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249Chapter 16: Tapping the Internet’s Marketing Power

ߜ Use your site the way you’d use a toll-free phone number. In the same
way that ads and mailers traditionally sent prospects to a phone line,
e-mail and ads now send people to the information-rich environment of
your Web site.

ߜ Use the Web as an advertising vehicle by getting your site ranked in
search engines and directories and achieving links from other sites in an
effort to drive new prospects to your business. (See the section titled
“Driving Traffic to Your Site.”)

ߜ Use the Web to background and pre-sell prospects, job applicants, and
suppliers, who frequently do a Web search to find your business online
before pursuing a personal contact.

ߜ Use your site to sell your products to current and new customers, as
detailed in the sections titled “Advertising Online” and “Is E-Commerce
Right for Your Business?”

Communicating via e-mail

Few small business owners need to be convinced that e-mail is a great way —
and increasingly the preferred way — to communicate one-to-one or with many
customers at the same time. And hitting Send is free, everyone’s favorite price.

On the chance you don’t yet have e-mail capability, here’s all you need to do:

ߜ Contact an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to arrange Internet access
and set up an e-mail account. Your ISP doesn’t need to be in your local
area so long as you can access the Internet and your e-mail account
using a local number or cable connection. Comparison shop. Begin with
listings in the Yellow Pages under Internet Access Providers. Or use a
computer at your local library to sign onto an ISP locator site such as
www.ispfinder.com or www.thelist.com.

ߜ Establish your e-mail address, preferably as part of your own domain
name (see “Establishing Your Online Identity” later in this chapter). The
Internet is a giant equalizer that allows small businesses to establish cred-
ibility by looking larger than they actually are, yet too many small busi-
nesses use e-mail addresses that give away the potential online advantage.
Think about it: Which looks like a major company, yourname@hotmail.
com or yourname@yourbusiinessname.com?

ߜ Establish a routine for checking and responding to e-mail. People
expect rapid e-mail response and will judge your customer service
accordingly. For advice on writing e-mail and managing your company’s
e-mail impressions, see the “Online encounters” section in Chapter 6.