In the Spring of 1997, approximately 30 million people worldwide will have access to the World Wide Web (WWW). By the Spring of 1998, the total potential WWW population may exceed 50 million individuals, marking a year of phenomenal expansion! As it grows, the Web will begin to rival television and radio in its ability to reach the U.S. and global community. To be a part of that community and show that you are interested in serving their needs, you have to establish a presence on the Web. Many businesses are already doing so!More than just a classified ad in the newspaper, a Web site can perform many useful functions for your business. It is a 24-hour-a-day/7-day-a-week information resource which can be accessed worldwide. This works especially well when your business provides services to more than one time zone or locale. Also, you can update your Web site very rapidly, and can respond promptly to the desires of your customers. Your presence on the Web will serve you by increasing public awareness of your services and support of your business through education. You also can provide an official on-line source of information about your organization. In the present electronic age where news, both good and bad, travel at light speed, it's very important to be able to represent your own interests on-line, rather than rely on the words of others. Let Digital Visions provide you with a powerful voice on the Web!
As the means to access and use the Web becomes more available to the public, the greater the opportunity becomes to reach those traditionally not familiar with your business. Every businessperson knows that one of the most effective business practices is making connections with other people. Passing out your business card is part of every good meeting, and can often lead to a big deal. A Web site can act as a 24 hour business card available to millions of people around the world. You may find that a Web site is the only effective means of communication with some parts of the world, where phone, fax and e-mail services are often unavailable or unreliable. Additionally, using a Web page for international advertising is far more cost effective than mailing lists and phone calls.As you expand your market geographically, you may also expand with new products and services. We all know the costs of introducing a new product, including advertising, PR, feedback, and revision. With a Web site provided by Digital Visions, you can readily monitor the amount and nature of traffic on your site, and can tailor your advertising to your preferred customers. They then become the least expensive market for you to reach. They will also let you know what they think of your product faster, easier and much less expensively than any other market. For the cost of a few pages of Web programming, you can readily determine where to position your product or service in the marketplace.
Also, you can provide a database of frequently asked questions (FAQ) for your customers to use when they have general or common inquiries. Customers can contribute to this list via interactive forms, making it even more effective. This can be extended to feedback forums, where customers can respond to a particular issue or to voice their opinions of a new product or service. This can all be accomplished at little additional cost to you, and provides an invaluable database from which you can improve your business.
The Web also provides a peerless medium through which to really show-off your business. With the ready availability of multimedia in almost every home and business PC, you can enhance your products through sights and sounds. The WWW allows you to add sound, pictures and short movie files to your product information if that will serve to attract your potential customers. These files can easily be downloaded by the customers for later use and examination. This offers an excellent opportunity to present your product in a manner unavailable through printed material alone.
Lastly, the Web can be used to directly improve your bottom line through on-line sales. While this should not be considered the end-all reason for advertising on the Web, it does provide incentive to discover the true potential of integrating the Web into your business strategies. With the advent of secure means to conduct financial transactions on-line, it is certainly possible to safely sell your products and services electronically. However, just as the telephone is an instrument primarily used to reach and inform your customers, rather than simply as a means to receive orders, the Web should also be seen as an instrument of your business, used to stay in close contact with your audience and to build strong customer loyalty. Digital Visions can provide you with a complete and personally tailored Web presence to make your customers' visit a most productive one.
If your business requires most of your personnel to be away from the office for extended periods, the Web is an excellent way to provide consistent, timely information in one place. A quick local phone call through an Internet service provider can keep your staff supplied with the most detailed information, without expensive long distance phone bills and tying up the staff at the home office. You can establish an extensive database from which your employees can draw anything, from account information to travel itineraries. Additionally, you can update this information at any time without the need or expense of printing and distributing documents. Most importantly, however, your Web site can be a completely private one, requiring both a user name and password in order to be accessed. This ensures that only those permitted to see your vital company information can do so. Let Digital Visions smooth the path for yourself and your employees along the Information Superhighway.
Another strong market already on-line is youth and education. Most young people today already have had some exposure to the Internet, and many use it regularly through their educational institutions. In fact, not only are universities on-line, but many primary and secondary schools are acquiring Internet access for their classrooms. In a few years, use of the Internet will be an integral part of most school curricula. If your market is education or if it targets a younger segment of the population, consider that the most rapidly growing segment of Internet users is under the age of 25!
Specialty markets cannot do without exposure on the Web. Just as the population of Web users increases, so does its diversity in interests. With a population of over 30 million in the next year, there will be thousands of potential customers for nearly every niche market, no matter how specific or eclectic. Already, dozens of on-line business exists in areas such as comic books, sky diving, exotic pets, and foreign artwork. For those specialty businesses which cannot reach an appreciable customer base without a great deal of printed advertising covering a large geographical area, the Web offers a simple, cost-effective solution.
We've already discussed the power to serve the world with a Web page. Don't forget your own backyard, however. There's as much sense in focusing on your particular corner of the world as there is in reaching all four corners. Especially if your business requires you to go to your customer, such as with landscaping or baby-sitting, you want a strong presence locally. Many businesses offer specials available only in their community. Others band together with other on-line businesses to provide public service announcements and information to their region's residents. This can improve your business image by demonstrating your genuine concern for your own neighborhood, not just your wallet! But remember no matter where you are, the Web can be a valuable asset in attracting, informing, and keeping a larger client base.
As much as it is exciting and informative to "surf" the Web from a user perspective, establishing and maintaining a private Web site can still be an overwhelming task. The primary cause for a small company's failure to start a Web site is its lack of technical expertise in the area. This often leads to delays and frustration, and may dampen the spirits of an otherwise enthusiastic businessperson. Also, start-up expenses for a private Web server, including hardware, software, and network costs, can easily add up to tens of thousands of dollars. Security is also an issue. Establishing a Web server as part of your existing company network, without the necessary precautions taken, can easily compromise the safety and sensitivity of any data you may have. Lastly, all of the above obstacles are often aggravated by large, impersonal service providers who are more concerned with turnover and monthly fees than providing a genuine service. Their often intimidating and unbending attitudes toward your needs can sometimes be the final nail in the coffin for any idea of having your own Web site.Employing Digital Visions as your Web service provider solves all of these problems. With our assistance, you can enjoy the advantages of a private Web site without the inherent difficulties, costs, and risks involved. More importantly, you get a full-time personable and experienced staff that is eager to work one-on-one with you to make the most of your Web presence. As a small company, we understand the entrepreneurial spirit and hard work behind every successful small business. We are dedicated to making the Web work for you. The first step to your own Web page is just a phone call away!
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