PSI White Paper: To Be or Not To Be...On the Internet, That Is.
"To be or not to be...On the Internet, that is".
BY
ROBERT HODGSON, PRESIDENT
PRODUCTIVITY SOLUTIONS, INC.
March 17, 1999
The Internet has affected our lives to a large degree in very short order. It has even left our computer screens and invaded our televisions by means of Web TV (a computer in sheep's clothing). Amid all the hype and hoopla, how do you know what impact the Internet will have on your business and how you should prepare for it?
Before attempting to resolve this dilemma , you should first answer the following five questions:
1) What methods do you use to communicate with your Customers?
2) How do you stay informed about developments in your industry?
3) How do you advertise or inform your Customers of your products and services?
4) How do you receive orders and distribute products?
5) How do you provide service to your Customers?
Armed with the answers to these questions, you are ready to do battle with the Internet juggernaut.
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First, recognize that the Internet is not a mass media... yet. Currently about 12 million people in the U.S. go on-line every month. This number will skyrocket as Web TV becomes a reality. Currently, about 35% of the homes in the U.S. Have one or more PC's versus about 95% of the homes which have a television set. So, if you are going to mine the web, recognize who your market is and structure your Internet presence accordingly.
Staying connected with your Customers (and vendors) is a major benefit of the Internet. One of the largest uses of the Internet is E-mail. It provides a fast (it's almost immediate), efficient (no long-distance charges or phone tag) method of communicating with others that have access to the Internet (there in lies the catch). As "Internet Appliances" (i.e., Web TV, e-mail machines, news broadcast receivers) become common and inexpensive (Web TV was introduced at about $300), more and more people will be connected to E-mail. Another advantage of E-mail. is that it's not intrusive - you choose how and when to reply based on the nature of the message. E-mail. is also great for sharing information by means of "attaching" computer files to the e-mail message.
Staying current with the latest news is a constant challenge. The news groups available on the Internet provide the latest information on any conceivable subject. Together with information servers from media groups and vendors, the Internet has become an efficient means of staying informed. With improvements in off-hour search tools, news filtering and real time updates, the Internet as a news provider is definitely here to stay.
Currently, the Internet has mostly passive content. You call up a web site and see a brochure-like page of information. However, the Internet has much more capability than a static brochure and your message on the Internet should fit the medium. Graphics, links to pages or other sites, 3D images, sound, video, search & feedback capabilities are just a few of the ways to make your Internet pages to come alive for your customers. If you establish a web site to advertise your company, don't forget the most important part... advertise your web site!! Include your e-mail and web address on your business cards, stationery, brochures and media ads. If it is appropriate for your business, register your Website with the main Internet search engines such as Alta Vista or Yahoo (view the options at Netscape's Search Site ).
New technologies have turned the Internet into more than just a passive sender of web pages. With the secure net servers being offered by Internet service providers and the development tools that build interactive web applications, you can now effectively do business over the web. Even if your products and services do not readily lend themselves to distribution over the Internet, as do those of software and information providers, you can still use the Internet to allow your Customers to place new orders and to track the status of their existing orders.
Perhaps one of the largest potentials of the Internet is in providing Customer support. It becomes a way for Customers to immediately get information by a method that has a low impact on your company's resources. The software industry has embraced the Internet as a way to not only advertise and sell product (buy it and download it right from the web), but also as a means of Customer support. E-mail. notices, trouble shooting, product updates, technical papers, industry news, and discussion/user groups are just a few ways that the Internet can be utilized for Customer support.
After deciding that it is time to establish your company on the Internet, how do you proceed?
1) Locate an local Internet service provider (ISP): Ask questions about their subscriber load versus their access capabilities (i.e., # of modems vs usage), their technology (can they provide secure servers, what tracking/reporting capabilities do they have for telling you about visits to your web site, do they update to current technology?), their reliability (how often have they been offline and for how long?) and talk to some of their subscribers about the service the ISP provides (watch out if they are not willing to give you references).
2) Register your Internet name: Even if you don't plan to launch a web site immediately, register your domain name, your web address (i.e., www...), now so the name you want will be available (if it is not gone already). Herrods department store in London is currently in court trying to get the Internet rights to their name. New proposals by the Internet International Ad Hoc Committee (www.iahc.org) will increase the names available by adding 7 new domains (.firm, .store, .web, .arts, .rec, .info and .nom) to the existing ones (.com, .net, and .org). Your local ISP can help with you sort through your options and get registered.
3) Fit your message to the medium: Your web pages should reflect not only your company, but should utilize the capabilities of the web - don't just reprint your brochure on the web. With the web tools available, some companies have the marketing and graphics talents to build their own web pages. If you are not one of these company's, get help! Many ISP's will build you a web page for a nominal fee or they will give you the names of people who can. Remember, on the Internet, your web page is the Customer's window to your Company - take care to present the right image.
4) Maintain your web site: Once you establish a web site - don't forget to maintain it. Visit your own site on a regular basis to see how it performs: does it load quickly (if not, people won't stick around to see how great your web page is), are all the links still active (if not - fix them), is the information timely (the sinking of the Titanic is no longer news).
5) Look to the future: The Internet is a quickly evolving technology. Find ways to keep abreast of the wave lest you flounder in the surf.
In conclusion, the Internet can be a vital, contributing part of your business if you approach it in the correct way. Technology trends indicate that soon, the only difference in our internal applications (Intranet) and the external information (Internet) we provide will be what we choose to allow outside. The same browsers and tools in use on the Internet will be used internally for documents and information. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come!
For More Information Contact:
Productivity Solutions, Inc.
P.O. Box 268, Grants Pass, OR 97526
Tel: 541-479-5017
FAX: 541-479-5017
E-mail: info@psolution.com
"Where Innovation Meets Results"
