The Internet & Web sites The Internet is the first and only medium ever that will be able to incorporate all the other media within itself, and deliver it from any source to every single person with access to a personal computer. That's big. But, what does that mean for your business? Do you need a Web site to compete, or just to promote who you are and what you're doing. Either way, if you have a business Web site, it should be enhancing your company's image and making it easier for customers to do business with you. If it isn't, you're probably better off without one. Many people rushed to have Web sites created, without having determined what value a site would provide their business. Many sites on the Inernet are long on "flashiness" and short on substance. Long term, it's the content that will be important, not the animation. At Gould, we specialize in helping clients develop Web sites that support their marketing needs and budget. For some, we completely design the site to improve the look, navigation or loading speed of their pages. For others, we simply add better, more relevant graphics and content. Corporate Web sites If you need a site to support your marketing to other businesses and customers in or outside Bloomington-Normal, we can help you plan and construct as large and complex a Web site as you need. Besides looking good - but not flashy or full of gimmicks - our corporate Web sites reflect the values and benefits of the clients, and make it easy for their customers to learn more about the company, improve accessibility and service, communicate with key people and transact business online. Samples of our corporate Web sites Local retail use of the Internet Many business owners haven't yet figured out that the Internet is good for supporting their local business as well as for "going national." And for most it's a better use. True, you can expand your customer base with a Web site, but you also must be able to service those long-distance customers, as most former "dot com" companies discovered. That means more staff paying closer attention - a challenge for most business owners. And if you're replacing customers who are close by with customers who are long distance, are you really gaining anything? If so, go for it. Local Web marketing can enhance the service you provide your current customers - and draw more share from the growing local market, both online and in person. You need two things: 1) a good Web site that accurately portrays who you are and makes it EASY (not confusing and frustrating) to navigate from page to page on your site; and 2) promotion and advertising of your site to the local market through traditional media advertising. Many business owners are trying to save the cost of hiring a professional by creating and managing their own Web sites. And it shows. If you have no competition - as in, your customers have no other choice but you - it probably doesn't matter very much. But, for the rest of us, having a professional help you plan, construct and even maintain your company's Web site is generally money well-spent. Like all other areas of marketing, a Web site is a front-end investment in the success you are trying to achieve. That impression is the customer's first and maybe only impression of your business. In a competitive business environment, you can't wait long enough for success to fund the image you will project to get there. If you have a local retail business, Gould can create a 5 -6 page web site for about $1.500, and maintain it for another $100 per month. You won't have to deal with servers or technical wizards, or even have your own domain. If you need a 50-page "blowtorch" with all the bells and whistles, we can do that ,too. Samples of our retail sites Tracking visitors coming to your Web site There are several software programs which enable you to track hits, visits and sessions on your Web site. More important than knowing where they are coming from, tracking shows you where on your site people are going and spending the most time. You can quickly see which areas are most popular and which areas need some more work - very valuable as you fine tune your Web site to meet the needs of your targeted customer, and draw in more people just like her - or him. Internet Research One of the most important advantages of the Internet is not just that you can tell YOUR story, but that you can research what's going on with everyone else. The Web is a library of information about your customers, your industry, your products and services and trends affecting everyone, everywhere. We use it to find information, photos and artwork in minutes that would take hours or even days to come up with before the Internet was around. That savings makes our services more economical for our clients. If you don't have available time or staff to do research before you act, we can do it for you. Today, some type of Internet research is generally used to develop every marketing plan we write for our clients.