by Al DiMarzio, HB Graphics
A Pervasive MediumAnd if I Don't 'Buy Into' the Internet?Well...Is it Worth it?A Pervasive MediumYou can hardly watch a TV commercial without the sponsor touting their Internet Web address. I can "WWW" my way to movie schedules, car sales, Disney world, the Discovery channel and order clothes from L.L. Bean. Seeing all this hoopla on TV, the business person may ask: "Should I get on the Web?", "What happens if I don’t get on the Web?", "Will my business grow?", "How much will it cost me?".
It’s a lot easier to answer these questions when the business has a marketing plan in place. A marketing plan allows a business to look at each advertising media and the potential for that media to generate revenue. Advertising on the Web takes it’s place along side newspaper, radio, TV, and coupon ads. The key point is not to assume that a Web ad or having a Web page is the same as any other media. Web pages are interactive like no other advertising media we have experienced and that is it’s charm.Unlike newspapers, radio and TV, viewing on the Web requires a computer and software known as a "Web browser". The bad news is that only about 20% of most affluent town households own computers--the good news is that those who have computers have more discretionary income. However, needing a computer to reach the Internet is diminishing due to the introduction of "Web TVs", a low cost ($300.00+/-) box which connects to the TV set and allows you access to the internet. The Web extends to the entire world and recent surveys indicate more and more people are "surfing" the Web in the evening instead of watching TV.And if I Don't "Buy Into" The Internet?What will happen if a business doesn’t get on the Web? It’s my opinion that every business will need to get some presence on the Web whether it is a page grouped with other businesses or a free-standing Web site. The famous "Yellow Pages" has a new interactive competitor in the form of the Web. The Web contains directories and indexes which allow anyone to search for specific topics, products and businesses. I don’t think it is a question of "if" but a question of "when".
Whether your business will grow with or without the Web is really up to your marketing plan--there’s that four letter word again--plan. All advertising media must be taken in balance with your business direction. If your business is mail order then the Web could help in direct sales. If your business is local then perhaps showcasing products on the web would help. People look to the Web for information and help in making decisions as well as entertainment. If making a decision about buying your product or services requires "home study" then perhaps the Web could help generate business.Well...Is it Worth It?The business person needs to look at the cost of this new type of advertising in bringing in revenue over and above what the current advertising is generating. The cost of getting a single Web page with a group of other business in a packaged Web site will range from $250 to $500 per year. And just like newspapers, radio and TV you need to look at the content of the media to see if it suits your business needs.
You can design your own Web pages or hire someone to design them for you. There is no shortage of "wannabe" web page designers--do your homework in selecting someone. A Web site, consisting of several Web pages, requires your renting space on an Internet Service Provider's (ISP) computer. This ISP is your connection to the Web. The ISP charges about $50 per month, on average, for a business account. And, you would want your own name on the Web (referred to as a Domain name) so you can have an address on the Web such as "http://www.mybusiness.com/". Registering and maintaining a Domain name will cost about $50 per year. The typical, no-frills Web page costs about $200 to design. Fancy interactive pages can cost up to $1,000 per page. Let’s say you want five no-frills pages (to start), a domain name and a year’s worth of ISP rental. Total cost for the Web advertisement would be about $1,650--so budget $2,000.To Web or not to Web is not an easy question. Perhaps in discussing the several questions stated at the beginning of this discussion I’ve shed some light on the subject. The Internet and the Web’s impact on our lives is still unfolding. I would suggest that the infancy of the Internet is at the level of Televisions back in the 1950s! Not that I want to date myself, but I was listening to radio programs long before Television...it wasn't until grad school that they offered courses on Trasnsitors...was an R&D engineer at GE when the Intell 4004 chip was invented...and I am excited to be here as the Internet comes of age!
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