No matter what your business is, you can't ignore the 15 to 20 crore people who currently have access to the Internet! In the very near future that number will increase ten fold as new technology allows non-computer owners to have access to the World Wide Web. To be a part of that community, you need to be on the Internet. Your competitors will be.
Think of the Yellow Pages ad. What are your hours? What do you do (or not do)? How can someone contact you? Where are you located? What is today's special? You can keep your customers informed of every (changing) reason to do business with you on the Internet.
Making business information available is one of the most important ways to serve your customers. Allow your customers to find what is in stock at your store. What colours are available? All this can be done quickly and simply on the Internet.
You won't get BusinessToday or Economic Times to write up your store opening, but you might get them to print your Internet address if you are doing something new and special. Even if you could get BusinessToday or Economic Times coverage it wouldn't do you any good if a potential customer across the country could not visit your store which they can do if you are on the Internet!
What if your materials need to be released no earlier than midnight next Friday? With the Internet, the release is up to you. Imagine the "hype" and anticipation one gets from the announcement. "All materials will be made available on our Internet site at 12:01AM Friday."
Did you notice that this is not number one? Before people become your customers they want to know about you, what you do, and what you can do for them, which you can do quickly and inexpensively on the Internet. Interested in finding out Internet Billionaires did billions of dollars of business on the Internet? Call us to get “Success Stories of Online Business” white paper FREE.
What if your product is great but people would really love it if they could see it in action? Or they could see it in different colours or frames? On the Internet, you can add sound and pictures in colour to your company's customer information. No brochure will do that.
The type of people using the Internet are college educated, making a high salary, are familiar with technology, and are searching for ways to satisfy their needs. Your business can tell these people its story.
Whoever answers the phone will spend their time answering the same questions over and over again. People getting facts before they deal with you. Post these questions and answers on the Internet and you will present your company as the reliable source of industry information.
Your on-the-road or at-home people get up-to-the minute information from postings on the Internet in complete privacy and no long STD/ISD phone charges!
Sometimes, information changes even before it gets off of the press. Electronic publishing changes with your needs during the day. No printed or media piece can match this flexibility.
You pass out a brochure, catalogue, booklet, or advertise in the newspaper but it doesn't work. No calls, no leads, no sales. What went wrong? Well, just keep trying different things and eventually you will find the right way. But this expensive process is not an alternative for the small business person. For the cost of a page of Internet programming, you can get instant feedback while it is fresh in the customers mind, without the cost and hassle of business reply mail.
It is very expensive to roll out a new product. Once you have been on the Internet for a while, you will know what works and what doesn't. You will also realise how inexpensive it is to change your presence to fit your customer's needs. For the cost of a page on the Internet you can have a crystal ball into where to position your product or service in the marketplace. Amazing. Isn't?
Media people are the most "wired" profession today since they can get information more quickly, cheaply and easily on-line. On-line press kits are becoming more common. Digital text can be edited on tight deadlines. All of your company items of interest can be made available to the media on your Internet page.
If you have anything that you can sell to young people be aware that soon most schools and libraries will be connected to the Internet. Anything you have that youth would be interested in needs to be on the Internet.
Sell fish tanks, art reproductions, flying lessons? The Internet isn't just computer nuts anymore. With 2 to 3 crore people using the Internet, even the most narrowly defined interest group will be represented in large numbers.
If you are located in a metropolitan area there are probably enough local customers with Internet access to make it worth your while. In rural communities, there now is local-call access. You will be surprised who is coming on-line.
