A: There are many reasons, but for businesses the answers fall into a few main categories:

1. To be accessible. The Internet has become so popular during the last few years that not having a Web presence is like not being in the telephone directory.

2. To attract more business or new business. Your Web site can be at work selling your product or service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Web's immediacy and multimedia capabilities are unmatched by conventional advertising media. Your Web site may not replace your other advertisements, but it will complement them in a very powerful way when used properly.

3. To serve current customers or clients better. Technical support, product specifications, price lists, phone numbers and e-mail addresses can all be incorporated into your Web site. This could give your customer-service efforts a big boost and save you money.

4. To conduct on-line commerce. Customers can use their credit card to securely order goods or services from your on-line store.

Q: What can a web site do for your business?

A:

• It gives you instant credibility, if it's a well done site! Potential clients expect you to have a web site and are often disappointed if you don't.

• Its where people can immediately get more information about you after being exposed to your company name in a conversation, print ad or on a business card.

• You can reduce your printing, advertising and direct mail costs. The web is much more cost-effective than print media.

• Creative professionals (artists, writers, musicians) can use a web site to build a fan base and to create community.

• Does your competition have a web site? If they do, they may have an edge over you. If they don't, the edge belongs to you.

• You can network with potential customers, clients, fans and allies all over the world. In 2001, the worldwide online population was 445.9 million, projected to increase to 709.1 million by 2004. (Source: CyberAtlas.com)

• You can cut down on the amount of time you or your customer service reps spend on the phone answering questions, if you post information pages and FAQ's (frequently asked questions) on your site.

• You can receive immediate customer feedback about your services or products.

• If you have a local business or organization, you can expand your client/customer base by being listed in the "regional" sections of directories like Yahoo and Google.

• You can open an online store at a fraction of the cost of a "bricks and mortar" store. No rent, utilities and other overhead costs - just photos, detailed product information pages and a user-friendly shopping cart system.

• The percentage of shoppers using the internet continues to grow every year. 24 percent of shoppers surveyed used the internet for shopping in 2002, up from 10 percent in 2001 and 5 percent in 1998. (Source: CyberAtlas.com)

• You can reach shoppers with healthy incomes. In 2001, 45% of all internet users in the U.S. had an average household income over $50,000. (Source: CyberAtlas.com)

• Your store is always open, 24 hours a day.

• Your site is your "home" on the world wide web. Let it reflect your values, your personality and your spirit.

Q: What do I need to know about domain names?

A: Your domain name (yourcompany.com) is your identity on the World Wide Web. Not only does it give people a way to find your Web site, it should also give them an easy way to return and to tell their friends to do the same. Your domain name is also is the basic identity for your company's e-mail addresses (joe@yourcompany.com).

Contact Web Solution Team to help you choose a name wisely.

Q: How can I get more traffic to my Web site?

A: As a free service to each of our Web site design clients, SecurePay Web Design submits the site's basic information to many of the major search engines on the Internet.

You should realize however that since these search engines contain literally millions of entries, search engine registration alone will not necessarily bring visitors to your site overnight. We recommend that our clients use a battery of marketing strategies to bring traffic to their site. These include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Keep your site clean and error free. Nobody will spend much time on a site that takes forever to load or one that is filled with broken links. Let us know if you find errors or hear of problems with your site.

2. Publicize your URL (Web site address) on your business cards, fax cover sheets, company letterhead, etc. These documents are going directly to the people with whom you want to do business (or with whom you want to continue to do business). Make sure they see your Web site!

3. Register your own domain name (e.g., yourcompany.com). It's more professional and easier to remember than a long URL that attaches your name to the name of your Internet Service Provider (e.g. yourinternetserviceprovider.com/yourcompanyname).

4. Advertise your Web site on the radio, in print ads and on television. If these media are already in your marketing plan, it's easy to include your URL at the end of the ad. While these ads are generally limited in content, they can draw inquisitive listeners, viewers, and readers to your site for more detailed information.

5. Make sure you're registered with the major search engines and directories. If your site was developed by us within the past few months, chances are that your site already appears in these search listings. On the other hand, if it's been a while since we submitted your site, you may find that your listing has been dropped from these databases. The good news is that it's relatively easy for us to re-submit your site to these search engines.

6. Get others to link to your site. Chambers of commerce, Internet service providers, community organizations and others may offer free or inexpensive ways to get your site linked. Also consider reciprocal links to your business associates' sites and to your clients' sites.

7. Keep your site fresh. If people return to your site for a second visit, will they see the same thing they did last time? In some cases, that may not be a big problem, but in other cases, it could spell disaster. If you feature products, real estate listings or press releases, make sure that there is something new at least once a month.

8. Make your site valuable to your visitors. Consider rewarding them for coming to your site with a special printable coupon, a tip of the day or information that helps them make decisions or purchases.

9. Announce your new site with a press release. Unlike a paid ad, this is FREE. Of course, it is most appropriate if your site is new.