An online presence can add a lot of value to your business promotion and sales process, if you implement it properly. Today, it's more of an exception for a business in the developed economies to fail to implement some level of online operation. That degree of acceptance, indeed appeal, can only be attributed to the proven beneficial impact of the internet on business performance.

Why It's Worth the Trouble
Some argue that internet penetration here is still too low for us to bother. Well, whatever source of the estimates, it still puts the figure at some millions of users. Considering that there's a preponderance of multi-user settings (cyber cafes, offices, etc), the estimates can always under-capture the usage. And, a couple of millions, when you consider it, is the entire population of some countries. Besides, which business really has a million active customers? Or even a half? So, if you think the numbers are not yet sufficiently attractive to warrant a serious look-in from your business, you may possibly think again. Consider, too, that things keep changing, with rising numbers day by day. The reality is that what businesses need today is a better understanding of how to implement an effective online project.

Getting it Right
This, however, is not an affirmation that every online presence is productive. Millions and millions of websites exist today, and as with all things, different operators achieve different levels of results, based on the systems and tools they deploy, as well as the offers they put forward to the market. Get your online presence on a strong footing by deploying a suite of smart tools that will give it a bite and boost your chance of reaping handsome rewards from the process. Here's a shortlist:

1. A functional web site
To get off to a web presence, you obviously need a functional website, you online shop/office space. There are a lot of issues there though, and, if you don't get the basics right, you effort could end in underachievement. Having a website presupposes you understand and address issues relating to your domain name registration, which basically secures your business address. To have a website up also requires its hosting on the web. While it is possible for you to run your own server for this purpose, it's more common to use a hosting service provider. Critical step. Whether your site is up or down depends on the state of the host's server. The implication is that you will be wise to go for a reputable, reliable host, with a track record of performance (near 100% up-time). A cheap service that leaves your site down from time to time will do no good to your business objectives. The actual design of your website is also critical. Question: does it support the business goal you set out for? Not a simple question to answer, because many design features and elements, unfortunately, detract from the strength of the site to drive business results. Read more on design sabotage of business goals in this article from our last edition.

These could sound complicated, which may be a good reason to get reliable professional support from an experienced and trusted web development consultant. Even when you do this, it will be helpful to understand the basics of what you expect, lest you end up with the wrong end of the stick.

2. Effective Site Management
Your website becomes a business outlet, and it will be unthinkable to abandon your office or shop, once it's opened, but that's how a lot of people treat their web site. Largely, this is because a developer has not equipped them with some basics skills to manage the site and has not contracted to provide that service either. Now, it takes a lot out off it to find your site outdated (in terms of content), unchanging (wasn't change the only guaranteed thing in life?) and virtually dead. It simply can't serve a business purpose in that state. Even in physical shops, people dust things up at intervals and re-arrange stuff to add some freshness. Your site needs that new lease of life, all the time. The answer is in on-going content management as well as bits of retouching over time. Something new from time to time will surely help to sustain interest and keep the visitor coming back.

Here again, you have two options: do it yourself (puts control in your hands but has its challenges) or retain a service to provide that support. If you must do it, a few tools will be important. One, you will need a web editor ( HTML editing tool). Getting content to render on a web page requires the HTM language which the editor helps you write. You will also need to upload content or design changes to the host-server and that requires an FTP client. Luckily, open source, free FTP can be found if you can't afford to buy one. Besides, an editing tool like Dreamweaver (MX or 8) will FTP your files if you don't use an external FTP client. You need testing browsers. Most PCs in our environment are loaded with the Internet Explorer browser, but to ensure your pages are seen by most users, test that major browsers can render them too. This means additionally installing, at least, Mozilla Firefox, Netscape and Opera on your PC to help you test your pages on those browsers. A graphics editor and a few other tools will also come in handy. Getting to handle all this may prove costly in terms of effort and time, which possibly makes outsourcing a more attractive option. What is important is to breathe life into your site. A stale outlook offers no incentive for repeat visits. How do you hope for business from a shop that is not visited? You judge.

3. Effective Communication System
This is not talking about your phones and other gadgets, though these remain important. Your website should communicate and in two directions, really. When you begin to achieve a good deal of interactivity with visitors - participatory democracy, remember?- you are on the way to true success. Nothing happens overnight, but you must strive to achieve some level of 'fellowship' with your visitors. Truly, if you ever get to creating a sense of community where they feel involved with your site, you can get the good business results you need. They would have become very warm, possibly hot prospects whom you can present offers to and hope for a satisfactory outcome.

So, what interactivity systems do you put in place? Any tool that encourages participation and feedback: contact-us page with contact info, your phone numbers and email, comment forms, guest-book, site-poll, contests, question box, site-quiz, etc. Subscriptions will also help: an example is your 'tip of the day' which helps you stay in touch with the visitor.

4. Powerful Marketing Drive
Just like with your offline effort, business online requires vigourous and consistent marketing. Just as you design your offline marketing plan, you need one online as well. Your promotional activities should target supporting your online presence the same way you focus on offline content. The details of what you do will depend on your resources and initiative, but do realise that the internet uniquely lends itself to cheap but effective marketing. It can actually be used solely for this. Explore its power to push your business forward. A serious email marketing system is a viable starting point. Your landing pages too, if well-structured, should boost conversion rate. What about using good opportunities across the site to put out your sales message. That raises the issue of copy. You may not be a good copywriter, but you need good copy. So get it and pay for it, if need be. Overall, position your site to subtly sell to the visitor in many ways, whether it is products you offer or information or merely propagation of some ideas.

In all, what is worth doing at all is worth doing well. Having a site is a good idea, but how good if it can't deliver on its purpose? Make up your mind to do it effectively. The issues canvassed here should be of great help in the process.

Copyright © 2007. SmartProInvesting.com. All rights reserved.

Let SmartProInvesting.com help you stamp your presence online and get the powerful tools of the internet to work for your business. Pick from our service suite and get dedicated hands to walk you through to success. Our free newsletters on business, investing and technology are cutting edge stuff to help you hone your skills, stay ahead of the curve and earn solid returns. Get lots of online resources too to sharpen your perspesctive and help you deliver on performance. Contact us for more information or visit www.smartproinvesting.com to access our online resources.