Web moving profits online
Changing consumer behaviour may make a business website a portal for online purchasing but is much more likely to make the website a place to research the business' products and services.
A surge in usage of the internet by consumers is reflecting the changes in the way consumers seek out information.
We now have more than 10 million Australians online. Purchasing decisions are more and more likely to be based on information gathered on the internet.
For many, online research is replacing the store as the way they gather information on products and pricing before purchasing at the store level.
Sensis figures show that there were 1.9 million unique visitors in May to the Yellow Pages website, a sharp rise on the year previous.
Two compelling factors are contributing to this: the first is the massive increase in the numbers of new customers signing up to high-speed internet broadband services.
Large telecommunications carriers such as Telstra and Optus are reporting continuing high rates of new subscriptions.
The second factor is the acceleration of domain name registrations reported by several operators in this field.
Melbourne IT, for example, is registering 50,000 new names monthly.
These trends, in particular Broadband, are dramatically influencing consumer patterns towards an 'always on' mode.
That is, rather than going to their computers, dialing up and searching, consumers are now always online. It's therefore cheaper, quicker, and more comprehensive for them to seek out information from websites and search engines.
Typically, people will compare prices and features online and then book their service provider by phone. Some buy online.
A Sensis executive, Mirella Prince, group manager of Interactive Consumer Experiences, says technology has raised consumer expectations.
"You've seen this already in the banking and travel industries. People now have an expectation of finding what they want, quickly, easily."
The growth in the population that is using always-on, broadband internet connections is prompting a growing number of small-to-medium sized businesses to view websites as serving a similar function to that of Yellow Pages advertising. Hence the boost in domain registrations.
In effect, a website is rapidly becoming the easiest and most affordable way to communicate information.
Paul Jameson, managing director of website developer Ozetrades, says it is a misconception that web sites are expensive or complex.
"Is a listing in the Yellow Pages complex?"
He says that the days of expensive web designers and web developers charging thousands of dollars for a web presence are numbered.
"Building web sites is moving from the designers to the packaged product.
"Every industry – mobile phones, banking, you name it – goes through this evolutionary stage."
A website is now becoming a money-saving investment rather than a hope-driven, expensive marketing strategy.
In the case of professionals or tradespeople limited by geographical reach, the business case is nevertheless compelling.
Having a brochure-style web presence reduces time in handling suspect phone calls, marketing expenses, postage, faxes, phone bills and office supplies.
Getting a website is not without some risks. Computers and websites break down and it often happens at the most inopportune times.
Care should be taken when putting information about your business and products on the internet as you might be giving away your competitive advantage or crucial parts of your intellectual property.
The early businesses that established websites were likely to be computer-literate and tech-savvy.
They also were likely to be very interested in selling on the Net, and they often included an e-commerce capability when they initially set up their sites.
Today, in contrast, the SMEs that are fueling the new wave of websites and domain registrations are much more likely to be focused on establishing an online presence that can deliver 'brochure ware' whose mission is to provide information.
Source: The Daily Telegraph
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