Sure, everyone says you should be on the Web but what can a Home on the Web do for your company? Its all about Marketing. The Web's power lies in it's accessability 24/7 and its ability to present your message to your current and potential customers but what kind of Home do you really need?
Let's take a look at three different kinds of Homes available in the vast "real estate" of the Information Highway:
1. The Online Brochure
This type of home provides the basic information and marketing message for your company. It is generally 5 to 10 pages and combines graphics and text to communicate the benefits of your company's products and/or services to viewers of your site. It doesn't change very often and the main interactive piece is your contact page where viewers can access your email. It's advantages include low cost, reserving your domain name (your dotcom address), and a consistent marketing message as it uses materials that you have already developed. It's a good place to start and for a few, it may be enough. But this type of home does not maximize the potential of the Web and once a viewer has "hit" your page, there isn't much of a reason to come back. Often Small Business begin with The Online Brochure and then upgrade their site to the next level.
2. The Relationship Builder
This type of home emphasizes the viewer's needs and wants for content. The fresh
information is what brings the viewer back to your site over and over again. Useful or
interesting content that targets your potential customer is the "freebie" that attracts
viewers and begins to build your name recognition and reputation. Content could be Tips
and Tricks, Commentary on Business Trends, or How-Tos relating to your company's industry
OR it could be Jokes, Recipes or News that attracts the type of people that are your
potential customers. The Relationship Builder provides more opportunities to interact
with the viewer using online surveys, contests, guest book, email or request forms,
reply-back email and more. Its advantages include the potential for ongoing communication
with your customers, the development of a targeted, opt-in mailing list for email
marketing, and incredible reputation building.
For the Relationship Builder to work, the content of your site must be up dated on a
regular basis and response to online requests for information must be in internet time -
no more than 24 hours and faster where ever possible. Done right, the Relationship Builder
give you the best bang for your marketing dollar. For many businesses, especially service
based, the Relationship Builder is the Home you need.
3. The Online Store Front:
Companies that have products for a wider market can use the Relationship Builder as a stepping stone to the Online Store Front. Here, in addition to the characteristics of the Relationship Builder, you offer visitors the opportunity to buy your products directly using a shopping cart program and secure transaction capabilities. The addition of these types of services and pages are relatively straight forward and using graphics and good descriptions can be an effective way of presenting your products to new and existing customers. It does require logistics planning. How will you process online orders in a timely fashion? How will you ensure prompt, trackable delivery? How will you price your product with shipping charges so that the cost is attractive? How will you process payments? For companies that have the internal capabilities to fulfill online orders, the Online Store Front can be your window to a growing market and a good source of revenue.