The entrepreneur's no-hype, no-nonsense guide to extending the reach
of your business!
- For companies and people on a limited budget: how to do the most with the
least!
- Contains CD-ROM with tutorials, Web resource directories, and 25+ FREE
tools for building a profitable e-Business.
Finally, there's a
hype-free, business-focused guide to Web strategy for
every entrepreneur.
Tom Bergman and Stephan Garrison present intelligent, implementable strategies
for extending business' reach, at minimal costs. From start to finish, the focus
is on realism -- and on
profit. Drawing upon the experiences of real
companies, Bergman and Garrison demonstrate how to formulate strategies using
existing assets. Coverage includes every aspect of Web strategy, including
choosing a Web host, creating content, evaluating Web designs, securing your
site, handling transactions, and much more. The book also includes detailed
coverage of marketing, organized around the four dimensions that drive any
business:
price, place, product and
promotion. The authors also
provide an easy-to-understand glossary of key Web terms. An accompanying CD-ROM
contains three key resources for the Web entrepreneur: an up-to-date directory
or Web resources containing site descriptions and hyperlinks; tutorials that
provide specific, detailed instructions for many of the tasks discussed in the
book, and more than 25 free tools for building Web-based businesses.
Tom Bergman currently teaches entrepreneurship and business use of
technology at the University of Oklahoma; he holds a Ph.D. from the same
university. Bergman previously worked for Arthur Andersen & Co., and is
author of The Business Student Writer's Manual and Guide to the Internet
(Prentice Hall). Stephen Garrison, Professor at the University of Central
Oklahoma, has written eight college textbooks. He holds a Ph.D. from the
University of South Carolina.
Table of Contents
CD-Rom
Contents.
Preface.
Introduction.
I. GETTING STARTED IN E-BUSINESS.
1. Responsible Email Targeting.
Opt-In or Opt-Out? Why Not Spam? Email List
Development. Buying Lists. Renting Lists. Building Lists.
2. Powerful Promotions Through Email.
Direct Email Marketing. Similarities.
Differences. Email Promos. Email Newsletters. Timing. Piggyback Email Marketing.
Viral Marketing.
3. Improved Operations through Increased Email Use.
Making the Most of Email in Your Business.
Personal Email Systems. LAN-Based Email Systems. PC-Based Personal Email
Systems. ASP-Based Email Systems. Choosing the Right Personal Email System.
Mailing Lists. Alternative Mailing List Tools. What Can You Do with a Mailing
List? Choose the Mailing List Tool that Best Fits Your Strategy. Privacy in
Business Email.
4. The Role of the Web in Your Business Information System.
Choosing the Right Kind of Network. Intranet.
Extranet. Virtual Private Networks. Improving Operations. High-Touch Web-Based
Customer Service Through High Tech. Think Warmer! Order Tracking: Let Customers
Save You Money by Doing It Themselves! Customer Help: Just Answer the
Question!!!
5. Using a Brochure Web Site to Tell Your Story as it Evolves.
About Us. Contact Us. Industry Overview. Product
Pages: The Unique Selling Proposition. Entry or Home Page. Making a Good First
Impression. What Not to Do. Telling Visitors Whose Site They are Visiting.
Providing Easy Access to Interior Pages in the Web Site.
6. Web-Based Electronic Commerce.
Security First. Hacker Attacks on Your PC.
Hacker Attacks on Your Web Site. Damage or Loss of Business Data. Catalog Web
Site: Is Online Ordering Right for Your Business? Do Your Customers Want to
Order Online? Will Your Business System Support Online Sales? Subscription Web
Site: Will Customers Pay You for Access? Download Web Site: If You Can Download
it, Do it! Application Service Provider (ASP) Web Site.
II. IMPLEMENTATION FIRST STEPS: FAST, EASY, INEXPENSIVE, AND SAFE.
7. First Principles for Getting Started Using the Internet in Your Small
Business.
The Project Must be Fast. The Project Must be
Easy. The Project Must be Inexpensive. The Project Must be Safe. Lawyer Time!
8. Mailing List Marketing: Choose the Right Tool and Develop a List.
Three Choices in Mailing List Tools: How They
Work. PC-Based Mailing Lists. Free Mailing Lists. Fee-Based ASP Mailing Lists.
Acquire Email Lists. Rent a List. Build a Prospect List: Think Incrementally.
9. Mailing List Policies and Procedures: Getting it Right.
Overview Of Procedures. Determine the purpose
and goals of your mailing list application. Manage your email lists. Subscribe
New Members to Your Discussion Group or Newsletter. Unsubscribe Members who Wish
to Leave Your Discussion Group or Stop Receiving Your Newsletter. Honor Remove
Requests. Delete Bounced Messages. Manage the messages you send. Determine an
Appropriate Frequency for Sending Email. Design the Message. Send Messages.
Archive Messages. Manage responses. Handling Email Responses. Moderate
Discussion Postings. Assess Mailing List Performance.
10. Developing a Web Infrastructure.
Get Connected to an ISP. Acquire a Domain Name
of Your Own. Rent Host Space. Host Space. Data Transfer Allowance. Microsoft
FrontPage and FTP Support. Web Site Statistics. Email Services from Your Host
Service Provider. Choose an E-commerce Service Provider. Shopping Cart Systems.
Secure Web Hosting. Online Payment Processing.
11. Build Your Web Development Toolkit.
HTML. MS FrontPage. WSFTP. Graphics Tools.
12. Web Design Principles and Procedures.
Decide What Exactly You Want from Your Web Site.
Decide on a Structure for Your Site and Develop a Rough Site Plan. Decide What
Interactive Elements You Need. Decide What Graphics You Want to Include. Write
the Text for Each Page in Your Site. Determine Your Budget and Timeframe for the
Project. Establish Your Web Infrastructure. Collect Your Toolkit. Discuss Your
Site Plan with at Least Three Developer Candidates and Obtain Written Proposals.
“What is the smallest job you have done in the past year?” “Who does the work:
you or a staff member, and is your staff member an employee or a
sub-contractor?” “What development tools do you use?” “When could you start and
finish my job?” “What questions do you have for me?” Evaluate the Developer
Proposals and Select Your Developer. Monitor the Development Progress. Establish
Procedures for Ongoing Site Maintenance.
13. Constructing the Elements of a Web Site.
Template Pages. Page Headers. Page Footers.
Menubars. Don't Get Cute: Use Words Rather than Icons. Make the Menubar Small
and Put it Where it Goes. Put The Whole Menubar on Every Page in the Web Site.
Repeat the Menubar at the Bottom of All Pages that Require the Visitor to Scroll
down to Get to the End. Make Sure Your Menubar Takes Visitors to the Action Page
with a Single Click. Site Map. Interactive Forms. Content Mailers. Discussion
Forums. Newsletter/Discussion Group Subscriptions. Order Forms and Shopping
Carts. Search Components. Appointment Scheduling. Connections to Other Services.
14. Supporting and Refining Your Web Site.
Managing Graphics For Maximum Impact. Reuse and
Resize Images. Use the Right Image Format and Optimize. Animated GIFs. Flash
Animations. Using Enhancements to Promote Stickiness. Chat Rooms. Message
Boards. News Feeds. Counters. DHTML and CSS. Streaming Audio and Video.
Developing and Maintaining Content. List the Kind of Content You will Provide.
Determine Who will Develop the Content. Consider How You will Maintain Control
over Quality. Consider How Often and to What Extent Content will Need to be
Updated. Estimate the Host Space You will Need to House the Content. Determine
the Various Levels of Access to Content you Wish to Provide. Determine the
Extent of Your Distribution Plan. Developing an E-Commerce Back-end.
15. Generating Traffic.
Helping Prospects Find You. Choosing an
Appropriate Domain Name. Choosing an Appropriate Host Service. Managing
Search-Engine Positioning. DirectHit. Pay-per-Click Services. Reciprocal Links.
Special-Interest Directory Listings. Driving Prospects to Your Site. Banner Ad
Systems. Email Promos and Newsletters. Conventional Advertising. Affiliate
Systems. Integrated Marketing System.
III. MAKING SURE IT WORKS: PLANNING, TUNING, AND BUDGETING.
16. Internet Marketing Basics.
Personal Service Businesses. Big-Decision
Businesses. Shopping Destinations.
17. Developing an Email Marketing Plan and Budget.
18. Developing a
Web Marketing.
Plan and Budget. Keeping Tabs on Traffic.
Budgeting.
Index.