When Stuart Felman first considered establishing a web presence for his Beverly Hills store, Stuart Felman’s Custom Tailors, his goals were to grow his company and achieve global exposure at a low cost. After more than two years on the web, he believes he is well on his way to achieving those goals.

“Just this morning I sent off cuttings to a customer in South Carolina who found us on the web. Each day I am surprised by the number of people who contact me from around the world.” Felman estimates that almost 10% of his repeat business now comes directly from his web site, www.stuartfelman.com.

Felman’s use of his site, and the Internet in general, illustrates the importance of integrating the web into the overall marketing mix for your business. Though his use of the web is especially relevant to “clicks and mortar” businesses that can use the Internet to augment the marketing strategy for their existing retail establishments, most of his practices are relevant to other kinds of businesses and even to those whose business is only online. The steps Felman took in taking his business online can serve as a simple but effective guideline if you are considering getting your business on the web.

First, he decided what he wanted to accomplish with his web site. “We make custom tailored suits for men and women and I wanted to attract more customers from outside the immediate geographical area. Since the Internet is a global medium, I thought having a web presence would be a great way to achievethat.”

Second, he chose a domain name that closely resembles his existing store’s name. Though it is now difficult to obtain a “dot.com” domain name based on common dictionary words, getting an appropriate domain for your existing business is still possible. In Felman’s case, he had his ISP (internet service provider) obtain the domain “staurtfelman.com” from Network Solutions. There are several other companies that also provide domain name services. A quick search of Yahoo or Lycos will produce a list of providers. If you need assistance, your web hosting company or ISP will be able to help.

Next he had a site designed that reflected his business in an appealing and engaging manner. Felman wanted Internet visitors to get a sense of his business and learn about his philosophy of providing custom high quality suits at reasonable prices. A key element in the structure of the site is the inclusion of his address, telephone number and email contact information at the bottom of every page, so that potential customers don & #353;t have to search for that information. He even includes a map to help visitors who are driving to the shop.

The next thing he did was to have his web hosting company (Icom.com) list his web address with hundreds of Internet search engines. “I hear from customers all the time that they found us through search engines.” Stuart is considering having that done again to update the information and to list with the thousands of search engines now available.

But he didn’t stop there. “Most of my advertising is on the radio, and I always mention our web site in those spots.” Since the web audience is also a TV audience, a radio audience and a print audience, always make sure you include your web site address with the rest of your contact information in all of your advertising or PR.

That goes for business cards “and stationery, too,” says Felman. He includes his email address and web site address on everything he prints,business cards, stationery, catalogs, price lists,everything. “It’s even painted on the door of my store,” he said.

Though he doesn’t send out mass e-mailings to customers, “people get enough spam already” Felman always asks his customers for their email address. “I want to be sure we have a way to contact them about their order. About 60% to 70% give us their email address.” He keeps that information in his customer database.

His web site has brought him far more business than it has cost, but Stuart knows that he can (and should) continually update and enhance it. He is adding a video clip to his site so customers can get another sense of the quality of his products.

He hasn’t yet added online commerce, but Stuart is considering that option. To do so, he would need to add the ability to take credit cards online. That entails getting a shopping cart and commerce gateway linked up to his site. When he is ready to add it, his web provider can help him take that step. It’s another layer of cost, but it could open up a new market for the store. “I think it would work great for my repeat customers. Since we already have their measurements, they could order their suits and shirts directly from an online catalog.”

Felman intended www.stuartfelman.com to support his efforts to bring additional business to his store, and the site has been a success.

“I wanted to do something to promote my business at a low cost,” he says. “At the time, the web seemed like it was the right opportunity. I’m glad I did it, and I would certainly do it again.”

By setting reasonable goals, by including the Internet as a part of his overall marketing strategy, by referencing the web site address in all his other communications, and by keeping his web site relevant to his business, Stuart Felman has succeeded in building a web presence that works.

Mark Kelly is Director of Marketing for Icom.com, a subsidiary of Interliant,Inc.. The Los Angeles based company hosts web sites for mostly small and medium sized businesses.