Questions About The Web, Web Site Construction and What You’ll Gain by Using the Services of PTI
Why Should I go online?
If your company or organization elected to go online, you certainly wouldn’t be alone. As of July 1996, 100 business are being added to the web every day.* And at last report, the World Wide Web is doubling in size every 45 days!*
PTI, however, doesn’t view the internet as a “bandwagon.” We prefer to view the Web as a vehicle to promote with information as the primary focus. The boundries for what you want to say are limitless. And the chances you’d be reaching a target market are greatly increased.
Whether your aim is to conduct commerce online or not, a study by NetSmart, New York supports the conclusion that information is the best weapon. The survey of internet users found that as of July 1996, 84% responded that they use the Internet to make better purchasing decisions In addition, 37% had already made purchases on-line.*
*(Figures courtesy of the Board Report Newsletter, a newsletter reporting on trends in graphic design and presentation.)
Can I make money on the web?
According to an article entitled “Making Money on the Net” in the September 23, 1996 edition of Business Week magazine, the companies making money on the web now or those that are expected to within the next 3-12, months haven’t invented unique types of businesses, they’re just selling products, selling advertising and selling information.
The business of conducting business on the web has only been around for about two years. The majority of the approximately 250,000 commercial web sites operating now have less than a year’s experience.
The article said the best selling Web goods are items that consumers “don’t need to sample before buying.” These include music CD’s, airline tickets and books.
This is not to say that we are discouraging companies that don’t have a product that the buying public is not entirely familiar with to go online with commerce. On the contrary, the web may be the perfect place to reach your demographic. But we do encourage companies considering online commerce to put emphasis on the content of their site first.
Image and awareness campaigns have traditionally been a strong marketing strategy. A simple form on a screen inviting people to buy your product is simply not an option.
As with all our clients, no matter what their business or organization is built upon, we stress the idea that information presented in a manner interesting to both the eye and the intellect, will keep browsers returning to your site.
What Advantages Do Web Sites Hold Over Other Media?
Murray and Neil Raphel said in their book “Up The Loyalty Ladder” that it takes five contacts with a (potential) client before he will respond.
Think of it another way; it takes five newspaper or magazines advertisements, five radio ads, five television ads, five direct mail campaigns, five telephone follow-up sessions before your name is recognized. And currently, a full-page black and white ad in Newsweek costs more than $92,000. The lifespan of a newspaper is a day in most households. The lifespan of the page with your ad on it = ? The length of your television or radio commercial, 30 to 60 seconds?
A Web site never closes! Your information is always there to be examined. You can supplement your printed material, intended to provoke an immediate reaction, with functional internet material that lasts and strengthens the relationship you have with current or potential clients. Material can be updated on a whim, continually adjusted and built up.
One study* claims that when buyers respond to an ad to obtain literature, “51% of them said they consult their literature files once a month or more requently, 25% said they do so every three months; 15% said every six months; and the rest indicated longer periods. This not only proves the worth of getting sales literature into the right hands, but also shows the value in keeping the information current.”
Imagine if people interested in your services could consult your information even more frequently and check back for even more current information?
Why should I pay extra money to have a domain name?
A domain name, an internet address used to post the contents of your web site, gives you an easily identifiable label.
It is easy to find information about pickles by typing in the following (hypothetical) address - http://www.pickles.com. Now should a domain name not be used for pickles, a “subaddress” must be assigned to it by the server it is being placed on.
So if a pickles site was to be placed on our server, the address might look something like http://www.plexsystech.com/pickles/. And that’s a generous subaddress. Many servers assign a name with several slashes to it. Example: http://www.plexsystech.com/index/~njpages/mall/pickles.
Another clear advantage of a domain name is that should your content ever have to be moved to another server, its address will remain the same. Without a domain name, the address is subject to constant change, making it harder for an audience to find a particular site.
A domain name will cost a little more than not having one. First a domain name search must be carried out. An application must be submitted to Internic, an agency in Northern Virginia, that handles assignment of domain names. The application and paperwork, handled through PTI, costs about $150 for two years. Internic assesses a fee of $50 every year after initial fee to maintain the domain name.
What Happens to My Web Site Once It’s Online?
Once your content is put online, PTI maintains your Web site. We monitor the site for any problems browsers may be experiencing downloading text, graphics or files. We continue to update the site’s content with your suggestions through maintenance schedules. PTI may also bounce a few ideas off of you (with your permission) to consider. PTI will market your site. We put out word of your site in newsgroups that fit your demographic so that people interested in your organization, product or services can stop by.
And should you be short on time or ideas...don't worry! PTI is also quite capable of creating original content or editing your ideas consistently.
Why Should I Choose PTI?
Unlike a large company or agency, PTI is in a position to act on your requests almost immediately. The fact is, many large advertising and public relations agency are farming out the technical portions of their work to companies like PTI already.
We don’t mean to be brash, but we consider ourselves talented and determined. We deliver a product combining content that is rich in quality surrounded by technical proficiency.
PTI listens to our clients and works with them to find a combination suitable to their needs. If you’re a startup company, your budget is not through the roof; PTI will create a site that may not have all the bells and whistles, but will have the essentials of good content and crisp detail. If your organization is larger, we have the ability to answer all of your technical needs, handle the high traffic your site may encounter, and supplement the information arm of your structure.
We’re patient. Unlike many computer-based organizations that throw technical jargon around like Nolan Ryan fastballs, its not our concern to impress you with terms. If you don’t understand something, feel free to stop right there and ask a question. There’s no such thing as a stupid question or an annoying complaint.
To paraphrase one of our clients: When people complain, you should consider it a compliment. It means they care enough to complain. It is when they stop complaining that you have a problem.
Feel free to contact us. You may call us the old-fashioned way at (732) 295-6605 or click here to reach the Contact PTI portion of our web site. Let us know if you have any questions about creating a Web site or on the Internet in general. We would be happy to answer and questions you have and we look forward to speaking with you.
If you’d like to read more in our informative Internet FAQ’s section, click here to discover The Web: Statsistics And trends to Keep in Mind. The section discusses much of the current state of the web. You can also inspect the section entitled A Few Terms to Familiarize Yourself With if you're still getting used to the web, or if you’d like to just brush up on Internet Terminology.