17 Ways to Effectively Use an Internet Web Page for Your Business

The following report provides an overview of the Internet and how businesses, both large and small, are benefiting from establishing a prescience on it by creating a company web site.

1. Fastest Growing Medium in the World
The Internet is the fastest growing marketing and communications medium in the world today. Studies reported that in 1994, the Internet had recorded more than an 80% rate of annual growth. This rate increased in 1995 and the size of the Internet is expected to double every six months starting in 1998! Experts predict that the Internet will grow from about 60 million today to over 200 million consumers online by the year 2005.

2. Global Marketing
Expand your business out of your home town or city into the emerging worldwide market place. You may not be able to make sense of the mail, phone and regulation systems in all your potential international markets, but with a Web page, you can open up a dialogue with international markets as easily as with the company across the street.

3. Level the Playing Field
Only on the Internet can you compete head on with large or Fortune 500 companies. You can implement things faster, provide better service, and have a better understanding of what your target market wants and needs.

4. Reduce Time Spent Answering Requests for Information
By having complete information about your products and services on the Internet, you can drastically reduce the time and expense of helping customers over common problems or even answering questions on what your company offers. How about making forms available to pre qualify for loans, or have your web page display information on that certain product your customer is interested in? All this can be done, simply and quickly, on the Internet.

5. Increase your Professional Image
Your customers will be impressed with your 'forward looking' vision and feel more comfortable about doing business with you.

6. To Create a 24 Hour Service
If you've ever remembered too late or too early to call the opposite coast, you know the hassle. We're not all on the same schedule. Business is worldwide but your office hours aren't. Trying to reach Asia or Europe is even more frustrating. But Web pages serve the client, customer and partner 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No overtime either. It can customize information to match needs and collect important information that will put you ahead of the competition, even before they get into the office.

7. To Stay In Contact With Your Sales Staff
Your employees on the road may need up-to-the-minute information that will help them make the sale or pull together the deal. If you know what that information is, you can keep it posted in complete privacy on the WWW. A quick local phone call can keep your staff supplied with the most detailed information, without long distance phone bills and tying up the staff at the home office.

8. Generate Public Interest
You won't get Newsweek magazine to write up your local store opening, but you might get them to write up your Web Page address if it is something new and interesting. Even if Newsweek would write about your local store opening, you wouldn't benefit from someone in a distant city reading about it, unless of course, they were coming to your town sometime soon. With Web page information, anybody anywhere who can access the Web and hears about you is a potential visitor to your Web site and a potential customer for your information there.

9. Slash Your Printing and Postage Costs!
Designing, printing, and mailing brochures or catalogs is very expensive. Sometimes, information changes before it even gets off the press. Now you have a pile of expensive, worthless paper. Adding new products to it throughout the year is prohibitively expensive. Electronic publishing changes with your needs. No paper, no ink, no printer's bill.

The Internet also allows you to get your message to tens of thousands of interested people. You can modify your catalogs daily or hourly, you can send your message through email to thousands absolutely FREE!

11. Solicit Feedback from Your Customers
You pass out brochures, catalogs, and advertise locally. But it doesn't work. No sales, no calls, no leads. What went wrong? Wrong color, wrong price, wrong market? Keep testing, the marketing books say, and you'll eventually find out went wrong. That's great for the big boys with deep pockets, but who's paying the bills? You are and you don't have the time nor the money to wait for the answer. With a Web page, you can ask for feedback and get it instantaneously with no extra cost. An instant e-mail response can be built into Web pages and can get the answer while its fresh in your customers mind, without the cost and lack of response of business reply mail.

12. Target a Specialized Market
Sell fish tanks, art reproductions, flying lessons? You may think that the Internet is not a good place to be. Well, think again. The Internet isn't just computer science students anymore. With the 60 million and growing users of the WWW, even the most narrowly defined interest group will be represented in large numbers. Since the Web has several very good search programs, your interest group will be able to find you. Or your competitors.

13. Better Serve Your Local Market
We've talked about the power to serve the world with a Web page. How about your neighborhood? If you are located in San Francisco Bay Area, the Raleigh NC area, Boston or New York, there is probably enough local customers with Web access to make it worth your while to consider Web marketing. A local Palo Alto, CA restaurant even takes lunch orders through the Internet! But no matter where you are, if the big client has Web access, you should be there too.

14. Reach the Type of Customers Your Business is Looking For
Study after study confirms that the people who use online services and the Internet have the most education and a large disposable income. Internet users are probably the highest mass-market demographic available. Usually college-educated or being college educated, making a high salary or soon to make a high salary, it's no wonder that Wired magazine, the magazine of choice to the Internet community, has no problem getting Lexus and other high-end marketer's advertising.

15. Post Job Opportunities and Recruit Great Employees
Finding good help is often the HARDEST part of running a successful business. Use the Internet to find the best and brightest!

16. Stay Ahead of Your Competition
Your competition is either on the Internet or looking at getting on, so you need to establish a presence or risk being "left behind in the dust."

17. Increase Sales!
With over 70 million + people on the Internet and almost all people visiting your web page will have found it by specifically LOOKING for information about your product or service, you will sell a much higher percentage of them.

Bottom Line
With the Internet virtually doubling every year and businesses of all sizes getting connected worldwide, companies can't afford not to be connected. Once you're connected you'll wonder how you ever ran your business without it!

Three Questions Start-ups Should Think Ahead

1. Who are the target customers? 谁是目标客户群体？

2. What and how do you make money? 收入模式是什么？

3. What are your advantages when compare to others? 竞争优势是什么？

SaaS是叫好不叫座还是前途一片光明(ZT)

在百度搜索SaaS，不难发现，在今天的中国IT市场上，SaaS已经成为一个人所共知的概念，特别是从 SaaS横空出世，到被媒体、业界吹捧，SaaS似乎就成了软件行业的一个新神话。软件即服务，越来越多的用户已经认可并接受了这样的理念，而商家们更是纷纷推出了相关的解决方案。一时间，SaaS软件产品、SaaS平台、SaaS应用模式充斥于市场上

如此迅猛的发展势头，巨大的市场潜力，的确引人注目。但是在片片叫好声中，SaaS的用户中小企业似乎并不买账，他们犹豫了，SaaS真的那么好吗？真的能代替传统软件吗？暂时的低成本能否带来今后长期的效益，是他们考虑更多的。他们想进行信息化管理，但是软件商很难为中小企业创造真实可见的价值，最终导致了SaaS现在叫好不叫座的现象。

那么，SaaS为什么会出现这种叫好不叫座的现象？我们又该如何看待这种现象？个人认为，在理性的分析了SaaS目前的发展状况、 所遇到的困难以及将来的前景之后，相信在读者的心目中自会有一个答案。

中国SaaS目前的发展状况

高速互联网接入的普及和企业信息化进程的加快，为国内SaaS这种新的电子商务销售模式创造了空前的机遇。据数据显示，其发展已经具备了一定的规模，而且呈现上升之势。现在越来越多的企业理解并运用了SaaS，SaaS模式不仅使企业免去了建立、维护、管理各自信息系统之苦，还可以使用户随时随地进行各种应用。对于信息化程度较低的中小企业而言，SaaS模式有着诸多好处，这是毋庸置疑的。

1、从技术方面来看：企业无需再配备IT方面的专业 技术人员，同时又能得到最新的技术应用，满足企业对信息管理的需求。

2、从投资方面来看：企业只以相对低廉的月租方式投资，不用一次性投 资到位，不占用过多的营运资金，从而缓解企业资金不足的压力；不用考虑成本折旧问题，并能及时获得最新硬件平台及最佳解决方案。

3、从维 护和管理方面来看：由于企业采取租用的方式来进行业务管理，不需要专门的维护和管理人员，也不需要为维护和管理人员支付额外费用。很大程度上缓解企业在人 力、财力上的压力，使其能够集中资金对核心业务进行有效的运营。

SaaS沙漠论调

但 即便如此，大多数中小企业还是持有怀疑态度，调查机构Radicati Group一项最新的调查显示，只有24%的企业使用了托管解决方案，而76%的企业仍然选择将主动权握在自己手中。显然，SaaS厂商们正在面临着这种尴尬现状，SaaS厂商被看作了走进沙漠的勇敢者。而在这背后，大概有这样几个原因：

1、文化以及传统观念

Gartner 公司副总裁和研究主任James Browning说：中小企业都有极强的控制欲，他们比大型企业更加不愿失去控制权。这就是文化。中小企业只有较少的数据需要管理，但那是他们的命脉，而 且也不想其他人搞乱他们的资料。

2、安全问题

在一项调查中，大多受访者将安全性作为不使用SaaS的主要原因，认为使用SaaS的话，数据就有可能被窃取。如何保证在互联网上的传输的数据不被黑客截获；如何保证数据库服务器不被攻击；如何让客户认识到他的数据很安全，没有客户的许可，不会被任何人查看。这些都是SaaS服务商需要好好考虑的问题。

3、传统软件厂商本身的问题

金蝶、用友是国内管理软件业的两大巨头，他们的ERP软件已经为很多的企业所接受。而今，突然进 军SaaS，涉水互联网行业，这会不会成为传统软件厂商一个迈不过去的门槛？软件厂商是否存在SaaS基因？IT行业内，类似的成功或失败的例子应该不在 少数。

即使抛开上述不说，更重要的是要想促进整个SaaS行业的发展，就要让更多的厂商投入到SaaS产品的研发和服务提供里面去，只有厂商先把好的产品拿出来，把好的服务拿出来，才能吸引更多的用户来用，这是一个互相促进的过程。长此以往，才会促使整个SaaS市场的良性循环，才能真正的让SaaS叫好不叫座的局面打开，变成叫好又叫座！

4、政府部门的支持力度

当 然，SaaS的出现和成长与互联网紧密关联，客观上也需要以开放标准作为推动其发展的关键基础。当前，SaaS发展还刚刚起步，相关标准，规范仍处于讨论 阶段，尚未有结论，政府部门应尽快推动SaaS领域开放标准的制定和应用，并努力实现我国SaaS标准的国际化。

现在有人会这样评价 SaaS：当你选择从事SaaS，你就进入了SaaS的沙漠，你需要寻找沙漠里面的绿洲，你需要走出沙漠！面对这些困难，中国的SaaS产业到底如何？

中国SaaS的发展前景

据Gartner预计，2009年全球SaaS市场将由2008年的64亿美元增长17.7%至 75亿美元。 2013年底之前SaaS市场将持续增长，届时将达到逾140亿美元。Gartner研究总监表示，SaaS在企业应用市场上将继续普及。SaaS厂商将进入更多市场，提供更多垂直行业解决方案。

在欧美等IT业发达地区，用户已经开始对SaaS模式给予了高度的认同，并已经取得良好发展。 在美国的各主要垂直行业和不同规模企业中，超过78%的企业目前使用或考虑使用SaaS服务。

虽然在中国，SaaS还是个刚刚兴起的新生事物，但是由于国内具有非常良好的生长土壤，目前备受业界的关注。据统计我国约有3000万家中小企业，这是一个数量非常庞大的消费群体。在客户获得巨大收益的同时，对于软件厂商而言就变成了巨大的潜在市场。因为以前那些因为无法承担软件许可费用或者是没有能力配置专业人员的用户，都变成了潜在的客户。同时，SaaS模式还可以帮助厂商增强差异化的竞争优势，降低开发成本和维护成本，加快产品或服务进入市场的节奏，有效降低营销成本，改变自身的收入模式，改善与客户之间的关系。

现国内有不少SaaS厂商在这个大金矿中淘金，几家欢喜几家愁，我们看到了这些厂商中有没过两年就消失了的，对于最早进入SaaS市场的XTools来说，单纯依靠其在线CRM产品，能够获得四千多家企业的持续租用，从这个情况来看，客户还是很认可这种在线应用模式的软件，XToolsCRM也应该从SaaS中获得了很好的收益。从XTools在今年七八月份央视投放的广告来看，说明SaaS市场宣传趋向普通百姓，至少SaaS厂商一直在努力，让SaaS能被更多人接受。

乐语是多友公司开发的一款企业级网站实时交流与沟通系统，访客无需下载任何插件点击在线图标就可与网站客服人员接通对话。目前正在为包括民生银行、银河证券、浙江电信、中华英才网、嘉实基金、华安基金、鹏华基金、中国国际期货、冠通期货、我爱我家、新东方、北大青鸟、仁爱医院等在内的数千家中高端客户提供相关在线客户系统服务。乐语已经被SaaS的业界看作走出沙漠找到绿洲的厂商。

由 此看来，SaaS商业模式，更多的厂商仍然在沙漠中苦苦追寻，有的已经寻找到了SaaS经营之道，这表明，SaaS不是概念，是产品和服务，是实实在在的 企业信息化手段。

综上而言，无论是中小企业的担忧，还是SaaS目前所面临的困难，或是美好的展望前景，这种种的迹象都是符合事物发展的一般规律的。任何领域在进入成熟期之前都需要跨过成熟区前的低谷，我相信中国人的聪明才智会让我们去接受先进的东西，世界的就是中国的，科技是没有国界的，它是全人类的财富。

用前途是光明的，道路是曲折的来形容SaaS是最贴切不过的了， SaaS一定会带来不可限量的机会，让现有的市场扩大几倍甚至可能到达十几倍，这个趋势不可逆转。我们有理由相信并坚信，SaaS叫好不叫座的现象是它发展过程中一个必经阶段，是短暂的，曾记否？MIS、MRP、ERP的发展历史，不也要如此嘛。希望SaaS行业整个产业链，都不要急功近利，走好今天每一步，才能成就未来。