The number of people accessing the Internet for goods and services is increasing dramatically every year. Even if the majority of your business comes to you by "word of mouth", it is a mark of professionalism today to have a web presence. Your site can tell potential customers what you do, and help them to get to know you and your business. You can provide information for your customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Many small business do not have web sites, which provides you the unique opportunity to be a "cut above" others in your field.

With an easy-to-remember domain name, your customers will never lose contact with you, even if you change locations or phone numbers. The Web is the calling card that never stops working.

Even rural areas have seen an increase to above 70% Internet adoption in the last few years.

One of the great advantages of the Internet today is the ability to provide easily accessible Customer Service. From online forms to the display of photographs, plans and technical information, multimedia files and contact information, your web site is working for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• With password-protected entry, we can provide you with utilities to upload information to specific customers that they will have the ability to access at their convenience.
• Provide a map to your place of business, or better yet, a form where the customer can enter their origin address and receive step-by-step instructions to your location.
• Avoid lengthy phone conversations explaining information to customers that can be better expressed with an online diagram, manual, or assembly instruction.
• Using check boxes, "select one" radio buttons, "choose one" drop-down lists and text boxes, provide estimate forms and other inquiries that can be sent directly to your email address and/or stored in your database.
• Leave specific instructions to your employees for work on a current project.

The possibilities are endless, and can vary dramatically with your type of business. One thing is for certain; when it comes to Customer Service, there are few businesses who would not benefit from an online presence. Whether your needs are simple or complex, your customers will appreciate your dedication to providing information and services at their fingertips.

The Internet provides a number of great ways to market your company; products; services. Your presence on the Web can be a very handy tool, when combined with other marketing strategies. Your web site can provide potential customers or clients with a world of interactive information they will never find in a brochure, business card, or even a television ad. In addition, most web hosts can provide you with statistics that tell you how many visitors you have on each specific page, what the geographic location of each of those visitors is, what link brought them to the page, and whether or not they came back again. With proper web site planning, this information can provide valuable insight into your customers interests that will help tremendously when planning and assessing your marketing strategies.

Once you have brought someone to your web site, whether they have come from a search engine or other link, a radio, newspaper, or television ad, or something as simple as a business card, brochure, mail piece, or word-of-mouth, you now have the ability to really present your company or product. You can ask questions and receive responses. You can provide manuals and show off an unlimited number of your products. You can allow your visitor to search for the information that pertains to their interest. Most important of all, you can generate e-mail address lists and provide online services that will keep your visitors returning again and again.

Here are just a few promotional items you can provide on your web site:

• Helpful tips pertaining to your product, service, or industry.
• Sales coupons, free consultations, and "giveaway" products or information.
• Information on new products as they enter the market, or news pertaining to your industry or professional field.
• Publish a newsletter with valuable information that will help you build an e-mail list of potential customers, as well as keeping your business on the minds of your list subscribers.

Keep in mind that the primary and most important goal of your presence on the Web, whether your have an online store, or a professional firm, is building relationships. Give something away - whether it is a product or service or information - but use a sign-up form or other means of obtaining an e-mail address to bring that person back to you again and again.

Market your product - market your service - market yourself. The Internet is a great tool for doing just that.

The Internet is one of the best sales tools ever invented. Using the marketing ideas listed above you can generate sales leads, and promote interest in your product, service, or organization. But your web site has more than that in its toolbox.

Telephone sales can be greatly enhanced by directing the person on the other end of the line to your web site, where they can view your product, provide feedback, download or print information, or fill out an online form or purchase order.

If you have a product for sale on line, you can provide interactive tools for viewing the product, looking up statistics, reading a manual, or inquiring about your product or service.

Brochures, newspaper ads, business cards, mail campaigns and Internet search engines all have the ability to draw potential customers to your web site for further information, or to purchase a product directly on line.

Providing feedback forms on your web site can help you to keep a scope on what your customers want or need, as well as what they like and dislike. You can gain a wealth of information on how people use (or don't use) your products, where they purchase them, and other information without the high cost of enlisting a survey company. Demographic information can also be garnered through the use of online forms, providing a great tool for marketing strategies.

Online sales can mean a vast array of tools, limited only by your imagination.

Web sites, whether "live" on the web, or within your own "intranet", provide many conveniences for both you and your staff. Password-protected sites provide privacy and security and, when combined with a database, a solid record to refer to.

Below we have listed just some of the ways you can utilize a company web site.

ON THE WEB

• Provide online forms for employment applications, uploading resumes, testing and screening applicants.
• Sales reports, cost sheets, expense reports, and time sheets can all be entered on line from remote locations.
• Using methods of identifying individual computers, employees can clock in and out from mobile work locations.
• Job instructions and locations can be available to your employees at any time, day or night.
• With hand-held devices, mobile employees can access information stored in company databases.
• Obtain valuable anonymous employee feedback to assess morale and job satisfaction.

IN HOUSE NETWORKING

• We specialize in online, interactive, searchable employee manuals. Keyword searches, pop-up windows, multi-tree menus and extensive cross-referencing make it easy to assure that your employees know what your policies and procedures are and have the ability to reference them quickly.
• Training manuals for software you use every day in you office. We can create online manuals specific to your use and application of commercial software. Movable and re-sizable windows provide helpful information when it is needed, and make training new employees a breeze.
• In-house forms can be filled out easily and legibly, and stored in a database.
• Provide quick access to company procedures and instruction manuals.
• Easily update menu selections and information.
• Using menu-driven applications, allow easy access to files and information for your non-computer-savvy employees.

For more information on our office document and manual services, see the "Documents" and "Manuals" selections in the "GoTo" menu at the top of the page.

Real estate was one of the first businesses to really benefit from the World Wide Web. Listing of homes, buildings and property for potential buyers suddenly became easier and cheaper to do. Photos and information listings could be changed as needed without the expense of printing a new publication and buyers could view listings from almost anywhere. The only problem was that only a few people actually had Internet access.

It is a different world today, and the real estate web business has become very sophisticated. In addition to listing your properties, forms and information can be provided on line that potential buyers can access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

IDX (Internet Data Exchange) provides MLS (Multiple Listing Service) participants the tools to advertise each other's listings in a database that can be integrated into any web site. Besides the benefit of marketing yourself and your listings to a much larger audience, if you are not using IDX, you stand the risk of losing clients to Realtors who do.

Ask us about incorporating IDX MLS feeds into your new or existing web site.

Carpet cleaning is a very competitive business. You do your best to keep customers, but how do you know they are going to stick with you. When your residential customer needs their carpets cleaned, sometime next year, will they even remember you? Will the business card you left them be at their fingertips, or will they just pick up the phone book and call one of your competitors?

You probably send out flyers or cards in the mail, advertising specials to remind your customers of who you are and to get their repeat business. How do you know they will have that flyer or card handy the next time they want their carpets cleaned?

Imagine having a coupon your valued customers can access at any time by simply opening your web site.

"If they can't remember my company name, how the heck are they going to remember my web site?", you might ask. Ah, but the answer is simple. If they have a computer, they most-likely have an e-mail address. A little work on your part can go a long way towards retaining those customers.

We use our carpets every day, and because we use them every day, unexpected accidents happen. Sometimes they simply need to be replaced. In either of these circumstances, here is where you and your web site come in.

Your web site should contain more information than "Here's Joe - he does really good carpet cleaning". Give them some information they can use. Update your site often and send periodic e-mails to your customers, advertising specials and providing a few hints on carpet care. They won't forget you.

Let your customers know that, when they have an emergency, or they need to replace their carpet, they can jump to your web site for information on how to get that stain out quickly (or prevent it in the first place), or how to shop for a dependable carpet company, and the differences in qualities of carpet and padding. You want to be their online reference for anything having to do with carpets. Don't forget, too, that the more information you have on your site, the more chances you have of good search engine ranking when someone goes to the web to find out how to remove the candle wax they just spilled on their imported rug.

Do not overlook the possibility of making some extra cash from advertising either. Carpet dealers and installers, pet stain and odor removing products, and other industry-related companies provide opportunities for advertising and reciprocal links.

Lastly, don't forget the power of referrals. Keeping your web site (and your company name) in the minds of your customers will not only bring you repeat business, but new business as well.

Until Bates v. State Bar in 1977 knocked out Canon 27, the only means a lawyer had to advertise his/her services was a business card. Many in the profession still tread lightly, purchasing phone books ads, if anything at all.

No matter how you feel on the subject, if you are an attorney or law firm, a web site can enhance your professional image, provide a useful service, and bring clients to your door.

If you feel strongly about the ethics of advertising, creating a web site with information helpful to the general public is providing a great service to your community and the world at large. It is doubtful that very many viewers would consider the mention of your name and contact information, recognizing that you are the provider of the site, as advertising. It is. But then, so is a business card.

If you are less inclined to be concerned about solicitous advertising, the only difference in the site mentioned above is that you might advertise your services more explicitly.

Either way, there is a wealth of information you can provide the public to draw them to your web site and, thus, the services you provide. Furthermore, you have an opportunity to display biographical information, areas of practice and experience and other information important to a potential client. With your web site on line, you also open up the possibility of obtaining new clients from online listing services such as FindLaw.com.

This is all standard web stuff - what every law firm does in one way or another. Not that it won't benefit you, but it is only the basics.

Put yourself in the position of your potential client. They may have hired an attorney at some time in the past, but it is just as likely that they haven't or, at least, not one in your area of expertise.

Computer users are much more likely to look for you on the Web than in the phone book. There is a very important reason for this: They want to check you out. If they are a business or corporate entity, they want to know about your experience. If they are an individual with a personal matter, they want to know how they feel about you and your firm. They want to know if you are going to be attentive to their needs, and concerned for their welfare. They want to know that you will communicate and interact well with their individual situation. This is something you cannot express with a phone book or newspaper ad or a 30 or 60 second radio or TV spot. Good professionals make the client feel valued, if not cherished. They do this not by saying it, but demonstrating it. The Web has the ability to express these attributes like no other medium.

Clients and prospects often have little, if any, understanding of what legal counsel actually does. For the most part, they don't even care. Their focus is on their needs, information pertaining to those needs, and how you are going to relate to them.

How do you do this? Publish periodicals and post them on your web site. Offer a sign-up form so that you can inform your visitors of new publications when they come out. Write informative articles on subjects pertaining to your areas of practice, and place them on your web site in an organized manner, with an available keyword search. If you need to hire someone to write the articles, do it. You might find that a law school intern would jump at the chance, and may even be able to save your regular staff some time, researching areas of interest that may be important to you as well.

You can also post surveys on your site, allowing your visitors to express themselves, and offering to send results with an optional sign-up. You can provide a Frequently Asked Questions page providing information on anything relating to the type of law you practice and its related industry.

The bottom line is this: Show your clients and potential clients that you are informed, up to date, personal, and you care. Providing informative, helpful content, at no cost to your visitors, will not only project these qualities, but will also bring search engine visitors to your site. The more relevant content you have, the more keywords you have to boost your search engine hit rate.

Law firms can also benefit from having a site on line by providing the means for your staff to access files remotely, with the security of modern encryption methods. With a staff member in charge of keeping these files and menu system up to date and well organized, you can provide your staff with an exceptional tool for out-of-office research as well as in the court room. This can be particularly valuable when you have a team working on the same project. Web browsers can display HTML, Adobe PDF, Microsoft Office and many other documents with ease.

If your law office is not on line, you need to be. Let us help you develop a site that will enhance your image and bring clients to your door.

If you are on line, take a good look at your site. Is it creating a feeling or just displaying information? Is it demonstrating your attributes, or just talking about them?

If your present site is not creating an atmosphere that is bringing new clients and retaining communication with old ones, talk with us about redesigning your site to work both for you and your clients.

The answers here are so obvious that you probably haven't even considered them. Neither have 98% of convenience store owners world wide - which is why you should. Besides the obvious benefit of having online forms for your staff that you can access from a remote location, there are several ways that a small convenience store can profit from a web presence.

First of all - think about it - you're in the retail business! Wouldn't it be great if your valuable shelf space could change to fit your customer as they are standing in the isle, or you had a good outlet for that stuff you take off the shelf because it isn't moving?

Bear with me - I'm just getting started.

Wouldn't it also be a good thing if you had another retail outlet that required minimal shelf or floor space, and required very little maintenance and employee costs? What if you could have all this with a ridiculously low overhead, and be able to advertise this business for free?

Welcome to the World Wide Web!

If you run a successful convenience store, you have a fairly steady flow of customers. Each of these customers is a waiting recipient of direct marketing. But I'm getting ahead of myself. The first question is; What are you going to sell on the internet?. The answer is whatever you want to sell, including your store - bringing in new and repeat customers.

You may own a small-town store, you may be in the middle of a major metropolitan area, or perhaps you have a roadside stop or service station. Each of these situations may require a little different approach, so let's look at them. We've already mentioned selling retail items, so let's look a little at marketing for each of these situations:

• Small-Town Store. Be the center of your community. At one time or another, you are probably going to see a good many of the residents of your area. It won't take long to spread the word that you have a web site. Your web site can be a source for local news, and an organizational medium for local events and charity fund-raisers. You may even get other merchants to pitch in by placing advertising on your site. Don't forget that you are on the World Wide Web, so, with a little effort, your site can also be a source of information for people planning to visit or move to your area.
• Urban Store. The person walking through your door may be from the local neighborhood, or they may be a one-time shopper from another area of town. If you are selling unique retail items on your site (which you should be), you have the opportunity to draw them to your store on the Internet. Place a discount coupon for your web site in your customers bag, or hand them one with that bottle of pop or gas purchase, and tell them about your site when you do. Have the visitors that come to your site sign up for a mailing list so that you can send them periodic coupons or alert them to specials you are having in your "brick and mortar" store. One business promotes the other, and if you have a lot of store traffic, you just might find that your strongest customer base for your web site is right in your own community.
• Roadside Stop. Depending on your location, most of your customers you may never see again - or maybe the next time they visit Aunt Jo, or their next business trip brings them your way. If you're doing smart business, you already have something going on to create a lasting impression on your visitors so that they will stop by the next time they are in the area, or will tell their traveling friends about your interesting little shop. Your web site can not only enhance that image, but you can create full-time customers from those who may have otherwise been a one-time purchaser. Promote your site with every purchase, and put a big banner in your store advertising your web address. Be creative. Put together unique gift sets that your out-of-town visitors can send to their friends back home. Make sure your web site is displayed prominently with the tag or card that goes along with the gift.

As a final thought, if your state has a lottery, publish state lottery results on your site. (Just make sure you post a disclaimer that it is for information purposes only, and that you are not responsible for any errors.) You can bet that you will have people visiting again and again.

You will find more valuable information in this section, under "Retail Store."

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