Questions
Frequently Asked of Us...
Will
the Internet affect my line of business?
Yes
- without any doubt. It's almost impossible to think of any business
that it not being affected by the Internet. Try it for yourself. A
butcher? No, there are on-line butchers that deliver to your door.
A green grocer? No, there are suppliers of vegetables, organic and
otherwise, taking orders throughout the world. How about an Osteopath?
They may have to come into direct contact with their customers, but
how do their customers first find out about them? An increasingly popular
answer is that they search the Internet.
Example: The TV series "Water World" depicted life on the canals
of of Britain. One episode focused on the increasing number of foreign holiday-makers
enjoying the narrowboat sensation, particularly people from America and New
Zealand. From thousands of miles away, they found out about and booked canal
holidays in this country - through the Internet. In other words, the Internet
is making it easier for those businesses with web sites to attract foreign
as well as local custom.
More and more customers are now shopping from the comfort of their homes, comparing
prices, products and suppliers before conducting any transactions. If you haven't
got a website, you could be left behind.
Ever increasing numbers of businesses conduct commerce over the Internet every
day, finding new suppliers, searching online catalogues and placing instant
orders via e-mail. And these companies expect your business to do the same.
If you can't, then they won't do business with you. Unfortunately, it's as
simple as that!
Can
the Internet bring me increased custom?
Yes,
it really can. The old philosophy of business was that you have to
bring your customers to your door through advertising. This has changed
slightly with the advent of the Internet. It's now more important than
ever to allow your customers to find you by making your business available
anytime that's convenient to them. How better to do this than through
the Internet?
Example:
A UK based butcher had had a small village shop for 40
years. He was renowned locally for his specialist meats and wondered
if he could expand these. He set
up a website
and soon
found
he was receiving orders from all over the country and even Europe.
Eventually the demand was so great that he shut the shop - with its
many overheads - and he now runs a highly successful Internet butcher
service.
Because
the Internet is so easy to use, many companies are finding new suppliers
in different countries, simply by browsing the Internet and examining
websites. With your own website, your business is literally open 24
hours each day, 365 days each year, ALL OVER THE WORLD!
Do
I need expensive equipment?
Not
necessarily. The Internet does not work through your computer and neither
would your website - you simply link to it. This means that you don't
have to possess really expensive Internet equipment like 'Servers'.
But obviously a computer is essential. With one, you can access and
update your own site, answer customer emails, etc.
Isn't
it very expensive to have a website built?
Like
most things in life, you get what you pay for. There are a few very
cheap web site builders out there and they will give you a very cheap
looking site. They advertise in the local press and specialize in standard,
one-page, graphic-free sites or Templates that are more or less the
same for each client, with nothing but the basic details being changed.
You
might
think you're saving money, but when your potential customers fail to
be impressed by your site and chose instead to go to a competitor,
you could lose thousands.
A
website is an investment. If it's constructed properly by experts like
gWeb, a website will make you money. It should make your business look
fantastic and portray it in the most positive manner. It should inspire
customers and generate sufficient interest to increase your sales.
And where practical, it should allow actual sales to take place there
and then on the Internet.
Prices
vary according to what you want. We're not the cheapest company you'll
find, but we're not the most expensive either. But we firmly believe
that we are a sound investment that will easily enable you to recoup
your initial outlay and generate considerable profits.
I
had another company built a website for me. It hasn't helped my
business. Why?
This
is something we hear all too often and the answer is usually always
the same; poor design.
Because some companies are uncertain about the internet, they spend very little
on website design, often with adverse effects. People are very
visually orientated and the Internet provides the perfect environment for people
to look and examine products and businesses. Potential customers, both commercial
and domestic, regularly review the websites of companies they wish to do business
with. Unfortunately, when they come across a poorly designed website, they
form very negative impressions about that company - they look cheap - they're
behind the times - if their website's this bad, what are their products like?
- and so on. Examine the section - Do appearances matter? -
below.
Lack of publicity is also a cause of an unsuccessful website, as people simply
don't know it's there. This can occure if your website has not been created
with search engines in mind (see Search Engine Optimisation).
You
should also display your website address on your letterheads, invoices,
business cards,
product
packages,
advert,
etc.
You
might also want
to consider Banner Exchange.
Do
appearances matter?
Appearances
are critical. Many of our competitors would have you believe that appearances
aren't important. They would persuade you that a simple site with a
little text is good enough for you. Take care! They may be trying to
hide the fact that they cannot build the visually appealing site your
company needs.
Consider this example: You are taking a wealthy client out for a meal in the
hope of winning over a big contract. He has picked a particularly exclusive
restaurant and you want to make every effort to impress him. So what do you
wear? Your best formal wear? Or your oldest T-shirt, your dirtiest jeans and
your slippers? One choice would start the night off well and set the scene
for good negotiations. The other wouldn't even get you in the restaurant; it
would certainly create a very poor impression of you and would very likely
encourage the client to go to your competitors.
We
often hear people say - "My brother built my website," or
perhaps, "I read a book on it and built my own." We hold
the view that if you require surgery, don't ask a carpenter to operate
on you - ask the surgeon. If
your site looks amateur, then people will think you're amateurs and
they may take their business to a company with a website that looks
more professional. If the layout is poor and people can't find what
they're
looking for, they'll look elsewhere. If your jargon is confusing and
your instructions complex, you'll intimidate and lose potential business.
Your business deserves the best. It deserves gWeb.
Do
web site builders have to be qualified?
Unfortunately,
there is no legal requirement for web site builders to be qualified.
Consequently, there are all too many garden-shed companies out there
ripping off those who don't fully understand the complexities of the
Internet.
At
gWeb, we have the qualifications, knowledge, skill, experience
and professionalism to build a website that will
separate your business from the rest. If you're website isn't as good as
your competitor's, then you're suggesting to the world that your
competitor is better
than you.
Don't make the mistake of using amateurs. Would you trust a rank
amateur who's read a few books on DIY to build your family home?
Of course you wouldn't.
So why risk your livelihood with an amateur who's played a bit with computers?
I
don't understand all the hype and technical jargon. Can you help
me?
Of
course we can help you. The computer world is changing every day and
new technologies and jargon are being born by the minute. It's our
professional duty to keep in touch with it, but it's not necessarily
yours.
gWeb
make the design process an easy one by communicating without the gobbledygook.
You tell us in simple terms what you want and we'll make it happen.
We're here to help you, not hinder your success.
Have
you any advice on how I can promote my website?
If
you have a web site from gWeb, you'll find that we offer you considerable
advice on this subject, making sure you promote your web address, etc,
as well as making sure your site gets listed with search engines, etc.
In other words, we take care of you.
Should
I use gWeb?
The
choice is clearly yours but remember this:
- We're
qualified professionals with the skill to make your company look its
best.
- We
won't lie to you or rip you off.
- We
won't sell you what you don't need.
- We're fairly priced; not so cheap as to prove that we're incompetent
and not so expensive as to make you pay over the top.
There's only one way we can prove ourselves to you; give us
a try. You'll not be disappointed. |
