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Web
Designing |
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Why
Do I Need A Website |
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There
are lots of reasons why you should at least consider having
a website, and a few of them are set out below to spark
ideas for you. Mostly they provide a more cost-effective
way of communicating, and widen your horizons to a global
community.
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To
use email |
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To generate awareness |
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To do business
online |
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To improve communication |
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To receive information |
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To improve competitive
advantage |
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To
Use Email |
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Most
people get connected to be able to send and receive Email.
With email you can send an electronic note or letter to
someone at 9.00 am and get a reply by 9.30 the same day.
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Sending
an email takes only seconds. |
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You
can send the same email letter to say, 100 customers, for
less than the cost of one ordinary letter, and if you send
it at after 6 p.m. or at weekends, that one letter will
cost no more than 5p (with BT). Daytime rates for email
are the same as a minimum rate local phone call, but you
can send to hundreds of addresses for the same cost as the
one. |
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The
cost is no different if you want to send an email to Australia,
America, Amsterdam or Accrington. It costs next to nothing.
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Not
only that, but you can send software programmes, sound files,
photographs and even video files with the email at the same
speed. |
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To
Generate Awareness |
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The
next most important reason is probably that a website of
your own will promote your organisation 24 hours every day,
seven days each week, and to the whole world. |
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Nothing
else offers this flexibility. |
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If
your business relies on the acquisition or distribution
of information, you can't afford not to be online. |
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Your customers can have a current parts list or delivery
schedule or price list for your goods or services at any
time, just by looking up the relevant page on your website.
Just imagine, one price list alteration and the whole world
can see it, instantly. No reprinting and distribution of
expensive catalogues. |
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To
Do Business Online |
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Direct
sales over the web are also possible via credit card purchases.
Alternatively, one of your website pages can be structured
as an order form for the customer to print out at home and
send back with a cheque or their credit card number added. |
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Although
it is possible to establish real-time sales via credit card
purchases, we believe -- at present -- that it is better
for small and medium sized businesses to take orders over
the web, with payment received by phone, fax or mail. In
the UK people are still nervous about the web and credit
cards. That will change in time, and if you plan selling
on line, you need to see our E-commerce section for details.
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The
sort of things that sell well over the Internet are (obviously)
computer related products, together with information such
as books and music. |
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Other
markets are in development stages, with groceries, wine
and flowers by mail order being amongst the first to show.
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In
the service sector, travel agents, insurance, financial
advice, solicitors, consultants, engineers, travel and holiday
agencies, recruitment and training, and brokerage and agency
work of all kinds, are the front runners. |
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To
Improve Communication |
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Some
of the larger businesses use a website to keep employees
such as sales representatives around the country, or even
around the world in touch with head office. |
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As
teleworking grows, this is likely to become increasingly
important. |
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To
Receive Information |
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You
might also want to get connected so that you can receive
information from the Internet. |
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Using
a Web browser programme, finding new suppliers, comparing
prices, and getting product specifications are all quite
easy. |
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You
can even plan your train journeys from an interactive Railtrack
website that asks you to type where you are gong from and
to, and what time you want to leave or arrive. |
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It
then provides a list of train times and connections for
the journey that you can print and take with you. |
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It
is as up to date as to-day. |
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To
Improve Competitive Advantage |
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One
of the reasons that small businesses go online is that a
well designed website for even a one man business can have
just the same presence on the web as a multi-national corporation.
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Communication,
marketing and printing costs are lower too, as is the cost
of using full colour. |
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Larger
businesses see it as a way to reinforce not only their brand
(which is becoming increasingly important), but also as
a way to reinforce an image of leadership and potential.
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All
businesses see it as the key to keeping ahead of the competition.
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There
are other reasons, too numerous to go into here. Don't think
the web is not for you, it is the future. |
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It
will change society, it will change our entertainment, and
the way we do business. |
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It
will also reshape our town centres as financial organisations,
brokers, agencies and other businesses first merge, then
abandon their overhead-laden town centre shops, and opt
for access to a bigger market with lower overheads direct
and live on-line. |
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As
someone said of the web, "There's no point in ignoring
it, it's as inevitable as the telephone".
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