'IT and The Internet offer unlimited opportunities
for more profitable business - right NOW'

THE INTERNET AND WORLD WIDE WEB
No company should be rushing into the Internet and setting up Web Pages without having produced a comprehensive Internet Strategy. We work with companies to produce their Strategy, ensuring that all the influencing factors have been considered. The Internet Strategy need to consider the company's existing Marketing Strategy and we use our considerable experience to make sure that both activities compliment each other and boost the performance of each.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
We provide SME companies with assistance in preparing an IT Strategy and in specifying and sourcing hardware, software and system support. We know from our experience that these companies can greatly improve the effects of their sales and marketing efforts by engaging information technologies, especially in the areas of customer care and contact management.

USING THE INTERNET AND CORPORATE WEB SITES

INTRODUCTION
Although it is certainly possible to create your own web site, given a sufficient and significant amount of time, and not a little expertise, ensuring that it is able to function reliably when accessed by a variety of Internet software and still look professional is an increasingly complex task.

Whilst the cost of building a web site is always an important factor, too many businesses will focus on price at the expense of the quality and functionality their site. This is taking a considerable risk because a negative reaction to your web site by a customer or prospective customer visiting it may well translate into them having a negative impression of your company or its abilities.

BACKGROUND TO THE INTERNET
The Internet is a modem, telephone and electronic network linking thousands of computers to one another around the globe. Although there are a number of services operating within the Internet, both business and the individual or consumer is primarily interested in just two, these being E-mail (Electronic Mail) and the Web (www or World Wide Web).

E-mail provides individuals and groups with a very efficient means of sending documents and messages around the world quickly, it is the modern equivalent of the fax machine but has the advantage of being able to send complete documents, files, images and programs through the medium of the Internet. Where 10 years ago having a fax machine was a sign of the status of a company, now having an E-mail address is the current status marker for companies. E-mail can be used for a number of tasks, the main ones being:

Send and receive letters, fax’s and memo’s
Send and receive documents, files and reports
Send and receive pictures, graphics and DTP
Poll Fax documents, information and news
Receive enquiries, etc from a Web Site

The Web that has captured the imagination of the business community, because the Web provides four key advantages over other communication media:-

Flexibility
Immediacy
Accessibility
Confidentiality

With businesses continually looking to build customer loyalty, drive down costs, extend trading hours, bring new products and services to market within the shortest possible timescale and least cost, and reduce advertising, promotion and publicity costs, the Web offers them powerful, unique and controllable solution.

The number of regular Internet and Web users in the UK has grown from about 1 million in 1997 to over 7 million by the end of 1998. The Internet is wide and open, and is available to everyone now. Companies should be concerned about being part of the biggest communication revolution ever, right now. The Web can be used for a number of different purposes, however the main ones to be considered by companies are:-

Promote the Company
Advertise the Products and Services
Provide a Cheap Marketing Route
Raise the Profile and Perception
Being a Pioneer not a ‘me too’ follower
Create Multiple Streams of Income
Creating additional customer interaction

HARDWARE
In order to use any Internet service you will need a modem connected to your computer. The computer does not have to be a high speed top specification piece of equipment, but the newer and faster it is the quicker it will open pages on the Web and therefore increase the usefulness and enjoyment. The modem is a device that allows computers to talk to each other all over the world via normal telephone lines, and the current standard is 56k although 33.6k will provide sufficient speed.

SOFTWARE
E-mail and Web browsing software is now frequently available free of charge. The easiest place to find this software is via one of the CD-ROMs regularly included with many of the leading monthly computer magazines. Netscape and Microsoft offer excellent Internet software packages frequently combining a Web browser with E-mail and other Internet service components.

INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS (ISP’s)
Once the computer and modem are installed an account needs to be set up with an Internet Service Provider. The ISP's provide a point of access to the Internet, and thus the Web, to dial into from the computer.

ISP’s usually charge an all inclusive fee (about £8-£15 p.m.) for their Internet connection or dial-up service. The only additional expense then is meeting the cost of telephone calls to the special local rate ISP number. Most UK ISP’s now provide a non-geographical local call rate telephone number for Internet access. There are more than 300 ISP’s in the UK, but of varying quality of service.

DEVELOPING A CORPORATE WEB SITE

PLANNING
Careful planning is the most important building-block of any business activity and web sites are certainly no exception to this. It is vital to produce a clear Internet Strategy identifying what the objectives are and what is required of the Web Site, its domain name and its format.

Take as much time as is necessary to ensure everyone understands what is to be achieved from the web site before it is built rather than considering this after the site is finished. Ensure that the important parameters of the web site are discussed and agreed at the earliest possible stage. Then put all of this down in black and white as a strategy document so that there is a reference document for all concerned to refer to in case of doubt or the need for direction.

DESIGN
It is important that the Design of the Web Site is not implemented until the strategic issues are fully discussed and agreed. Before any page design is carried out there should be a Site Map produced, normally in the form of a flowchart, which will diagrammatically show the link between pages and page levels, and a brief comment on the content of the pages.

Once this has been achieved then a storybook of the page contents should be produced to show the desired type of layout for each page level and subject matter, so that the design can accommodate the information to be shown, and not the reverse.

The best web sites use visual design to enhance corporate identity and intuitive design to ensure smooth and logical site navigation. You should work within the existing corporate identity to strengthen its impact and apply it to all the Internet platforms being used. For those businesses without a formal corporate identity it is important to develop an appropriate image for your organisation that can be used on and off the Internet.

IMPLEMENTATION
Once formal approval for the design work has been agreed, the construction of the new web site can commence.

It is best to set aside a private area on the skeleton web site giving limited access to the site under development. At this stage the site would not be available to the general public, but those involved can visit the hidden pages to view the construction, and make comment or requested for changes.

It is in the nature of web site construction that a combination of specification changes and technical obstacles need to be accommodated. As a result, experience has shown that any estimate of completion time for a Web Site is usually over optimistic as these things usually take a little tweaking to get exactly right. This extra care avoids the spectre of an inferior end result being placed into the public domain.

MARKETING
Marketing is really a continuous process which commences at the Planning stage, although promoting a new web site and launching it onto the Internet is not an exact science. Beware of companies that promise to get the site listed in the top few places on each of the major web site indices or Search Engines. Search engine listing is only one part of the marketing process. All of the main Internet indices adopt different listing criteria which they change frequently and without warning. This is not to say that the site should not be listed, but retaining search engine placement can involve very regular manual re-submission and can be an expensive process.

For many businesses a successful formula is to approach existing customers and suppliers at the Strategy stage to find out what they would like to see on the web site. The E-mail address and Web Site address should be advertised on all corporate literature, and also consider reciprocal linking arrangements with complimentary business partners' sites.

ON-GOING SUPPORT
A web site should be a living, growing part of the overall business and demands regular attention to keep content fresh and relevant. In contrast to traditional media, a web site can easily be used as a dynamic communication vehicle. For example, it can be used to keep in regular contact with customers, deliver company news or promote corporate events. If you do not wish to update your site on a regular basis and require occasional support organisations offer a flexible support packages which vary according to individual requirements.

OUR PHILOSOPHY
We believe in working in partnership with clients to ensure that their corporate web site(s) provide an accurate representation of their company and provide the best possible vehicle, within the context of the Internet, for promoting their product(s) and/or service(s), and portraying the right image to existing and potential customers and suppliers. With our professional help and support, and our clients’ industry knowledge, we can ensure our clients get their Internet Strategy right, and end up with an Internet and Web facility that enhances their business and promotes their company.

MORE INFORMATION
If having read this guide you would like to discuss how a corporate web site could benefit your business, or how we could help you to achieve your Internet and Web goals, please call us on 0845 004 34 33 or E-mail a request for further information or discussion.