Internet Resources

1. Internet Resources SBDC Business Executive Training Program Patricia Egen pregen@egenconsulting.com www.egenconsulting.com

2. Agenda • Why do I want to use the Internet? • Tools of the trade • A few definitions to help navigate the acronyms • The power of search engines • Key business sites • Freeware/Shareware - gifts of the Internet • Downloading tips and techinques • Setting up your own Web site • Where to find more help • Demo of web sites and tools

3. Why the Web “Works” • Geographic Distribution -- The net reaches around the world. • Robust Architecture -- The net adapts to damage and error. • Speed -- Data travels at 2/3 the speed of light on copper and fiber. • Universal Access -- The same functionality to everyone. • Growth Rates -- fastest growing technology ever. • Freedom of Speech -- The net promotes freedom of speech. • The Digital Advantage -- The net is digital, and can correct errors. • Ease of Use • Search capabilities

4. How the Web Works • Addresses or URLs (Universal Resource Locator) • Domains (com,edu,gov,org,mil,net) are part of URL • Servers • Programs and computers that manage web sites. • HTTP • The protocol (or language) used to communicate web pages over the net. • Pages • Web pages are windows. • HTML • The language used to define web pages. • Links • Jump to other sites and connections using “hypertext.“ • Applets • Download little programs on-the-fly, such as Adobe or Shockwave

5. Growth of the Web • 1998 • 47 Million U.S. Internet users • June, 1999 Study results • 63.4 Million U.S. Users (105.4 Million with Internet Access) • The average user visited 12 websites and spent 7 hours, 38 minutes online that month

6. Business Uses of the Internet - Part 1 • Government and SBA • IRS tax forms and publications • US Post Office - rates and e-stamps • Financial information • Quickbooks.com, loan information, mortage info, online banking • Supplies • Computer equipment - OnSales.com • Staples, Office Depot • Software assistance and support • Current events and up to the minute weather and news • Electronic Mail

7. Business Uses of the Internet - Part 2 • Reference • Maps, directions • Phone books, mail directories • Business Research • Competitor information • Market analysis • Supplier listings • Thomas Register, IndustryNet, WIZnet, MacRAE'S Blue Book Directory • Business services • eStamp • ePrinting • Travel (hotels, airfare, cars)

8. Cool Business Sites - Part 1 • Financial and Business • Guides for Small business and the web: www.looksmart.com/eus1/eus65300/eus65319/eus578863/r?l& • Bloomburg: www.bloomberg.com/ • CNNFN: www.cnnfn.com • Quickbooks for small business: www.quickbooks.com • American City Business Journals: www.bizjournals.com/ • Bell South - www.bellsouth.com/state/ky/edressof.htm • Small Business Association - www.sba.gov • SOHO - work.soho.org • Stocks: quote.yahoo.com

9. Cool Business Sites - Part 2 • Business Services • US Postage Rate Calculator: www.usps.gov/business/calcs.htm • Currency converter: www.xe.net/ucc/ • Track your UPS package: www.ups.com • Faxing over the Net: www.efax.com • Maps: www.mapquest.com/ • Travel • Travelocity: www.travelocity.com • Flifo: www.flifo.com • The Trip: www.thetrip.com • Expedia : www.expedia.com

10. Cool Business Sites - Part 3 • Weather • Weather Underground: www.wunderground.com • Weather service: www.wx.com • Computer and Software • Bug and fix reports on software: www.betafix.com • Windows 98 help: www.annoyances.com/win98 • Windows drivers: www.windrivers.com • Small Business Tools • Virtual University for Small Business :www.vusme.com • Documents online (including storage): www.netdocuments.com • Invoice and billing: www.timebills.com • Mass Mailings over the Net: www.eletter.com • Email over “the Phone”: www.enow.com

11. Software to Download • Free Software and Shareware • www.freewarehome.com/ • www.winfiles.com • cws.internet.com/ • www.tucows.com

12. Are people buying on the Web? • You bet! These are in “Billions” of dollars

13. How to use the Web • Use your computer with a modem to call an ISP - Internet Service Provider (your “gateway” to the Web) • Internet access speeds (are you part of the “World Wide Wait”) • Modem - 56,000 BPS • ISDN - 64,000 - 128,000 BPS • Cable - up to 3 million BPS (usually not available at those speeds) • ADSL - 384,000 to 1,500,000 BPS • Use a Browsers, a tool to view Web sites and pages • Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape • Start by “Surfing “ - Just look around, following links

14. Using Search Tools • Use Search Sites - also called Search Engines • Key Search Sites • AltaVista, Excite, HotBot, Infoseek, Lycos, Yahoo • MetaSearch Sites (sites that search multiple search sites) • Dogpile, Metacrawler • Searching techniques • Boolean Algebra • Use Unique Identifiers • Combine Keywords, With "And” • Add Phrases, • Use Related Keywords • Use Question Phrases with Quotes • Filter Choices With "Or", • Use Restricting Searches (and “not” ) • Wildcards (*)

15. Does your business need a Web Site? • Probably - over 3000 companies join the net “a day” • Questions to ask • Does your competition have web sites? • Do you sell a product or a service • How much do you want to spend, who will manage the site, prepare the information, etc. • What can I use it for? • Marketing, sales, product literature, information, brochures, shopping carts • Access is measurable - you can tell how many people “visit” your site

16. So You Want to Build a Web Site • Step one. • Plan, plan and then plan some more • Get your domain name! Now! • Questions to ask yourself • Understand your audience • What do you want to say • What do you want your customers to “hear” • What do you want to spend • How often will the information be updated • Do you have technical resources available • Where will the site “live”

17. Design Tips • KISS* rules • Keep it simple • Graphics are pretty; they are also slow • Design for the lowest common denominator • Not everyone has a fast Internet connection • Not everyone has a large or fancy monitor • Some people have trouble seeing certain colors • Keep your site interesting • Add something that changes, like a newsletter, or “favorite site of the month” to draw return visits * Keep it simple, silly

18. More Design tips • Don’t cram everything on the first page • Add “links” to other pages on your site • Draw them in. If you build it they will follow • (and follow, and follow). • Add links to other favorite places. Link pages are interesting to people searching the Web • Warning - put this at the end of your site or you’ll lose people as they wander off to your favorite sites too.

19. Top Ten Design Mistakes • Slow download times • People hit Escape quickly rather than wait. • Frames • Oh, how I hate frames! • Outdated Information • Very unprofessional • Sends a strong “we don’t care” message • Bleeding edge technology • Shockwave, sound, movies

20. Top Ten Design Mistakes - part 2 • Scrolling text and animations • Bouncing balls and banners • Complex URL’s • If they are too long, people won’t bother typing them in • Orphan Pages • Where do I go now? How do I get back. • Scrolling Navigation pages • People generally scan, not read • What they see in the immediate area is what they go away with.

21. Top Ten Design Mistakes - part 3 • Lack of Navigation support • Again, which page am I on; where’s the home page • Every page should have links to your other pages • Try to keep them in the same location. • Non-standard link colors • Not a biggy, but annoying to seasoned surfers www.useit.com/alertbox

22. Where to Start • HTML literacy no longer a pre-requisite • Both Internet Explorer and Netscape come with tools to help you design and compose pages • Tools like Publisher step you through web design using Wizards and design tools • Microsoft Office products (especially Office 2000) save files as HTML and are designed with the Web in mind • You can even use an Excel spreadsheet as an HTML page.

23. After you build it • Once you have built your site, make sure people can find it. • Use services that post your site on search engines • Some are free; most have a nominal fee • Make sure you put information in the page titles that send your message clearly • Put your AD on other web sites

24. Tips to help people find you • Title keywords • Quality Printing vs Acme • Does the searcher know who Acme is? • Meta tags • description • “The best Print Shop in Chattnooga” • keywords • printing, brochures, mailings, copy setup, full color press Chattanooga quick

25. Use an evolutionary approach • Start simple • Use a free Web site service like Excite, Yahoo, AOL,etc. • Most services have wizards that step you through the design of a web site • Use your ISP, like CDC, Virtual Chattanooga • Some ISP’s will set up a root domain name for a set price • This means people find you by your company name not by the name of the Hosting ISP • Example: www.acmeprint.com versus www.cdc.net/~acmeprint • Grow your site slowly • Use “Under Construction” to let people know it’s coming

26. How did I start? • Design • Used Frontpage to get a feel • Researchedwhat other people did • Searched the Web for advice • Switched to Publisher and now use Netscape Composer or an editor and actually code in HTML • Set up a free website on Angelfire • Did my family home page first, then set up business page • Submitted my sites to a Search company

27. What’s happening now • Run my own server • www.egenconsulting.com • Continually updating my site • Get an average of two business leads a month • Server is hit on the average of 10 times per day • Still learning every day

28. Places to go for information • Web Design sites • Create a successful website: • http://www.hooked.net/~larrylin/web.htm • CNET Web design tips: • http://builder.cnet.com/Graphics/Design/ • Search engine Submittal companies • Submit-It.com • http://submit-it.com/subopt.htm • There are literally hundreds of companies • Go to these sites and search there • http://www.looksmart.com • http://www.about.com • Learn Web Jargon: www.webguest.com/glossary/

29. More places to go • Free web site organizations • Free Sites Network • http://www.fsn.net • Homepage.com • http://www.homepage.com • Bizland • http://www.bizland.com • 411Web • http://www.411web.com

30. Questions and a quick demo • Questions? • This Powerpoint presentation can be found at the following URL: • http://www.egenconsulting.com/egcforms.nsf • It will be under General Presentations