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Web Space
How much web space will I need?
Most, if not all ISP's offer web
space to their customers. This varies from 5mb through to
unlimited web space; the average being around 15Mb. If you
intend to use web space you therefore need to decide how much web
space you will need. This can prove quite difficult, but
should be gauged on what you intend to do on the web. If you
only want to use the web space as a Public Relations exercise,
then you probably need the minimum of space to place a few papers related
to your company. However, if you intend to run a ecommerce
shopping area which several product lines, then you want to aim
for a minimum of 25MB.
Banner Advertising
If you decide to use an Internet
Service Provider offering FREE Internet access, then you need to
ensure that they do not force "banner Advertisements" on
you web pages. Banner ads are rectangular animated graphics
that are often seen at the tops of web pages. For many free
ISP's this is the way they are able to offer free access, however,
if you are trying to create an image this is probably the last
thing you need. Before you sign up to your ISP, find out
their policy on web sites and banner advertising.
Your changing business
However, it should be pointed out
that, like every business, your virtual company will evolve on the
web, so you need to be prepared for evolution. You may, for
example, upgrade you web site to include a variety of interactive properties
or implement a sophisticated shopping card to drive your ecommerce
store, all these amendments and upgrades will steal a little more
web space each time. Moreover, your business will be
developing and growing so you will want to reflect this within
your virtual company.
You must therefore take account of
the future as well as the present and make plans for future change
and development.
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Technology Support
If, like so many other small businesses,
you decide to design your own web site, then you will probably want to run
a range of interactive properties within your web site, for example:
- Feedback forms
To enable you to extract certain details from prospective customer
- Site Search
To enable visitors to search your web site for product information
- Shopping cart
To enable customers select items from a extensive
range of product lines.
- Software Support
You may decide to use specific software to design your web pages which
requires ISP support to run
- Security for online shopping
If you intend you set up an shopping area then you will need an encrypted
area for shoppers to safely shop online
The level of services and interactive
features is growing and developing all the time. However, your ideas
for the ideal business site might not achieved via your chosen ISP.
Unfortunately, many ISP's cannot support the services you would like to
offer. It is therefore important that you discuss your business
plans with your ISP to see whether they will be able to support your ideas
and designs. You must also consider the future of your business and
the level of services you might want to offer in the future to potential
customers.
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Web Business
Action Plan
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Decide how much
web space you need
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Decide on what
you intend to offer potential customers
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Find out if your ISP
can support your plans
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Balance the pros
and cons of using a number of ISP's and go with the best which
matches your needs now and in the future
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