It’s amazing that many small businesses in the U.S. and other developed nations do not have their own websites. According to research firm IDC, nearly half of small businesses in the U.S. don’t have a site.
“The Internet is increasingly used by customers as an information source, so a firm that doesn’t have a Web presence will be at a disadvantage when prospects are conducting a search,” says Ray Boggs, vice president of SMB research at IDC.
Boggs’s statement is backed up by National Retail Federation research showing that over 92 percent of adults regularly or occasionally research products online before buying them in a store.
For any small business - even those that don’t provide products or services suitable for selling over the Internet - a website remains an invaluable marketing tool that will help:
- cut costs
- increase sales
- improve customer service
- enhance productivity
If you run a small business and don’t have your own website, then you should read How a Website Can Benefit Your Business, from Internet for Business.
The following free videos have been added to the Internet for Business website:
A collection of free videos covering various aspects of setting up and building a successful business website.
These free videos concentrate on website design, including website design tips and tutorials, recommended software, better navigation, using templates etc.
Once you have your business website built and ready for your visitors, it needs to be hosted on a server so the world can access it any time of day or night.
Site Build It! is one of the most successful website building and hosting packages available today. Using SBI, you not only build a website, but a long-term business.
The PC or Personal Computer is what most small businesses use to run a wide collection of tasks, from accounting to stock control.
Just as the PC can be confusing and frustrating, the Microsoft Windows operating system that virtually every PC has installed can be irritating and annoying, mainly because most of us don’t understand why certain things happen.
These videos concentrate on laptop (or notebook) computers that many small business owners will use because of their portability. If you’re in the market for a laptop, or simply want to know more about laptops, then it’s worth browsing through the videos in this section.
Internet for Business.com, a website aimed at small business owners who are unsure of how they should be using the Internet to benefit their small or home businesses, now has a store specializing in business products, including computers, printers, and office furniture.
The store, set up in conjunction with eBay, offers a wide variety of business-related products at very affordable prices. Visit the Internet and Small Business Store today to see what’s on offer at bargain prices.
The Internet is a world-wide but informal network of computers connected by traditional phone lines, by cable, and also wirelessly via satellites and cell phones.Amazingly, it’s not owned by anyone. The giant telecoms might own the phone lines and mobile networks, but they don’t own or control the Net. Neither do Microsoft nor Google.
So, you’re probably thinking, isn’t that a recipe for anarchy?
Fortunately not. To avoid chaos, a set of protocols or conventions has evolved that define how all these millions of computers communicate with each other, much as there are conventions for using networks such as the phone or road system. Read the full article: How the Internet Works
If you run a small business, you should be using the Internet to improve your productivity and increase your profits.
This applies whether you sell things, your services, or your knowledge. Institutions and non-profit organisations should also be harnessing this potent business tool.
After all, you use a phone and fax to communicate, you list your business in directories, you have a business card and letterhead, and you use brochures, flyers and print ads to promote your organization and products.
The Internet can help you do all of these - communicating with customers, advertising your business, promoting your products - often more efficiently, and at substantially lower cost.
If you’re new to the Internet or unsure how this can be done, then it’s worth starting with this brief Internet Primer.
December 9, 2008 11:44 pm | 
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