TechPoint Newsletter - June 2007
In this issue ...
• Choice and ROI
• Want less spam? Find out how
• Web project focus: Tundra Motorsports
• Getting it right online
• Getting started on the right foot
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Choice and ROI
by / Joe Perraton
Last issue I talked about seven keys for a successful business website and although I only touched on each key, the article definitely struck a nerve with readers. The facts are clear: the Internet is a highly-effective, low-cost and easy to track business tool for any company. There is now a second wave of sales and marketing people who are buying into this reality and all asking the same question, “Where does a business start investing in their company website and why?”
There are two main obstacles facing most businesses when it comes to figuring out how to tap into the benefits of the Internet:
- Where should the business invest in Internet technology for the best Return On Investment (ROI)? Do you focus on making money by using the technology to increase sales or do you focus on saving money and time by using Internet technology to reduce the cost of existing business processes? Or is it a bit of both?
- How do you decide the best way to develop your business website? The nature of Internet technology means there are a million different companies with a million different solutions to the same problem. The question is, “Who has the best mouse trap or at least one that closely fits your business and financial goals?”
Where to invest
According to a recent Wells Fargo / Gallup Small Business Index, two-thirds of small business owners use the Internet several times a week for business purposes, and 75 percent regularly gather information as well as business and industry advice online. The report also found businesses use their websites for a variety of reasons ranging from advertising to payment transactions, the top three being advertising, soliciting customer feedback and queries and communicating with customers and suppliers. Sounds like a good road map for success online.
Having a website is like opening a new branch office of your business, therefore, the customer experience should drive the design and services offered. If you sell new or used products your clients will expect to be able to browse your inventory online. If you have detailed specifications or support documentation for your products/services your clients will expect to be able to access them online. If time to market is a competitive advantage for you then invest in online services that help improve your time to market. If communication with your sales network is critical then investing in a “dealers only” area may make good sense.
I recommend a staged approach to investing in your website, driven by customer needs. The very minimum your clients and prospective clients are going to expect from your website is a professional site that is easy to navigate and constantly updated with new information on your products/services. Every service and step should help to solve a particular problem or opportunity for your business and should result in a positive ROI.
How to invest
The majority of the time we see sales and marketing people and/or business owners making the decisions about the direction of the company website. From a business point of view there is no one better to decide. That said, the vast majority of the time these people are ill-equipped to make complex technological decisions in an environment that is constantly changing. Even for companies like ours that have been in the Internet business for over ten years, it takes discipline and a huge commitment to keep up with the latest trends and developments. The best advice I can give business managers looking to invest in their websites is to stay focused on the business goals and to take a staged approach to each part of their online development.
Both changes in technology and customer demand for interactive services have resulted in the end of the do-it-yourself era of web development. We are now at the second stage of web development commonly called Web 2.0, which basically refers to complex websites with a much higher level of user interaction and sophistication. Most businesses are hiring third-party web experts who can build company sites and manage the complex programing requirements, but at the same time allow business owners the ability to manage and update the content on their own.
Techno-babble aside, the choices are many when it comes to development platforms such as Java, Microsoft's ASP, PHP and other Open Source products, and all of them have pluses and minuses. But don't let this confuse you - I don't know and I don't care how my digital watch works, but every time I look at it, it better tell me the right time.
The key to picking the right web development tools is making sure all the time and energy invested in putting up content and client services is not lost when the next greatest round of change comes to the Internet. A simple question you can ask any web company to figure out whether or not to use its services is this: “If I spend two years inputting content into my site, can you as the web service provider easily export all that data in a universal format for use in other websites or services?” If the company can, your investment of time and money is safe; if not it's probably a bad idea to use the service. Remember, it's not just about the up-front cost of the website; it's about protecting what could potentially amount to years worth of work you put into it.
There is one last tip I can give you when it comes to investing in your website and that is to seek out people you know and trust to help you understand the pros and cons of any Internet technology. Just like when choosing a supplier for your business, make sure they've been in the business for a while, they have a strong client base of companies similar to yours and make sure they understand your business and your industry. You will save time, money and heartache by choosing the right web service provider because they will help you get over the two largest obstacles to Internet success: where and how to invest in your online future.
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Want Less Spam?
Imagine cutting your spam by 90 percent. Think about going to work on Monday and finding two spam emails instead of 20. Interested? Lowering your daily spam and increasing productivity can be achieved by simply changing the email client you use.
 Mozilla Thunderbird is a professional and free email client that provides adaptive junk mail control and increased email security. It runs on Windows, Macintosh and Linux and is excellent for home and office use. Using Thunderbird as a replacement for your existing email client can reduce your spam burden by up to 90 percent in just a few days.
Thunderbird uses junk mail controls that allow you to “train” it to recognize and adapt to spam emails. Teaching Thunderbird to block spam is simple and fast – a single click marks the offending email as spam. The junk mail controls are “adaptive” and will customize themselves to the types of email you receive.
Most email service providers (ESPs) block a tremendous amount of spam before it even gets to your inbox. Due to the risk of blocking valid emails, ESPs will set their filters to avoid tagging valid emails as spam. Using an email client like Thunderbird allows you to adapt and filter out the spam that makes it to your inbox.
Links:
Download Thunderbird: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird/
Installing Thunderbird: http://www.pointonemedia.com/reference/thunderbird-v2/xp-install.html
Configuring Junk Mail Controls: http://www.pointonemedia.com/reference/thunderbird-v2/xp-configure-junk-controls.html
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Case Study: No more obstacles for Tundra Motorsports
Tundra Motorsports is an importer of off-road utility vehicles and when the company decided it needed to get down to the serious business of marketing, it turned to Point One Media for help.
 Situation
With an established business and an excellent product line, Tundra needed to reach out into the market and create a strong presence in the industry with an image equal in quality and impact to the company's building success. As owners of a small business, partners John Bagg and Peter Savinkoff also needed to get the biggest possible “bang for their buck,” while addressing all their marketing needs.
Solution
The media solution for Tundra, as with most companies today, started on the web. The objective of the Point One Media development team identified the key objectives of the website: attract new dealers, provide service for existing dealers, appeal to retail customers and develop a strong brand and company image.
The initial project included a complete graphic design package, a dealer login area and a dealer locater for retail buyers. The design concept was also built to accommodate future site enhancements and services as the business grows. Once the website was complete and ready for launch, the next step was to create an integrated print advertising campaign to drive traffic to the website. The print campaign included display advertisements, business cards and other print products, all branded with the www.tundramotorsports.com message. The final step in the process was to put all of the materials to work for Tundra by promoting the company to a highly targeted marketplace: in this case, Canadian Powersport Trade.
Results
The long-term success of any marketing project is based on one basic requirement: constant repetition of a simple sales message in a highly-targeted marketplace. For Tundra Motorsports the results of its integrated marketing campaign were almost instant. Within days of launching the website, the company received dealer enquiries, retail enquiries and even corporate fleet enquiries (something totally unexpected). When the print advertising campaign got underway in Canadian Powersport Trade, Tundra received several dealer enquiries both from its display ads and from its website.
If the Tundra Solution sounds like something you need for your business, give Point One Media a call toll-free at 1.877.755.2762 or complete our information request form today!
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Getting it right online
Today, over 75 percent of business owners and consumers are using the Internet to gather information and get business advice. Having a company website that's not performing well for clients and site visitors is a growing threat to the overall health of any company.
This month Point One Media is offering industry businesses a no-cost, no-obligation website analysis done by our senior technical and marketing experts. This comprehensive report will examine and rate your website in key areas including design and navigation, usability, content, layout, functionality, technology and much more. The report will also include a set of recommendations to address any short-comings or improvements that should be made to your existing site. This is a free, two-page Website Analysis Report designed help you evaluate the success of your company website and advise you about what can be done to improve your Return on Investment (ROI).
If you'd like a free analysis by our expert staff simply complete the online questionnaire or call us toll-free at 1.877.755.2762. All information provided will be kept strictly confidential. Once we receive this information we will analyze your site and contact you with further questions. When the evaluation is complete, we will email you a full report and call you to review our findings.
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Getting started on the right foot
If you need a new website that provides a strong technological foundation and top-quality sales and marketing structure, Point One Media has the perfect solution. Our Launch Point website is a fantastic entry level product designed give business clients everything they need to maximize their Internet success.
From high quality design with search engine-friendly architecture to the easy-to-use navigation and expandable functionality, there is simply no better and more economical product to build your online business. The Launch Point site will provide your company with:
• A domain name <www.yourcompanyname.com> (or the transfer of an existing domain)
• Up to ten customized email addresses with a web-based email service
• Two website design proof-of-concepts to choose from
• Three web pages including: Home, Products & Services and a Contact Form (additional pages extra)
• Focused engineering for successful global search engine indexing
• Standard monthly web statistic reporting
• Creative writing and graphic design services
• Engineering to facilitate expansion for any future growth including e-commerce, inventory mangers and more
How easy is it to get started? Too easy. All we need is 30 minutes of your time and any logos or company pictures you can easily provide. Call or email today and we can help your company with a successful launch or relaunch on the Internet. Call toll-free 1.877.755.2762 or email <info@pointonemedia.com>.
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