The Truth About Doing Business Online

Are you tired of all the Internet hype? How many times in the past year has someone told you can make a quick buck online just by putting up a Web site?  Before you invest thousands of dollars in an Internet venture, here's a few sobering facts you should consider:

• 90% of all Web sites launched fail to meet projected financial and usage goals
• In 1999, only 38% of online retailers made a profit
• Last year, it is estimated that well over two billion dollars was lost on failed Internet ventures
• The average percentage of Web site "hits" that translate into real-world sales: 3%
  (Sources: Harper's Index, others available upon request)

Great Expectations
Why do so many businesses fail to accomplish their online goals?  The answer is simple: expectations.  Most businesses have unrealistic expectations of what the Internet will do for them, which in turn produces Web sites that don't meet the customer's expectations.

Many Businesses are under the mistaken impression that having a good looking Web site is all you need to have the online sales roll in.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  To succeed online, you need to reinvent the way you do business.  Putting up a Web site is only a small piece of the puzzle.  When you start an Internet venture, you're basically starting a new business!  This means putting together an online business plan, financing, research, and everything else that goes along with starting a new business.  Then there is marketing. Despite claims to the contrary, a Web site is a very poor advertising tool.  A Web site, in real world terms, is a storefront on a dead-end street.  You must actively drive people to a Web site, or it is doomed to failure.

The other reason most Web ventures fail is they don't focus on the customer.  On the Web, customers only care about two things: How is your business going to solve my problems, and how is it going to do it right now!  Customers don't care about your company's business philosophy or what your personal hobbies are.  They don't care how many square feet of space you added to your office last year, nor do they care if you have a cool Web site (the days of people aimlessly surfing the Web in search of sites with cool graphics and animation are long gone.)  Customers want you to fulfill their needs, whether it's for goods, services, or information.  And if you want to succeed online, that's exactly what your Web site must do.

Needs
So what exactly are your customer's needs? While these is no single answer to this question, here are a few suggestions:

• Tell your customers, in plain English (and other languages, for that matter), what you sell, how much it costs, and how they can buy it. Imagine going into a grocery store where the products had no labels, price tags, or check out counter. Sound far-fetched? Unfortunately, this is how many businesses operate their Web site. Vital product information, if available at all, is buried under pages of graphics, mission statements, and self-absorbed nonsense. The bottom line is if you want to succeed, make it easy for your customers to buy your product.

• Content is king.  If you want to get and keep customers online, you must provide valuable content on your Web site.  This doesn't mean throwing up a meaningless mission statement and a couple of irrelevant links.  It does mean providing value-added features to your business transactions.  What information do your clients need to know to make informed decisions?  Why do they need to buy your product at all?  Why is your product better than others available?(Prove it, too!)  What information will customers need after they've made a purchase?  What free things can you give away to build your site's reputation and encourage repeat visits? These are just some of the questions a site with excellent content answers.

• Service, the lost art form.  In order to be responsive, you must anticipate your customer's problems and provide viable online solutions to them. This can take the form of FAQ sheets, knowledge bases, and technical discussion forums. You also need to build an infrastructure to resolve problems quickly. This can be as simple as prompt replies to email and phone inquiries, or as advanced as integrating databases and providing other data-driven solutions.

• Provide a responsive web experience.  How would you feel if every time you went to the gas station you had to a) go inside and get an adapter to fit your gas tank, b) couldn't find the nozzle on the gas pump, and c) had to wait five minutes before you could start pumping gas?  It sounds ridiculous, but this is exactly what many web sites make you do.  Many sites force you to download special adapters just to use them.  Others have confusing graphical navigation systems that are cool do look at, but are quite a chore to use.  Still others sites make you wait an eternity for their excessive graphics, animation's, and Flash presentations to download.  If you want to attract and keep online customers, your site must be fast and easy to use.

The Solution
At Northern Lights Technology, our Internet solutions focus on the customer.  We'll work with you to redesign your business so you can succeed on the Internet, then we'll build you a Web presence to fulfill your needs.  We utilize the latest business, programming, and Internet technologies to produce high-quality Web sites that get results.  We also utilize advanced marketing techniques to ensure your Web site gets noticed.  So if you want to succeed where others have failed, let us solve your Internet problems today.