What is the Internet and how did it start?
The Internet was formed in 1969 as a Department of Defense computer network designed to withstand a nuclear attack. Mainly linked to scientific and educational institutions, the Internet soon became a huge information database linking users worldwide. However, to use it you had to first learn the programming language and have access to mainframe-connected terminal.
What is the World Wide Web and how does it differ from the Internet?
The World Wide Web (WWW) was created in 1990 by a physics institute in Switzerland to allow easy access to related documents by using hypertext links. The Web is actually an agreed-upon set of languages and protocols (you can think of the Internet as being the hardware and the Web as being the software). By providing a graphical interface and an easy-to-use navigational system, the Web allows users to access information like never before.
Who can access the Internet?
Anyone with a computer, a modem, and an Internet connection through a Internet Service Provider (ISP) such as Netcom. In addition, subscribers to online services such as America Online, Compuserve, Prodigy, and Genie have access to the Web. Universities almost always have Internet access they provide to students and staff, and even some businesses are now providing access to their employees.
How many people are on the Internet and how fast is it growing?
Since the Internet is a loosely-knit "network of networks", one can only estimate the number of people. Current estimates place the number of users at over 400 million. The World Wide Web is the fastest-growing portion of the Internet, estimated to be doubling every 6-12 months.
Should I advertise my business on the Internet?
That depends. If you are a local business that is seeking only local (citywide) market exposure and sales, then the Internet is probably not right for you - at least not yet. However, if you are trying to reach a national or worldwide market then the Internet is your best bet. You will find the Internet offers the least expensive advertising of any media, yet the potential market is enormous. Your web site would could be accessed by millions of people 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year! In addition you could save printing and mailing costs for catalogs and brochures, since they would be available for downloading by the customer.
What kind of traffic or sales should I expect from my web advertising?
As with any advertising, that ultimately depends on the product/service you are advertising, market conditions, and a myriad of other factors. It is not enough to merely place your site on the Internet and wait for customers to come to you. What is crucial to a successful web site is how it is marketed. Beware of web advertising agencies that offer to write your web page and nothing more - or those that mention "marketing" in vague terms. To be successful your web site must be submitted to all the major Internet search engines and lists (such as WebCrawler, Yahoo, Lycos, etc.) which allows users to find your web site by typing in a keyword. For example, if you're selling jet skis some keywords could be: watersports, recreation, jet ski, and so forth. You may find it will take several weeks before orders or requests for information starting coming in, since some of the search engines lag behind 2-3 weeks before adding your web site to their database. Most sites "ramp-up" their traffic over a period of 2-3 months.
How long should I advertise my business on the Internet?
How long were you planning on having your telephone? Or your fax machine? Maintaining a presence on the Web allows your business to reach a huge market that might have never known of your existence. It is important to make a commitment to establishing and maintaining a long-term presence on the World Wide Web, just as you would opening up a store or branch office.
Okay, I'm convinced. How do I go about setting up a web site for my business?
First, determine your goals. Are you establishing a presence to provide an informational profile of your company, highlight services and provide e-mail response, or sell your product through online ordering (or all three)? A successful web site should be designed around these goals.
Second, determine how much of your advertising budget you are willing to dedicate to your web presence - this will be the limiting factor for most small businesses.
Third, find an Internet advertising agency that will listen to your needs and accommodate them. Then visit their web site. Is it interesting and appealing to the eye? Is there proper use of graphics and hyperlinks? Also, take a look at their address. Is it long, like http://www.bignet.net/~joeschmoe/main.html? The web address they would assign to you would probably be even longer - not something you would want to see on your company's business card or letterhead. An agency's web address should be no longer than http://xxxxxx.com. Anything longer is a good indication of amateurs at work.
I hope this has been informative and answered some questions or concerns that exist. If you would like more specific information on establishing a web site, feel free to contact Internet Advertising Solutions.
* A commonly-found acronym: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
