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If you want to have visitors buy goods from you over the Internet, your Web site will need to have some sophisticated features for protecting credit card information, processing orders, etc. Many people still do not feel comfortable giving their credit card information over the Internet. However, visitors are more inclined to use their credit cards if they know your site uses an ISP with "SSL-Secure Server" capabilities for encrypting sensitive information. As an alternative to credit cards, you initially may want to provide an order blank that your customers can print out, complete and mail in with a check. Be sure to include your firm's phone number and/or physical address on Web pages and order blanks.
Electronic "shopping carts" also are becoming a popular on-line selling feature. As visitors surf through your various pages, they can simply click on desired purchases and put them into these carts. When they "check out," your Web site must be able to generate the purchase total and applicable taxes and shipping charges. Most sites with shopping cart capability also provide some form of on-screen order confirmation and payment procedures.
Finally, you must determine how you want information sent to you. The method you choose most likely will require some common gateway interface (CGI) programming, which is complex but will set you apart from the amateurs.
8. Publicize Your Site.
You won't receive your desired level of traffic by simply creating and publishing a Web site. As in opening a new store or introducing a new line, you have to advertise your new Web location. When you're satisfied with your site, register it with the most popular Internet search engines, and include your Web address on all your printed advertising materials. Also, to help move your site to the top of search engine listings, make sure its HTML coding contains lots of "hidden" stuff, such as meta tags, key words and site descriptions that the search engines are likely to capture.
9. Update and Maintain Your Site.
You cannot ignore the continual maintenance of your site. It's important to conduct spelling and grammar checks, verification of links and authentication of your source code on every page - before and after publishing. Also, remember that visitors will return to a good thing, and so new, meaningful and relevant content is a necessity to keep them coming. In checking your site's hit statistics, watch out for "Code 404s," which indicate you may have some malfunctions to correct.
10. Allow Room to Grow.
Your Web site should be easy to upgrade so that your company can keep pace with emerging technologies such as audio and video streaming, CGI scripts and powerful e-commerce functions such as shopping carts, merchant connections and electronic catalogs. Your designer needs to know how, when and where to deploy these add-ons to enhance your site's productivity. Always think ahead, and decide how you will handle: changes to your products and prices; the addition of pages to increase the value of your site; updates to obsolete pages, images and links; and improvement of the look of your pages. It's a good idea to keep your Web designer on a retainer to maintain your present pages or add new pages so that you or your people need not become experts on writing source code.
In closing, to derive a successful outcome of your Web site, you must contemplate your sought-after end results long before you jump in with an open wallet. Until next time, remember that no one achieves success without being of service. Leadership is action, not position.
Gene Levine has authored almost 70 papers and 12 management supervisory training manuals. Since 1965 his consultancy, well-known seminars and pertinent literature have assisted sewn products organizations in realizing their motivation, production, training, engineering, communication and incentive system opportunities. Contact Levine with your questions for "The Industry Advisor" at tel.: 561-637-8139, by e-mail at GeneLevine@AOL.COM, via his Web site at http://www.genelevine.com, or fax or e-mail them to Lisa Rabon, editor in chief, at fax: 803-799-1461, e-mail: Irabon@mfi.com.
Editor's Note: For a more comprehensive overview of the Web site development guidance offered through Gene Levine Associates' AwardWebs[C] division, visit http://www.awardwebs.com.
COPYRIGHT 1999 Miller Freeman, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group
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