A Step by Step Guide to Evaluating Your Company's Presence on the Internet

Two years ago you were told the Internet was coming. Last year everyone announced that the Internet was here. Today, most companies that are not taking advantage of this unique communications medium are about to be left behind. The only question is: Do you want to be on the tracks facing that juggernaught, or would you prefer to be in the club car, willing to explore new ways of interacting with your customers, staff and suppliers? Rate your company's position by asking yourself the following questions:

Have you secured your domain name?
Acquiring your very own domain name (e.g. busitech.com) is an absolute must. Think of the domain name not as a telephone number, but rather as your on-line corporate identity. It is imperative to secure your name even if you are not quite ready to launch your web site. And at only $100 per name, take the time and secure other domain names like Procter and Gamble has done with its products: e.g. Tide.com, Pampers.com etc..

Is your website professionally designed?
The Internet is still an evolving medium. Unlike television or print media, there is a great diversity in the way people will view your website, including different browsers, different screen resolutions and different bandwidth capabilities. The key to good design is good communication, and until standards are adopted, you will need the services of a professional to ensure that your website presents a positive image. Examine closely the true benefits of fancy graphics, audio files, video - they may be what makes the Internet exciting, but right now you will exclude more people than impress.

Is your website accessible?
The explosive growth of the Internet has created some interesting problems for telecom companies, as more and more people log on, taxing the capacity of many systems. As a successful marketer, you will want to eliminate any slow connections from impacting on the accessibility of your web site. This means having your site served by a competent company that can provide fast and reliable connections to the main backbone of the Internet.

Is your web site adding value?
The Internet offers some incredible opportunities in improving the way you communicate with your customers. Yet, it also raises the bar by making the world much smaller, and bringing your competitors that much closer to your customer. You can win the marketing battle, and bring back customers to your site on a regular basis, by adding value to your site, such as a section on tips and techniques, a user forum, or current industry news. By showing that your company is willing to provide extra value, you are not only raising your profile, but reinforcing the customer's opinion that your company has above average expertise and service.

Is your web site current?
Designing a web site can take several weeks of hard work, and once completed there is a natural tendency to sit back and reap the rewards. While it is true that you will likely grow tired of your marketing material before the customer does, it is also true that a stale website does not generate return visits. Entice your customers to visit your site on a regular basis by keeping the content current and adding new features. You will then start to build a loyal following of regular visitors who will want to see what is new on your site.

Have you integrated the web site into your normal marketing mix?
Web sites are innovative and interactive, but they are still a marketing tactic that are subject to some very time honoured rules. Do not allow your web site to diverge from your normal marketing message or positioning, but rather make sure it complements the rest of your material. In other words, use the same logos and artwork that appear in your brochures and advertisements so that your customer feels at home when visiting. The goal is to create a central "database" of marketing material that can be used in all your marketing efforts, reinforcing your company's profile, image and positioning.

Are you examining the traffic on your web site?
One of the most powerful attributes of the Internet is that you can gather market intelligence on your customers unobtrusively. Market research helps you to identify trends in your customers buying patterns so that you can better target your marketing, or change and add services before your competitors. A web site can be designed to gather statistics on each visitor in a number of ways, and if you are not doing so, you are missing out on a lot of useful information.

Have you told people about your web site?
If you build it, they will come. Well not necessarily. One mistake many companies make is designing an excellent web site and then forgetting to promote it. Include your web site address on your business cards, letterhead, envelope, delivery vans. Taking out an ad or two to promote the web site once a year is also a good idea. Register it with the Internet search engines and actively search out friendly web sites who will exchange links.

If you follow the above steps you will be assured that you are taking a well balanced and intelligent way towards developing an on-line presence. If you would like more information about doing business on the Internet, simply contact us and we will be happy to give you a demonstration.