Business Web Sites Become the Norm
By Brian Finn
There are two types of Web sites around today: off shoots of already established businesses and those created specifically for the Web. Each has its place. Just about every large corporation now has its own Web site or is rapidly creating one. You can just about think of any company and enter http://www.anycompanyname.com and find that company on the Web.
It reflects the company’s image in this new medium. Frequently, we see the address of the site added to other types of advertising. It’s not uncommon to see a sign on the back of an LA Metro bus these days, for example, that contains a Web site on it. Television ads have them, too. For companies, the Web adds a new way to get to current or potential customers and even offers a new way to get instant orders.
Secure ordering systems are in place that allow you to order a wide variety of goods and services right from your computer. Many large mail-order catalogs now have Web components. Unfortunately, many of these Web sites haven’t gotten to the point that the corporations would really like. A major catalog with thousands of items isn’t that easy to convert to the Web.
Many photographs slow up browsers and make it annoying for some customers. With faster modems this problem will probably be under control in the future. Companies are still weighing whether these sites are profitable yet. Whether they are profitable or not may not really matter. Many consumers will expect Web sites in the future. Some folks are starting companies because of the Web. They couldn’t open up a company out of a storefront or in an office building because of the expense. However, the Web makes it possible to open a business for very little money.
If you have an account on America Online, for example, for about twenty dollars a month, you can actually open up your own company…on the Web. With that twenty or so dollars a month, you’ve got 10 megabytes of Web space to use as you please (within what AOL considers to be good taste). Although letting AOL, or a similar provider, host your Web page may not be the ideal…it sure is cheap! Small niche areas are perfect for such an enterprise.
Although you may not be able to generate enough to go full time, such a niche might generate enough extra income to be worthwhile. Later on, it might turn into something better. If it doesn’t work out, you can simply close up shop, without the heavy financial investment. For such sites the need for careful submissions to search engines is essential. Free advertising is the key to such sites.
For those who say you can’t make it big on the Web alone, look at Amazon.com. Here’s a company that is competing very nicely with the largest book sellers in the country and it doesn’t have a store. It works exclusively on the Web. It is certainly a good idea to add a Web site to an existing business. The more exposure you get the better it is. However, the Web is a prime example of a new kind of business that is available that just about anyone with a good idea can get into with a minimal investment, marketing skills, hard work and plenty of luck.
Brian Finn is an internet and website consultant based in Laguna Niguel.
