Posted on: 02 December, 2001
Author: David Johnson
With a little money and a good idea, you can reach anyone who uses ... ... to the latest ... thats 158.5 million ... can use the World Wide Web to open new sales channel With a little money and a good idea, you can reach anyone who uses theInternet. According to the latest statistics, thats 158.5 million people.You can use the World Wide Web to open new sales channels, extend yourcurrent business into a different product line, enhance customer service, orshape the first impression your company makes on its target market. You canreduce your marketing costs (printing, mailing, and travel) by pointingprospective customers to your Web site for preliminary product and serviceinformation.There are many success stories on the Web:· A small manufacturer that now sells its products retail· A local shop that now competes with established mail order houses· A golf outlet that discovered Japanese businessmen would pay the highshipping costs to get new golf equipment as soon as it became available onthe U.S. market.You can find 23 million-dollar success stories in the bookStrikingItRich.com, which has a Web site at http://www.strikingitrich.com/.Use the Internet to move into new product areas. The ease of posting newpages to a Web site and the ability to gather instant information about howcustomers react to new product offers lets you test-market new goods andservices safely.Enhance customer service. Even if your site doesnt offer a direct way topurchase your products, it can be a useful, cost-effective tool for customerservice:· Post a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) to answer common customerquestions to reduce the expense of toll-free telephone lines.· Use e-mail to allow communication between your customers and your customerservice staff.· Use e-mail to combine your customer service campaign with your marketingcampaign, by sending your customers notification of sales, new productreleases, and special offers.Make a strong first impression. A Web site makes small businesses appearmuch larger than they are. The way your Web site handles the technology ofthe Internet serving up Web pages, taking orders can make visitors feelthey are dealing with a large, established business. Check out WorldSpy(http://www.worldspy.com/). This companys Web site gives customers theimpression its a large shopping mart, when in reality its staffed by ahandful of employees.Reduce your marketing costs. Putting up your Web site makes your marketinginformation available to millions. You can save the cost of printing andmass mailing a brochure by publishing your Web site address on yourletterhead and business cards.The Web is a huge opportunity to launch or expand your business at afraction of the cost of the offline world. If youre considering a businessor looking to expand, mastering the Web should be a top marketing priority. Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com