Advertising on the Web

So you've seen the World Wide Web and countless Web home pages for companies from IBM to Barbara Jean's Famous Candies, publications from Hotwired to Southern Living, and of individuals, their children and their pets. What next? What about you?

You may have heard warnings about advertising on the Internet. "Don't do it." "You'll get flamed." (Translation: you'll get bombarded with hate email). So what is a business or organization to do about getting the word out online. How can they publicize their services or products? How can they let the world know they exist? That is where the World Wide Web comes in - giving anyone the capability to create their own database of information in the form of an interactive, multimedia Web home page.

Why is it okay to advertise on the Web? Well, it depends on how you do it, however, when you put information onto a Web home page, you have to invite or entice people to come see your page as opposed to blatantly selling your product or plugging your service by sending unsolicited notices in people's email boxes or in Usenet news groups (Internet bulletin boards on specific topics). Putting your information up onto a Web page is like putting up a billboard; then you need to quietly drop the bread crumbs on the path to your page so that traffic begins to cruise through.

What is the best way to advertise on the Web? Softly and thoughtfully. I always tell my clients to "add value" to the Internet. By this, I mean put more than just a sales pitch on your home page and better yet, cushion that sales pitch between layers of content. Providing content is the key to any successful web site. Give people information and resources so they keep coming back to your site to see what you have to say and to find their way to other interesting resources. Become an expert in your field and reflect that in your web page. Give something away for nothing and give them many ways to respond to you online. Interactivity is the key here.

If you can't implement direct online sales yet (there are currently security limitations to this but those will soon be resolved), at least post your 800 number or your regular mailing address (snail mail as it is known online) so they can contact you directly and easily. Better yet, establish an email address so they can email you just by pushing a button on your home page.

How much does it cost to advertise on the Web? You basically need a place to store your information: a Web server. You can either pay rent to an Internet Service Provider who offers Web space on their harddrive (which can range between $100 - $500 per month) or invest in an in-house server (which will run you upwards of $10,000 for hardware). If you don't have in-house designers who know both the Web and HTML markup language (the code behind the scenes on any Web page), then you'll have to hire an online or Web consultant or entrust your Web project to your Internet Service Provider who may offer these services. Keep in mind that just because someone is technically inclined or has powerful equipment doesn't necessarily mean that they understand online marketing, content, layout and the overall logic of creating a successful Web site. Just because you build it, doesn't necessarily mean they'll come to see it. You have to know how to get them to keep coming back for more!

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