined with a sales channel. An on-line catalogue will have a far larger selection of goods for sale combined with an on-line database and a method of purchasing on line.

Relationship Marketing - Modern marketing strategies are based on profiling, targeting and building a relationship with your target customers. In other words, finding out who your customers are, discovering their needs and likes, building a database and targeting offers that are directly suited to them on a regular basis.

Market Research - Basically, this is finding out what your target audience wants. A feedback form is an essential part of any website providing you with valuable information from allowing your visitors to express their opinions about the products and services you offer.

Export - Opening new international markets is one of the greatest advantages of the web, as well as its ability to promote your business on a global scale. It makes it far easier for companies to do business around the globe for a fraction of the price of conventional methods.

Winning New Contracts - If you are in a business involving competitive tendering, then the web can be used to increase your exposure and give you the opportunity to compete for more contracts.

Lead Generation - The web is an excellent means of generating new leads. Because your prospective customers will be able to see your products in full detail, they'll be well informed and highly targeted prospects.

On-Line Info For Mobile Sales Force and Telecommuters

Telecommuting - This is an excellent opportunity for substantial cost savings and higher productivity within a mobile sales team. Additionally the mobile sales representatives can be updated with the latest product developments using the web in conjunction with a portable lap top computer and a mobile phone.

Job Opportunities - A major aspect of company websites is for recruitment purposes. Many corporate sites now have whole sections devoted to employment opportunities within their company, so if your company frequently advertises for new staff this is an excellent way to recruit. This is especially true if you are a direct sales company and need a constant supply of new recruits to keep your sales up.

Getting Started and Dealing with Website Design Companies

The Brief
The first thing you must do when choosing a web developer is to consider exactly what you want from your website. This should be committed to paper in the form of a “design brief”. The brief should ask the following questions, at the very least:

What is the purpose of the site?(e.g. on-line brochure, on-line sales, advertising, marketing etc.)
What is the target market for the site?(e.g. what is the profile of your typical customer. male/female, age, interests etc.)
What should the site look like?e.g. What is the character of the site: business like, fun, trendy etc.)

All these questions should be addressed by the website design company and full details supplied. once agreed, the brief can then be used by the company to create a site to fit your needs, so you'll need to give this important document some careful consideration.

Who's Doing What?

A website consists of many different components. The main ones are copy (written text) and images (photos, logos, illustrations and diagrams), and it is the designer's/developer's job to make sure all these components fit together in an aesthetically pleasing way that projects your image and message in the most effective manner.

Copywriting - The text, or written content, for the website is often supplied by the client. The job of a good copywriter is to edit this text into a sales and marketing format that effectively gets the message across and elicits a response such as an enquiry or order. If you want the company to do all the copywriting from scratch, you will need to provide another brief giving detailed background information about your company, products and services.

Images -The look and feel of any website will be greatly influenced by the images within it, and it is the job of the designer to create a visual interpretation of the message that the site is trying to portray. This will often be the focus of the main page, although the rest of the site will require images to support the text – such as photos of products, key personnel, services being carried out etc. - most of which you will need to supply yourself.

Ingredients For Success on The Web

In any marketing campaign using either the web or traditional direct methods, you basically have one thing to remember, and that's to make the right offer to the right prospects and present it in a professional and effective manner. However, the distinct variation between direct mail and web marketing is due to the nature of the web, because unlike a mailshot which just arrives through your letter box, on the web, a person must make a conscious decision to visit your site.They will also have to pay Internet connection charges while they are viewing your site.

Another important factor to remember is that people reguarly browsing the web generally have a far shorter attention span than those reading an item of posted direct mail, so if your site isn't visually attractive and interesting enough to immediately gain their attention, they will quickly move on to another website.

When timing is crucial to the success of any business, on the web you'll find the means to take full advantage of this element. When a person decides they are in the market for your type of product or service, they can turn to a search engine and obtain a list of companies supplying exactly what they're looking for. They can then view the full sales material offered by a selection of websites instantly, and if yours includes an on-line ordering facility, they will be tempted to place an order there and then.

Targeted On-line Direct Marketing

Search Engines - The first place anyone looks when trying to find something on the web is one of a number of search engines. These are on-line searchable databases that list web pages submitted to their indexes.

Reciprocal Links - By making an arrangement to link your site to an on-line business similar to your own, and vice versa, both parties can attract potential customers that they otherwise might not. This has proved an extremely effective promotional method.

Affiliate Programs - This is a method of paying a commission to other selected web sites for promoting your goods or services with a link to your site.

Newsgroups and Mailing Lists - These are on-line discussion groups which focus on a particular subject. By participating in these discussions you will have a very effective and highly targeted method of promotion, although no blatant advertising is tolerated in this medium.

Banner Advertising - This is a straight-forward advertising method where your advert is displayed as a banner at the top of a successful website.

Bulk E-mail - This is utilising e-mail lists in the same way as a direct mail list. Using carefully targeted lists or opt-in lists where the recipient has asked to receive information on a particular subject, you can achieve excellent response rates which are often above conventional direct mail levels.

Conventional Marketing - This includes providing direct mail, press releases, advertising, posters, leaflets and stationery, all of which should contain your web address for people to obtain further information.

Content And Community

Content and community are two of the most important concepts to the on-line marketer. 'Content' applies to the visual constitution of your website, which includes everything from links, images and buttons to the information contained within the copywriting. 'Community' refers to the group of people who regularly visit your site and view it as a useful resource. They are esserntial to your on-going success as they:

Bring in new customers through referrals
Increase your brand
Maintain customer loyalty.

The content of your site needs careful consideration. After all, the reason people are visiting your site is because they are seeking good, honest and reliable information. You should decide what information you want to include in your website at the brief stage, but your design company will always suggest or advise you on additional, suitable subject matter. Due to the enormous amount of information already available on the web, you should make yours stand out from the crowd. Not only do you need to get your basic message across, but it would be best done in a wholly unique and compelling way. This will encourage visitors to return on a regular basis to your site which should result in a purchase, so your content will ultimately add another member to your community.

Here are a few suggestions for interesting content:
Product/Service/Sales information
Contact details for key personnel
Prices and ordering instructions
Technical specifications
Annual reports
Product research and development
Downloadable reports
Company/product history
Articles/press releases
Competitions
Links to other related sites and resources
Latest updates on your business/industry
Frequently asked questions
Free on-line or e-mail newsletter

Steps to Success For Your Company On The Internet

Prepare a website design brief detailing exactly what you want to achieve from your site.
Choose a direct marketing orientated web developer.
Consider the copy or text content of your site, which should be produced using direct marketing copywriting techniques by an experienced copywriter.
Select images for your site utilising your own existing photos or chosen from an on-line resource.
Submit your site to the top search engines and directories.
Use web marketing strategies to attract visitors to your site, such as reciprocal links, direct e-mail, newsgroups etc.
Combine on-line marketing with conventional promotion such as direct mail and advertising, and include your website address on all business correspondence.
Include an on-line form for your prospective customers to respond to your offer, either to place an order or request more information.
Build up a database from enquiries. Offering a free report on the subject of your products or services that can be downloaded is a good way to build up a database of qualified prospects.
E-mail those on your database regularly to keep them informed of new developments and offers. Alternatively produce an on-line newsletter for the same purpose.

Development

Design

Optimisation

Copywriting