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Getting Your Small Business Online Part 1: Planning Stage Contributed by Boris Mordkovich, director of operations, MordComm, Inc. As with starting any business endeavor, you need to plan your Web site launch. One of the most important issues to review is your reason for getting online. Why Are You Getting Online? The public may want you to be online, but what precisely do they expect? “Getting online” is a loose term. Do they want the option to contact you via email? Do they want to be able to research your product at their convenience before purchasing? Do they want to settle their accounts online? Or do they want to buy online? Also ask yourself what you want to achieve. Every answer results in a different type of online presence. There are many types of Web sites. Most Web sites fall into these categories:
Keep in mind that if you have a physical store, you should consider your Web site a separate profit center. Maintaining, promoting and running a Web store requires many hours of labor and a certain amount of specialty knowledge. Very likely a small percentage of your current customers will shop online. They know you and are comfortable with your physical setting. The Web store is an added convenience rather than main shopping venue for them, especially if you allow in-store pickup. On the other hand, you’re likely to attract a new set of customers such as those from other towns or states. These customers might have different income or education levels than current customers and may respond to different marketing techniques. If you decide on a Web store, you’ll need to figure out the operations:
On first impression, brochure ware sites do not seem like powerful online presences. That was true of many early Web sites. However, the Internet is a fairly inexpensive way to educate customers, and buyers like the feeling of first-hand contact with the manufacturer, especially for products of significant value. Today, more businesses use Web sites to gain feedback, announce jobs, post press releases, give investors up-to-date information and market products and services. Consider M&M’s Web site (http://www.mms.com/us). While it has a Web store, the main Web site has marketing/advertising-related activities such as games, e-cards, wallpaper and screensavers based on the candy’s latest commercial—a clever way to increase an advertising campaign’s effectiveness. Customer Service
In most cases, a Web site has a combination of Web store, brochure ware and customer service elements. Usually, the company’s main reason for being online determines the Web site’s dominant theme. After considering your reasons and responsibilities, you are ready to assemble the parts and launch your Web site. Domain Name
How should you choose your domain name? Typically, businesses use their company name as an instant identifier. Sometimes, your product or brand name is more prominent than your business name, so you’ll want to use one of those. Or, you could register all of them. It might pay to register more than one domain name and route them all to a single Web site. This ensures maximum exposure and coverage, making it easy for your market to locate you online with the name they best remember. Some experts advise registering a keyword-rich domain name. This means a domain name that is composed of words someone might use when searching for a product similar to yours. For example if you sell work boots, steel-toe-boots.com is a keyword-rich domain. The idea is search engines are more likely to pick up and position your Web site high in a search. However, search engine technology is focusing more on Web site content. Domain names are universal, meaning anyone in the world can register a name on a first-come, first-served basis. Many common English words and terms have long been registered. Often, you’ll find your domain of choice is already taken. If so, you’ll have to modify or rethink your name. You could approach the current domain name owner and offer to buy it. However, it’s unlikely they’ll sell it if the domain is highly desired or home to an active Web site. Another alternative is to look for expired domain names. These are names that were previously registered but "released" due to the Web site closing or failure to renew on time. Some people believe that if you register an existing popular domain name, you jumpstart the hits to your Web site. Sometimes you’ll find gems among expired names, but you’ll have to exercise caution particularly if the domain is a misspelling or close to a copyrighted name. A good place to search for expired names is DeletedDomains.com (http://www.deleteddomains.com). Why Are You Getting Online? Just as your business needs a base of operations, your Web site needs to reside on a Web server. Many companies rent server space to house businesses and individuals’ Web pages. These Web hosts provide and maintain the hardware and software to run and present your Web site online. You can host your Web site on your own computer, however this involves extensive costs. Rarely do small businesses benefit from doing this, especially if the Web site is new. Some designers offer Web hosting as a package. But, if you decide to change designers or bring the Web site in house, you have to rely on the designer’s good faith to access your Web site files while you move it. Though not always a problem, moving Web hosts can be stressful, so do your research and sign up with a host you have full confidence in. Boris Mordkovich is the director of operations for MordComm, Inc., a New York-based firm that develops and operates online ventures that help small- to mid-size businesses succeed in their online ventures. Their properties include: AdWatcher: Ad Monitoring & Tracking and PayPerClickUniverse: Pay Per Click Search Engines Guide. Go to Part 2: Developing Your Web Site ->> Go to Part 2: Developing Your Web Site ->> Print This Page | Email This Page |
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