November 1999   

Like it or not, the Internet is changing the face of business and the demographics that drive that business. Instead of buying the products on your shelf from a local wholesaler, you can buy them online – direct from the manufacturer. According to data recently gathered by NBC, this year, GE cut the cost of service calls from $80 to 20¢ per call by using their Web site, while Cisco and Intel are both making $1 billion per month online. IBM cut 5,000,000 pages of paperwork in the last year, by driving business-to-business transactions online. Following the example of corporate giants, small to medium-sized businesses are changing to more automated sites. 

But how does that apply to you? Does it mean that you have to emulate the glossy mega-sites with a site that costs more than your annual payroll? No. But savvy business owners are finding that this is a good time to take stock of their Internet goals to make every penny -- and every page on their Web sites -- count.

Not All Sites Are Equal

What makes some sites successful while others languish? Any number of factors. But by taking advantage of the following tips, you can improve almost any site.  

	Simplify navigation and ease of use. Make every page easy to get to, and easy to get back from. Use automation to separate navigation menus from the content, so that as you add or delete pages from your site, you aren't tempted to place information where it can't be found intuitively.
	Place the focus on what you're selling, and provide all information up front. According to BizRate, a firm specializing in rating and reviewing e-businesses, over 75% of online shoppers quit the sales process before finalizing their purchase.
	Reduce shipping and handling costs, or add them up front. Over 24% of potential purchasers find shipping and handling costs too high, and stop the order process at the final stage of the purchase process. Make shipping part of the equation, cut the best deals that you can with carriers, and reward customers with free shipping on orders over a certain dollar volume. Also consider discounting shipping for repeat customers.
	Make pages easy to read and visually appealing. Provide plenty of white space and use soothing, clear colors that are easy on the eye. Also be sure that you are branding your company -- in a way that’s consistent with your offline image -- on every page.
	Accept credit cards online. ChaseOnline.com reports that site owners who accept credit cards online are 60% more likely to make a sale.
	Implement a security guarantee. Credit card security is the single biggest factor that hinders consumer sales online, and large sites from LandsEnd.com to BarnesandNoble.com are  Guarantee the $50 that credit card companies won’t cover, and ask your Web presence provider or security consultant to indemnify you for any losses.
	Provide incentive for your customers to return. Give them some fresh, top-quality content to come back to at least once a month. And if you have any traffic at all, you’re better off changing that to once a week.
	Automate. Take advantage of technology to simplify your Web site maintenance. Creating and mailing out your newsletter can all be done without any HTML coding, so you save on development costs. Having your customers automatically obtain their own passwords, or allowing them to find the help or information that they need without involving customer service personnel can dramatically reduce support costs. And by tying your site to a database and using Active Server Pages (ASP) or server side include (SSI) features to separate content from function, you can change the appearance of your site, without having to recode or convert your existing content.
	Market, market, market. Let potential customers know you’re out there and give them a taste of what you have to offer. Plaster your URL on everything from signs to shopping bags, Yellow Page ads to cash register receipts. And don’t forget to use your Web site to generate excitement for your local operation -- weekly coupons and specials available only by email or via your Web site can really boost both virtual and physical traffic.

Never Sell Yourself Short

Successful Internet marketing is about selling yourself -- to your customers and your employees alike. You want them all to be excited about your Web site, so remember that it is no different from any other form of advertising. If you have struggled to establish your business as a credible brick-and-mortar endeavor, you wouldn’t send out promotional flyers written in crayon by your five year-old son. Even if you can’t afford a complex, high-end site with fifty unique pages, you can’t afford not to purchase a navigation system and page template that will hold all your information professionally.

Your Web site has to look and feel at least as good as, if not better, than your offline business. But beyond that, make use of your offline presence to add to your credibility. "We associate big companies with the notion that we will deal with professional people," says Greg Helmstetter, author of Increasing Hits and Selling More on Your Web Site. ". . . But according to a recent Wall Street Journal article, on the Web a physical location matters just as much as size. One large Internet-only commerce site recently painted delivery trucks with their logo and paid to have them driven around New York, Los Angeles, and other large cities in an effort to add substance to their virtual image. 

If you have a brick-and-mortar location, use it in conjunction with your Web site to reduce costs and increase sales in both venues. Be sure that your site adds some function or value to what your store can offer customers so that they will be inclined to use it. And also be sure that your site communicates your dedication, professionalism, and quest for excellence. If recent trends are anything to go by, on the Internet just as elsewhere, stressing customer service is key. How well you communicate your integrity and dedication to standing behind the products or services you offer will dictate your long-term success.