The movie "Field of Dreams" may have done a disservice to the Internet community by making the myth popular that "if you build it, they will come." What we have seen over the past decade is a rush to put web sites on the Internet by millions of companies just waiting for business to come knocking down the door. In most cases this has not occurred. In the late 1990's we saw a ton of e-commerce companies start up and make millionaires out of their owners. But most disappeared when the newness of the Internet wore off. Now the Internet is maturing and companies are prospering by using the Internet more effectively. They are expanding their reach to their target markets, lowering their costs, and making their businesses more visible and more profitable.

Will people visit your web site and purchase your products or services just because you have a web site? No, they won't. But, your site can help bring you customers and sales by following a few simple guidelines. These are:

1. Setting Realistic goals
2. Offering something of value
3. Effectively marketing your site to your target audience.

• Do you want to sell a product online?
  
• Inform your prospective customers about your company?
  
• Provide information regarding your product or service?
  These are just a few examples.

• Ask yourself what are your financial expectations?
• What is your primary product or service? (You can sell as many things as you want with your website, but you should highlight your main product or service. Cataluña = web site, but also includes newsletters, print, hosting, etc)
• What returns do you expect on the products and services that you sell?

• How many prospects do you need to generate for each sale?
• Each visit your site receives is a new prospect. And, each new prospect puts you closer to the one prospect that buys your product or service.

• The first is through the search engines. There are millions of web pages in existence that you are competing with for top ranking. Targeting your website is key.
  
• The next method to promoting your web site is using all of your other marketing efforts. Make sure you advertise your site on your business cards, letterhead, customer correspondence, brochures and advertisements. Everything that goes out from your company should have your web site address on it. You can easily miss an opportunity to sell your business, your service or products if you don't take this simple advice.
  
• The last method is to help your site grow through word of mouth. You want to provide great content. This gives people a reason to talk to others about you and your site. Over time, this word of mouth advertising will get people to buy from you.

© Cataluña 1999