FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT MARKETING ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB Because the World Wide Web represents a new form of media, it may be helpful to read through these questions and answers prior to laying plans for a web page. 1. What is a web page? 2. How big should a web page be? 3. How does a web page work? 4. Who will see my web page on the Internet? 5. How will someone find me on the World Wide Web? 6. How will people who are not at their computers learn about my web page? 7. What advantages does a web page have over traditional print media with regard to the standard public relations and marketing functions for my product or service? 8. What about all the new technology that's supposed to be available on the web? Shouldn't I include sound and video clips in my web page? 9. My business forces me to lead a "frequent flyer" lifestyle. What good is a web page for someone in my situation? 10. If the software is available to the public, why shouldn't I create my own web page? 11. Why do some web pages take longer to load than others? 12. What technical problems could hamper the effectiveness of my web page? 13. How much will a web page cost me? 14. Why do some web pages cost more than others? 15. What does my media dollar really buy? 16. How soon will I see results? 17. How can I get web browsers to develop an "ongoing relationship" with my business through the use of my web page? 18. I'm a full-time employee who does odd jobs on the side. How can a web page help me? 19. What if I want more Internet visibility than I have with just my own web page? 20. Is there a way to purchase advertising space on other web sites that will draw customers to my page? 21. What kinds of time limitations are involved? 22. Does World Wide Web Marketing Alternatives offer space on their advertising banners? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. What is a web page? A web page is like an interactive electronic billboard that people can access from their computers. It allows the owner of the web page to disseminate information and promote his marketing message internationally, 24-hours a day, 365 days a year, to people who view his web page on their computers. 2. How big should a web page be? You should anticipate that three "screen loads" will equal one web page. If you make a web page too long, you can lose your audience. You can, however, use HTML links to let your web page reader "jump" to a subpage. 3. How does a web page work? When someone accesses a web page from his computer, a signal is sent to another computer which may be tens, hundreds or thousands of miles away to upload a file. The contents of that file (in HTML format) are then transmitted to and become visible on the user's computer screen. 4. Who will see my web page on the Internet? Anyone with a computer who knows the address of your web page or who, by using one of the web's "search engines," is directed to your web page. 5. How will someone find me on the World Wide Web? Most web browsers have powerful search engines which allow a user to perform a text search for a key word like "chocolate" or a term like "Golden Gate Bridge." 6. How will people who are not at their computers learn about my web page? The best way for people to learn about your web page is for you to publicize your presence on the World Wide Web. This can be done in a wide variety of ways. You can put your web page address on your letterhead, on your business cards, in display ads that you run in traditional print media, and in any other promotional materials you disseminate. Your business might also consider sending out a press release announcing that you have a web page. In addition, anyone whose web browsing lands them on the home page for World Wide Web Marketing Alternatives will be able to click on an HTML link which takes them to your web page. If you wish to be visible at the top of WWWMA's home page, you can purchase advertising space on a "banner" which sits at the top of our home page. 7. What advantages does a web page have over traditional print media with regard to the standard public relations and marketing functions for my product or service? A web page is an interactive device. A web page does not utilize paper, ink or postage (all of which keep rising in cost). A web page doesn't end up in the garbage. A web page is not limited by traditional parameters of column space or time-sensitive deadlines. A web page can be revised at minimal cost. A web page's contents can evolve over a period of time. A web page is accessible around the clock and around the world. A web page can be used for research purposes. A web page doesn't compete for space -- you reach a captive audience seated in front of a computer monitor. A web page reaches a target audience that wants to read your message. 8. What about all the new technology that's supposed to be available on the web? Shouldn't I include sound and video clips in my web page? Not necessarily. You don't want to overwhelm your audience. Nor do you want to have them cooling their heels while large files are loading. You must think of yourself as an information provider who will deliver clear and concise information in the computer screen's equivalent of "sound bites." 9. My business forces me to lead a "frequent flyer" lifestyle. What good is a web page for someone in my situation? A web page can keep your presence active on the Internet no matter where you are. People can read your material and send you e-mail from anywhere in the world, at any hour of day or night. It doesn't matter whether you are in your office, in a hotel room, sitting on a plane at 30,000 feet above sea level, or sound asleep. The web page is "working for you" at the moment anyone accesses it from their computer. 10. If the software is available to the public, why shouldn't I create my own web page? The only thing stopping you from creating your own web page is the amount of time you have available to do so and your current level of programming skills. But do you really want to reinvent the wheel? Or would you be better off leaving the work to skilled professionals who are fluent in HTML programming language? Look at it this way: You could probably spend a lot of valuable professional time ironing your own shirts. But do you? 11. Why do some web pages take longer to load than others? Pages which contain large graphics files will take longer to load than others. And if a web page is located on an extremely busy URL site, the traffic at that site can slow things down considerably. 12. What technical problems could hamper the effectiveness of my web page? There could be a lot of traffic at the URL site where your web page is stored. And not every user has a super-duper multimedia rig sitting on his desk. Someone attempting to access your web page might have a 2,400 or 9,600-baud modem instead of a high-speed 28,800-baud modem. A user might have a computer with limited graphics and/or sound capabilities. 13. How much will a web page cost me? That depends on how much programming work is required and how much electronic storage space your data requires. The more graphics you include in your web page, the more expensive the programming costs will be. 14. Why do some web pages cost more than others? Some web pages are heavy in graphics. Others are actually a series of "sub pages" that are all connected by electronic links. The more complex the construction of a web page (the more electronic links that must be programmed into the page), the more expensive it will probably be. 15. What does my media dollar really buy? Your media dollar buys a presence in Cyberspace which allows your information to be accessed on a 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year basis. The audience you reach is a captive audience that is interacting with your information while watching it appear on a computer screen. These people have above average levels of education, greater amounts of disposable income and are giving you their undivided attention when they access your web page. 16. How soon will I see results? Don't expect a landslide. The results you get are totally dependent on how easy you make it for people to find your web page and how intensely you promote your presence on the web. To get the best possible results, you want to build a continuing relationship with users which causes them to come back to your web page on a regular basis to discover "what's new." 17. How can I get web browsers to develop an "ongoing relationship" with my business through the use of my web page? Find ways to keep people coming back to your web page. Make periodic changes in your page. Let people know what's new about your company. Run contests where you offer prizes to people who submit the best entry. Encourage people to send you their opinions about your product or communicate with you via e-mail. Then use the e-mail addresses to build a database of people who have shown an interest in your product. These can be used for broadcast e-mail messages the same way you would send out a press release. 18. I'm a full-time employee who does odd jobs on the side. How can a web page help me? Don't just think of a web page as the electronic equivalent of a vanity license plate. In today's economic climate, there is no such thing as job security. A resume printed on paper can get buried in a file drawer forever. However, publishing information about yourself on a web page offers an extremely discreet method of "floating" your resume to interested parties. Today, many people have more than one source of income. The "odd jobs" that you do probably involve something that you're quite passionate about. It doesn't matter whether your hobbies (or supplementary sources of income) involve photography, writing, crafts, catering, gardening, performing or decorating. These activities have enough value for you to want to keep doing them. One of the most cost-effective methods of publicizing your talent is to promote your services on a web page. 19. What if I want more Internet visibility than I have with just my own web page? You can create several web pages (perhaps for different products or services that are offered by one company) and have them linked together with HTML navigational buttons. 20. Is there a way to purchase advertising space on other web sites that will draw customers to my page? Many web pages now contain advertising "banners" at the top of the page. These banners allow you to purchase advertising space which features an icon with a graphics image. Clicking on the icon activates an HTML link which takes the web browser to your web page. 21. What kinds of time limitations are involved? If you plan to purchase advertising space on a banner, you should expect a minimum commitment of six months. 22. Does World Wide Web Marketing Alternatives offer space on their advertising banners? Indeed we do. To inquire about placement, prices, terms and conditions, contact World Wide Web Marketing Alternatives. ================================================================== This copyrighted material has been provided for the students of Compuserve's MBA Forum through the generosity of World Wide Web Marketing Alternatives, whose web site can be found at http://www.wwma.co