The most important step in the process of developing a website is to define why you think the site would be beneficial for your company.

Websites, just as other forms of advertising and promotion, have limitations. At the same time, there are many advantages not always offered by other more costly media:

1. Your message can be seen by prospects you are not presently contacting, or are unknown to you at this time. New uses for your products or capabilities may be discovered.

2. Sales can be economically developed beyond your present marketing area. Information is available 24-hours a day, every day of the year.

3. Communication of product and service information is enhanced. The use of color photos adds nothing to the cost of the site. Prospects can print just those pages of interest, and not have to wait for the mail or for faxed materials.

4. Information posted is simple to be kept current with new product announcements, changes in specifications, updated pricing, technical servicing data, and more, easily added to your website. Unlike expensive printed brochures and catalogs, which can go out-of-date, website pages may be selectively changed to keep the information fresh and accurate.

5. Employment opportunities can be included.

6. Password protected areas may be set up for internal price lists or other confidential information available only to employees, dealers, etc.

7. Product servicing and support information can be posted, reducing technical support staff and time required to answer common questions.

8. Information request forms can be included to develop more complete information about the prospect and their needs. They are transmitted to you instantly for fast, knowledgeable response by your sales people.

9. Corporate image enhancement is also a valid reason for a website. Prospects act on their beliefs. If they believe that your firm is a strong, capable organization that they can trust, you are more than half-way to a sale.

10. Investor information is often included along with a general company profile.

11. Order-taking forms and payment methods can be included to make shopping over the web a painless way to purchase.

12. The web is the fastest way for prospects to get information on your company. Faxed or mailed materials are often received after a prospect has reached a decision.

SET REASONABLE GOALS

Just as with every other form of selling, whether it's a catalog, sales brochure, trade show or a salesman's call, reasonable goals must be defined...costs and benefits weighed. This will help determine the complexity and size of the site. Some companies can present their information with a dozen or so pages, others may require hundreds of pages.

The cost to produce and maintain a website is often less than the cost to design and print the same amount of information in a colorful catalog or sales brochure.