 Here are some general questions and answers to help you determine if a presence on the internet is a good business decision for you. There is a lot of hype and focus on the internet today, but despite the attention the internet does not represent a good investment of advertising dollars for everyone.
Does the internet make sense for my business?The rapidly gaining popularity of the internet as an information source and as an expanding commercial venue of world-wide breadth makes it very attractive for a great many businesses. Businesses that sell their products nationally or globally will benefit from the worldwide internet. The net provides a vehicle for them to show their products to very large audiences and either sell directly over the internet or direct the potential customer to an outlet near them. Businesses whose products require support, updates, or ongoing information such as computer related products have found a web site to be a very economical and timely solution to those needs. Mail order and catalog businesses that compete with local businesses (bookstores, florists, etc.) by offering large selections and discount prices have found the internet to be a very effective way to enhance and grow their business on a more global level. Local and/or small businesses in large metropolitan areas are discovering that their audience, even on a local basis, is sufficient to make a web presence a good business decision. By having a presence these businesses have the opportunity to keep their local customers as well as being one of the choices the internet information searcher will find. Local, state, and national government organizations as well as non-profit organizations have found the internet an effective media for disseminating their free information and services Small businesses with unique products that have national or global appeal have found the web a very cost-effective way to market and sell their products. How do I get started?There are three distinct requirements to setting up a web site.
By retaining the services of OLBS we will provide you a very economical site with ongoing maintenance. OLBS will help you choose and retain the right service provider and web host for your needs. We will then work with you to lay out your site and generate the files required. Custom graphics, internal and external links, tables, animations, sounds, and attractive layouts are some of the services we offer to make your site unique in such a way as to promote your business and products. We also provide on going support and maintenance that guarantees the latest company and product updates as well as to continue to improve its effectiveness in attracting new business. OLBS's focus is on helping our clients increase their business via the internet, not to just provide an entertaining site. We believe the fundamental requirement of a web site is to promote the business goal of the owner. This can be achieved by offering interesting and valuable information to your users therefore holding their interest and hopefully assuring a return visit. With a careful balance between entertainment and pure advertisement, useful, easily accessible information will have more people visiting your site, some will hopefully become customers/clients. What does it cost?Cost divides itself into two varieties, setup (one time) and ongoing. A basic site should consist of 6-8 pages that tells your story, who you are, what you offer, and how to get in touch with you. Let's look at the cost in the three areas discussed earlier.
The above costs do not include ongoing support. In summary, one time setup charges of $300 for internet and host services, $500 for the web site design and publishing, $65/month in on-going charges will get your company a presence on the world wide web. How do I increase the traffic at my site?There are tools available to let you know how many "hits" (traffic to your site) you receive. The more hits, the more potential customers you have. There are several basic ways of increasing the hits your site gets. Providing a site with useful and valuable information that is easy to get is fundamental. Links to other sites that provide complimentary information to your site are also excellent ways to keep people interested and spreading the word. Once you provide an attractive showcase for your products that not only describes them but indicates why yours are the best choice, this is what you do well, it is important to keep the content updated. You provide the marketing and advertising material to get your message across and OLBS can provide the means to get it published on the World Wide Web. Another way to increase your traffic is to get your site listed in as many search engines as possible. Otherwise known as "the yellow pages of the internet" they provide users a methodology to find information on practically any subject they choose. There are several ways to get listed with these services and OLBS can help you. Include your web site address on your business cards and in your other forms of advertising. More and more people are regularly using the web to gather information on potential products and services that they require. Web addresses are typically closely related to your company name and hence are easy to remember There are many sources of information on how effective your site is, here are some of them:
This relevant and timely feedback allows you the opportunity to change your content and to keep the things that work and get rid of those that don't. This media is like any other; good results are achieved by hard work. Still have more questions?Send them to us at info@olbs.com or use our question form. |