1. Why does my business need an online store?
2. What is e-commerce?
3. What is web hosting?
4. What do I need to get started?
5. What about speed and reliability?
6. Do the web hosting accounts come with dial-up Internet access?
7. What is bandwidth and how much do I need?
8. How many pages can I fit into 10 MB of server space?
9. What should my web site's strategy involve?
10. What's involved in maintaining my web site?
11. How can I market my web site?
    
    

• Nearly 9 million U.S. households shopped online generating $7.8 billion in revenues, and this number is expected to grow to $108 billion by 2003 according to Forester Research.
• Over 43% of active Web sites today are participating in some form of electronic commerce.
• Consumers are gaining confidence in the security of the Internet and are embracing the convenience of online shopping.
• The internet provides the greatest gains for small business who now have an affordable, economical means to expose their products and services to millions of new potential customers.

2. What is E commerce?

E commerce or Electronic Commerce is the buying and selling of goods and services across the Internet. Electronic commerce merchants can range from the small business with a few items for sale all the way to a large on-line retailer.

3. What is Web Hosting?

Web hosting the service involves the placement of your Web site onto the Internet through a computer server. Once this is done, anyone anywhere in the World is able to access those Web pages and view the information that is provided there for them. Your Web site's address (URL) http://www.your-company.com/., is important for the maintenance of your company's identity.

4. What do I need do get started?

To get started you will need: (1) A Domain Name, (2) A Web site , and a (3) A Web site host. A Domain Name is an Internet address used to access your Web site (the computers on the Internet translate the name to number and a network location. The Domain Name for your small business could be www.your-company.com.

5. What about speed and reliability?

All of your Web site information is stored on a Web server. DS3 (T-3) lines connect directly to the backbone of the Internet. The server farm is among the more reliable Web hosts, with server up-times over the past 3 years exceeding 99.9%. 24 hour network monitoring proactively targets potential network and Internet problems before they happen.

6. Do Web hosting accounts come with dial-up Internet access?

Web Hosting service is a separate service from your Dial-up Internet access. Web Hosting plans do not include a dial-up Internet access plan. If you will be managing your Web site, you will want to retain your current Internet access service.

7. What is bandwidth and how much do I need?

In this context, bandwidth refers to the amount of traffic that you Web site uses on a monthly basis. For most businesses, 500 MB of traffic has been more than enough.

8. How many pages can I fit into 10 MB of server space?

This depends on how graphically intensive your site is, and on how long you consider a "page" to be. 10 MB for most commercial sites will hold anywhere from 1,000 to 3,000 Web pages.

9. What should my Web Site Strategy involve?

Decide exactly what you want your Web site to do. Is your site being created to:

• Disseminate information?
• Improve customer service?
• Provide demonstration software distribution?
• Be your retail storefront?
• Enhance or define your corporate image?

Choosing your goal, and setting their relative priorities, is your first step. Here are some ways that the Web can be used:

Digital Information Library
Overwhelmed trying to get information into the right hands in an efficient manner? On-line digital libraries and product catalogues can cut down on customer call traffic, internal fact-finding time, and the waste of having to constantly change/update materials. If your site is large, a site index or an on-site search engine will help to speed up navigation through out your site.

24-Hour Virtual Employees
Think of your Web site as an automated operator. This "virtual employee" can reduce the load on customer service representatives by taking over repetitive tasks such as answering your most frequently asked questions, gathering information, and automatically sending out responses. Your Web site also works around the clock, so people from other time zones and countries will be able to work around their schedules, not yours.

Instant Research
Use the Web to capture key research information about your market. Customer compliments or complaints are instantly available. Problems may be resolved, without costing you a lot of time and resources. You can track traffic through your site, thus find out the interests of your visitors.

The Cyber Storefront
Mail order or retail businesses can expand sales without having to pay for printing extra catalogues and postage. Use your Web site as your cyber-storefront. On-line orders via a secure server is possible. This "Secure Socket Layer" (SSL) connection lets your customers order without the risk of fraud. Using tested shopping cart technologies, you can set up an easy-to-use Internet store with real-time credit card authorization.

10. What's involved in Maintaining my Web Site?

With your site is up and running, you need to keep the content fresh. Constant site updating can be tougher than it looks, it is time consuming. Information that's fresh and in demand isn't easy to come by. Explore content that's self-generating. O

Here are a few ways you can keep your site from falling into the Stale Site Syndrome:

• Don't needlessly date your site. Don't put in information that instantly dates your site - event dates, "last updated" references, etc. - unless you are going to change your site on an almost daily basis.
• Update regularly. Not to be interpreted as updating your site for the sake of updating, always be sure that your site has timely information. Most sites accomplish this by publishing a monthly newsletter or tip on their site.
• Track your visitors. Use statistical software to track site traffic and find where people are going within your site. Use the information to adjust the content or revise your site design.

11. How can I market my Web Site?

Once your site is running smoothly, make sure the world knows about it. Marketing should involve any current methods you use to advertise your business. Put your URL on everything you do: ads, brochures.