Questions about the Internet

THE INTERNET ADDS TREMENDOUS MARKETING POWER to small businesses. Small companies have found that they can do business with a national or international clientele at a low price.

1. What is the Internet?
The Internet is a world-wide network of tens of thousands of large computers, all connected to each other. Individuals and businesses get on the Internet by obtaining an Internet account through a local Internet Service Provider, offering access to e-mail (electronic mail) and the World Wide Web (an information access system). The "Web" allows potential customers to "visit" a business's storefront to the world, and view the company's on-line color brochure stored in "pages" or files which can be viewed in both text and pictures.

2. Does my computer need to be on all the time?
No. You place your business's Web pages in your host computer's storage banks. The host computer needs to run 24 hours a day, not yours. There is no danger of hackers getting into your business computer.

3. Who pays for the long distance calls?
Your only telephone charge is the cost of a local call to your Internet Service Provider. Messages then are relayed to other large host computers via leased, high-speed phone lines and satellite systems. Their phone costs come out of your flat monthly Internet Service Provider fee.

4. How do businesses use the Internet?
This form of advertising is used to build a company's image, provide customer support, make available technical and troubleshooting information, develop a prospect list, conduct customer surveys, offer products, and take orders.

5. What kinds of businesses benefit from the Internet?
Businesses with only a local market area don't benefit too much yet, though this is beginning to change. Regional and national businesses stand to gain the most, since millions of people on the Internet now become potential customers. Mail order companies and import/export firms have special potential.

6. How do Web pages work?
The World Wide Web provides you with a way to introduce your business to the world in a series of "pages" connected by "links." When customers see something that interests them, say a catalog of your product line, they "click" their computer mouse on the "link," the blue highlighted words "Acme Climate Control Product Line," and immediately they can view products in your on-line catalog. An organization might have several "pages," all linked to their main menu page or "home page." These pages typically include information about the company and its history, products or services, technical support information, and an order or feedback form. Potential customers can view as little or as much as interests them, and business owners can update prices and products at any time.

7. How do people find my business on the Internet?
A dozen or so indexing systems are available on the Web called "search engines," known by strange names such as Yahoo, Lycos, HotBot, AltaVista, and Web Crawler. With the help of a Web page designer, you register your company's pages with these indexes. Then, when someone searches for key words such as "electronics," "air conditioning," or "thermostat" they find Acme Climate Control listed with similar firms. They "click" on your company's name and immediately begin to view your Web pages. You can also send an e-mail press release to services which track "what's new" on the Internet, and make people aware of your company's Web site by means of Internet mailing lists and news groups.

8. How do people pay for goods or services? Customers can order products directly typing their credit card number into an on-line form. However, they may be reluctant to do so unless the store owner offers what is known as a "SSL secure server" so that credit information can't be intercepted by hackers. In 1997, Web commerce will take a leap forward when consumers are offered the security of special encrypted IDs and credit card numbers. Of course, businesses can still offer to take orders via fax, phone, or what Internet users call "snail mail."

9. How does a business get started on the Internet?
You can obtain access to the Internet through a local Internet Service Provider for about $20 per month. If you want to have your business Web pages "hosted" on the Internet, expect to pay another $30 or more per month. Also contact a professional Web page designer to help you prepare Web pages which will display your goods and services to the world. Expect to pay between $300 and $1500, depending on the complexity of your pages.

Thousands of new people are gaining access to the Internet each week, and businesses are constantly opening new Web sites to market products and services to them. For the right type of business, the Internet opens up a vast market at a price unheard of even a few years ago.