e is for everything?? . . .

Why would a local company, with a large investment in trained, professional sales people need a Web site?

Great question! And you might be thinking the same. . .

Maybe you already know many or all of your potential customers, maybe you have very defined processes and production cycles that don’t change very quickly, maybe you’re suspicious of the Internet hype - especially now that so many e-companies are falling by the wayside.

But we also know that the Internet isn’t going away. 407 million people are now estimated to have access - that includes 167 million in N. America, and 113 million in Europe. Younger people increasingly spend more time online than watching TV. And the April edition of this magazine has an e-commerce focus . . .

So if it’s here to stay, how can the Internet benefit your business - and what’s currently going wrong?

There are some key elements that prevent many Web site owners from maximizing the potential of their Internet-based activities:

1. Tunnel vision on sales and new business: it takes at least five times the time and expense to acquire a new customer as it does to keep a current one. Your Web site can be a great tool for providing ongoing customer service and support - and achieving significant cost savings to boot!

2. Not asking for the business: I know this sounds obvious, but how many sites have you seen where it’s quite unclear what the site wants from you? Every page of your site should have a strategy, and be clear about inviting visitor interactions to achieve your goals.

3. Under-utilising e-mail: e-mail is a powerful tool when used appropriately (and an awful one when not!) It can be used for marketing, customer service, public relations, in-company memos, business research . . . and much more. Look at your real-world communications - could e-mail save you time and expense?

About the Author

© Copyright Philippa Gamse, 2001. All rights reserved.

Philippa Gamse, CyberSpeaker, is an internationally recognized e-commerce consultant and speaker, covering Internet business strategy, online marketing, public relations, and effective customer service and retention. She can be reached through her Web site CyberSpeaker.com/


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pgamse@CyberSpeaker.com
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