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 Web site: A Strategic Advantage "Business on the Web is expected
to grow to US $ 6.6 billion by the year 2000, from about US $ 500 million in 1996" In today’s world, Internet is not just a luxury or an entertainment medium, it is a business necessity, and more so, for small businesses. The reason being the large amount of audience it generates. Internet breaks geographical barriers and thus provides small organisations to effectively reach a much wider global clientele, through web-pages, at a economical cost. According to Philip Kotler, "Value is nothing but, the benefit one gets per unit of cost." Having a web-site proves the same. Bigger organizations have many alternative ways of reaching out internationally, but for smaller businesses, there aren’t as many options. A well constructed web-site hoisted over the Internet, gives a competitive advantage to smaller businesses. It can successfully utilise its web-site as a Marketing weapon. The myth about the Net is that small businesses have got a more even playing field against bigger players in the market. Used intelligently, a web-site can definitely help small businesses grow and reach out to markets and companies, they would otherwise not easily be able to. A web-site has proved beyond doubt in the recent past, that, it has become one of the most effective and efficient tools of direct publicity. With little incremental cost, a web-site can become a company’s biggest advertiser. A company should make sure that every, communication sent out has the web-address, right from business cards and letterheads to brochure and even on company’s print advertising. By doing so, it sends a subtle message to its domestic and international clientele and future prospects, that the company is technology focussed and Internet savvy. Also, a website can become a company’s "electronic catalogue", and can reduce production and distribution costs. |
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