| By Shari Davis, a SmartAge contributing writer
During the last three years on the Web, Terry Clark has seen online sales at Bunny Graphics, Inc., "increase exponentially."
Clark is director of marketing for the company, which specializes in printing and promotional products. He attributes its success on the Web to an active marketing plan, a solid Web site design and a good mix of advertising and promotion.
"The Internet has opened our potential customer base from our local community to the United States and even internationally," said Clark.
In fact, his company's SmartClicks banner was chosen as one of the best performing banners on the network. During the first week in April alone, his banner received more than 1,000 hits.
So, how do you know if your business is ready to sell on the Web? Take our quick self-test below:
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Am I willing to invest the time and money needed?
If you think you can just put up a site, submit to the search engines and the money will start rolling in, think again. You need to examine what your needs are, and how you will attract new customers. Find out how others have done it, seek advice, and learn from the mistakes others have made. Also, be sure and read everything you can find about e-commerce because its methods change and improve constantly. Some advice from a pro: "Unless you are a very good do-it-yourselfer, you may want to consider outsourcing. Creating a professional site is much harder than it was two to three years ago," said Dr. Ralph F. Wilson, founder of Wilson Internet Services, a Web site design and consulting company. Building and maintaining a web site is not just a one-shot deal. You have to keep updating the site and refreshing the content regularly—outsourcing can help here. But, if you choose to outsource, keep in mind it can be costly.
Am I organized?
Do you have the time to run your site or do you need help? Who will take the orders and update it? And, are you equipped to handle large-volume sales? Advice: "Make sure it [your company's site] is organized to handle your capacity and that it's streamlined," recommends John Masiz, president of MediVet Pharmaceuticals, a company which sells pet healthcare products.
Do I have compelling and relevant content?
Even if you are able to attract potential customers to your site initially, how do you get them to come back? One way to do it is to keep your site fresh and offer a little more perspective on your product or a related topic than your competitors. For example: The "hook" for MediVet is getting customers actively involved in the healthcare of their pets. Pet owners can actually identify simple medical problems and find solutions by using the site. "We have probably the most complete source of emergency medical information for dogs and cats—in one area—on the Web," said Masiz.
Do I have a means of distribution and customer service?
How are you going to get your products to the potential national or international customer quickly? "With e-commerce, you will get inquiries and make sales all over the United States," said Clark. "So, it is best if your business sells a product that can be easily shipped." And, don't forget about customer service, it is as important or more important to have strong customer service support on the Web customer issues.
Getting a virtual URL
Be sure you get your own identity. It is much easier for customers to remember yourcompany.com versus hosting company/directory/anyname.com. And, you'll have more control over your site. "If an ISP goes out of business or changes rates, you're stuck . . . you're at their mercy," said Wilson, who added that if you have your own identity "you are free to move around without disruption."
Get an email account
E-mail is a good way for you to build relationships with your customers. Not only is it a means for them to contact you, but you can let them know about specials and sales on your site. "Prospective customers will inquire about your product via email," said Clark. "A response to each inquiry within 24 hours is recommended."
Are you able to offer payment options?
One of "selling points" for the Internet is immediacy. People want to be able to order and get your product quickly. That means you may want to think about a secure way of accepting credit cards, or perhaps offering a toll-free telephone number.
SmartAge Corp. helps small businesses build a site, get traffic to that site, and sell products and services online. No longer do you need a big budget, or a consultant to help you launch your small business on the Web. Copyright 1999 SmartAge Corp., San Francisco, CA. All rights reserved. |
