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Press Release: December 2001
Mercer Business Magazine
Article
By Ed Ramsey
Some two dozen persons turned out for the final Mercer Business Forum of 2001 in mid-November at the Greenacres Country Club in Lawrence to hear speakers Susan Guarneri, president of E-BizMagic and Michael Miller, creative director of Set Now Solutions discuss at length "web savvy business basics."
 In
his opening remarks, Miller observed that the use of web sites
on computers are showing explosive growth. He said that in
1997 e-commerce was less than $1 billion nationwide. By 2002,
the gross is predicted to exceed the $400 billion mark. He
noted that about 42 percent of U.S. households are web-enabled
and up to 40 percent of all adults use the web to shop and
pay bills.
So why do many business people and other entrepreneurs resist
the idea of creating and maintaining their own web site?
Miller cited several factors: Money fears, (it may cost too much), inability to create good content, (needs professional guidance) and confusion as to who will maintain and update the site (experts needed). And there is the problem of customer distrust. Who will buy on the web? What about credit card security? How about taxes and taxable items?
Both speakers deftly handled these and many other questions to the apparent satisfaction of the audience.
Miller shared the floor with Guarneri and told the group that is firm, Set Now Solutions, was founded in 1996. Over the past 5 years the firm has designed more than 100 web sites to handle e-commerce solutions. Miller's firm specializes in larger businesses capable of investing $2,000 and up for web site building. Guarneri's company works with smaller businesses and her fees are likely to range in the $500 to $2,000 range.
Guarneri has a second business involved in helping to place skilled employees by turning out appropriate background materials including resumes. She became interested in computer websites about two years ago.
Miller stated that June web sales were
up 71 percent over the same period last year, but because
of the September 11th tragedy, gains may have slipped somewhat
recently. But he predicted that overall, the use of the web
for shopping may thrive because many people are staying indoors,
close to familiar things and people, until a perception of
safety and stability return. He predicted an increase in e-mail
use as a result of the anthrax scare and more shopping on-line
than ever before. He speculated that many customers for Christmas
gifts will elect to buy them by computer because of luggage
restrictions in air travel resulting in an inability to take
much more than essentials on today's air liners.
Why a web site?
Miller notes that if the site is complete and is loaded with pertinent and well presented information, it can be a valuable tool for both buyer and seller. If, on the other hand, the site is amateurish, contains little information and is hard to locate, don't bother. An added advantage is present when people browse the computer during off business hours, when your offices or stores are likely to be closed. This can result in new or repeat business engendered while you slept or enjoyed a vacation out of town.
Another feature the speakers asked the audience to consider
was the proliferation of computers, therefore, web sites.
Not to be hooked up with the Internet today is tantamount
to continuing the manufacture of buggy whips in 1900 after
the introduction of the automobile. People expect to find
valuable information on the Internet today, says Guarneri,
who advises "keep it fresh, up-to-date and changed often enough
so as to not allowing it go stale."
The two speakers emphasized the importance of "educating"
customers with the material you select to go on your website.
Attractive graphics are fine, but most users want to know
in as much depth as possible as to what you can do to enhance
or grow their business, or what personal service can you provide
that will satisfy a need.
You can put up something called FAQ's on
your web site that will enable your potential customers to
ask questions about your services or products and get answers
directly from you. Answers that will be available not just
during business hours, but 24/7. Another plus is the fact
that if your potential client has explored your website rather
thoroughly, she or he will already be reasonably familiar
with what you have to offer. Now, when this person calls,
you know what she or he is interested in, and as an added
bonus, you will not have to answer a list of preliminary questions
that will have been found earlier on the computer.
Many of us still harbor underlying fears about computers
— our competence with them, the range of their functions
and especially their quirks. Computers are machines, of course,
but they are thinking machines. Sometimes they surprise us
with moves of their own that have nothing to do with our commands.
Miller and Guarneri brought to their audience a comprehensive series of definitions of computer terms designed to take some of the mystery out of these incredible machines, and to make them more user friendly. Thus we learn that a Bricks and Mortar Business is a business with a physical location that can be visited by customers in person. A Database is a computer based list that stores client information (e.g. MS Access and Oracle) A Domain Name identifies your web site by numeric address. A web site is identified as an alphanumeric string, representing a web site's numeric location. For example, mycompany.com (domain name) could have an Internet numerical address of 208.678.31 E-business means using the Internet to support a product or service. E-commerce is usually an on-line financial transaction of a product or service such as Business-to-Business (B2B), Business-to-Consumer (B2C) and Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C).
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