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On The Web
People are logging on the Net faster than ever before. The Internet and the World Wide Web have burst into the scene like no other technology before. Customers will order anything from Wine to Cruises to Bar BQ Grills. With a Website, your Business will be running 24 Hours a Day while you sleep easy, your business will have a Global market to reach Billions of people, and you will improve your method of doing business by reducing overhead costs and getting feed back from customers.
Four Reasons for Putting Your Company on the Web
1. To sell a product
2. To build name recognition
3. To provide customer support
4. To encourage investment in your company
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For Starters
You should have a clear goal in mind before you set up a business website. Once you have a goal firmly established, design follows logically. Most business sites are concerned not only with communicating to viewers, but also with receiving feedback from them. Non-profit organizations can follow almost the same design steps as for-profit institutions in creating Websites.
With a Website, you can put your catalog online with secure online forms for taking credit card numbers and orders. Many large companies develop Websites to build name brand recognition. If your company provides a service instead of a product, your Website can provide your customers and potential customers with the details of your services that might otherwise tie up a salesperson for hours. Each year sees hundreds or even thousands of new stock offerings. Even though there seems to be more investment money available all the time, competition among all these companies for investors is high. That's why almost every Initial Public Stock offering is preceded by the launch of a Website promoting the company involved. They most often focus on simply supplying potential investors with information that will influence them to invest in the company.
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Get Some Attention
Provide News of cutting-edge research your company is conducting. Make sure you emphasize the latest developments and keep it up to date. Announcements of interesting new products are always hot ticket items on the Web. Remember that your audience on the Web is curious about nearly everything. If your company makes Hula Hoops, a "Multimedia History of Hula Hoops" is sure to make your site a hit. Provide links to related sites even if it's a competitor. It's a sure way to get someone to bookmark your website when you have well-organized relevant links. Once you're bookmarked by your Customer, they're practically hooked for life.
Nonprofit Organizations
Much of what is said for Business Websites also applies to nonprofit organizations. The best advantage is that it's the most effective and least expensive means ever invented for getting your message to the people. Whether your organization wants to clean up the environment or clean up Washington; whether you want to raise the whole world's awareness of hungry children or just round up a few hundred kindred spirits, you'll find plenty of sympathetic listeners on the Web. An organization's website should usually be more serious than a commercial site. It should certainly be heavier on information. The support you desire might be cash contributions, volunteers, or even just letters to Congress, but the means to any of those ends is usually the same. You need to inform, educate, and evangelize the public about your cause. You'll want to include information about your organization: its history, membership, growth, awards, and so on. You'll want to include information about your cause: statistics, reports, digitized images, historical data, and new items. Include study guides and introductory material to ease people into the subject matter. Include links to related sites, testimonials from those whom your organization has helped and from celebrities who support your cause, and include information about how to join or support your organization and your cause.
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Your Business Website