Ask Yourself a Few Questions.

Who is your audience?

• Is your audience attuned to seeking out organizations such as yours on the Internet?
• Will they look for you and others like you there?
• Are there other potential audiences you don’t reach today?

What can your organization DO on the Internet?

• If you’re a corner grocer, you can’t deliver fresh produce! You CAN send an email flyer with your best prices. You CAN be listed in the community internet directory with directions and an offering of those ‘special’ items and services that you can do, but the ‘big guys’ won't.
• A house painter can’t show off the quality of work! But, you CAN publish reference letters. You CAN use a simple online tool to help potential customers estimate the cost of a job. You CAN use an electronic contact tool to give FREE do-It-yourself tips.
• Your church can’t do on-line services or visit sick members. But, you CAN publish the weekly bulletin ahead. You CAN not only publish the monthly church event schedule, but also have self-service mailing lists to allow interested members to receive email reminders of choir practice or other special events. You CAN provide an indexed library of sermons, helpful brochures, volunteer services, etc.

Where is the audience you want to reach?

Don’t churches, clubs, schools and small businesses have local audiences? They don’t need the Internet? Or do they? Think outside the box.

• Churches have international missions.
• Clubs have national organizations and often use resources other than those within the community.
• Schools compete, correspond and cooperate with other like institutions throughout the world. Think Penpals, Exchange Opportunities and Expanded Learning.
• Small Businesses get to be large businesses through new customers. Nearly all business can be conducted electronically today. Can the small bookkeeper have a customer in another city? Can the corner sewing center use a parcel service to deliver patterns or materials world-wide?

When should you get on the Internet?

Why not now? Are your competitors already on the Internet? If so, you’re late! If not ... well, why not? A single “HI, I’m Here!” page gives you a full page ad in the largest advertising medium in history.

Why are you taking the time to own and manage a website?

• To Introduce your Organization to potential customers?
• To Provide a Service?
• To Answer Frequently Asked Questions? To Advertise Products and Services?
• To Be Competitive?
• To Save Printing and Advertising Costs?
• To Establish an International Presence?
• To Share Organization News?
• To Seek out Qualified Associates and Members?

How will you present your organization, products and or services?

Do you want to

• Conduct business?
• Present Information?
• Solicit Communication?

More Importantly! How are you going to make your website happen?

Your Identity.

Your site Is your electronic business card. Your web-address, the URL, is as much a representation of your business as the home page. Choose Wisely, but choose quickly.

Cost.

Don’t forget that your website is a business tool. And all tools have costs. Costs may be complementary; one may go up as another goes down. Some are avoidable and controllable. Others are not.

Web Service Provider	Internet Service Provider
Site Creation Tools	Maintenance Labor costs
URL License Costs	Skill Acquisition Costs

 

Tools.

You CAN create a website with a text editor, like Notepad and a basic knowledge of the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). Some Internet Providers offer on-line creation tools, however the sites that you can create with these free tools offer less than optimum functionality. In other words ... you get what you pay for. There are software packages that do nearly all of the work for you; save the creativity. They are not expensive when matched against the time required to create and maintain a site the hard way. You have to decide.

Skills.

Learning to use the basic skills will take effort and time. Most individuals, organizational leaders (those who have ideas like ‘We need a website’) and small-business owners are good at what they do. And what they do is probably not create and maintain websites. You will need to acquire and use new skills. Simple sites require simple skills. Complex, dynamic and interactive sites require greater skillsets. Do you have the time and desire to learn them? You decide.

Time.

Designing an advertising flyer takes time. Preparing a display in a store takes time. Should creating and maintaining a website be any different? You control how large and complex your site is and, thus, the amount of time it takes to create. You control how often updates should be made and, thus, the amount of time It takes to maintain. Do you have the time to do this yourself?

Routine Maintenance.

An unmaintained web site, one which never changes, is nearly worthless. There are few instances where it might serve, but they are few and far between. Websites require periodic change and maintenance or your visitors will not return. Maintenance requires planning, skill, tools, money and time in varying degrees. How much extra of each do you have?

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