Internet

The Internet has become a very important business tool! For example, a new marketing tool that is a huge benefit to local businesses is now available: the “local” link on search engines. To demonstrate the power of this tool, please go to a search engine such as Google or Yahoo and enter “Flower Shops”. Then, click on the “local” link at the top of the page and enter your zip code. Presto: local flower shops will be displayed on a map along with links to their Web sites. Savvy businesses today are taking advantage of this marketing tool. It can be used at a basic level for e-mail and for research and it can be used at a more comprehensive level as a channel for selling your products and services.
To get access to the Internet, you need a browser. This is a piece of free software. Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator are the two leading browsers.
Now that you have a browser, you need to get access to the Internet. This is done through an Internet Service Provider (ISP). These providers range in the features that they provide, but all give you the capability of e-mail. If you want a very comprehensive set of features, then America Online or MSN might be for you. If you are comfortable with accessing the Internet and working within an environment that assumes a little more knowledge on your part, an ISP such as SBC, AT&T or Earthlink might meet your needs. As with other forms of communication, there are many plans and prices from which to choose.
How you use the Internet in your business is up to you. Perhaps you are not ready to sell your products on the Internet, but you are interested in developing a Web site, or home page, that lets people know what you do. At the other extreme, you may want to use the Internet as your main sales channel. Just remember, the basics are still on the ground - you need products and services that people need; you need to attract people to your Internet site so that they have the option of purchasing these products and services from you; you need to convince them to buy; you need a place to store your products; and you need a way to get them to the purchaser.
Session 10 of this course will furnish you with detailed information about the Internet and E-commerce.