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who do not have a web presence. A customer
will go to a business because a friend said he had seen their web site, even though
he himself may not even own a computer. This associative phenomena is a part of the
nature of a culture that buys products because they are endorsed by wealthy athletes,
or well known personalities. If you want to test this, just look at the next ten
people you meet and see what advertising they are walking around displaying themselves,
and doing so proudly, so that they will be recognised for knowing what is good. From
senior citizens to toddlers,a badge on a baseball cap, a team crest of a professional
sports team on a jacket, the slick symbol of a shoe manufacturer on a shirt, the
pen in the pocket, the pocket of their jeans. All of these examples identify the
individual as a person who is discerning and carries on the tradition of providing
their own personal endorsement of retail products.
A
web page universal resource locator (URL ( http://www.ftlcomm.com) on an advertisement is a distinctive affirmation
that the company placing the add is progressive and has already embraced the future.
The URL itself is perhaps more important to the consumer then the content of the
website. For this reason, there is remarkable completion for domain names, distinctive
to the company (ftlcomm.com). The ownership of the domain is considered a
valuable property in itself.
The
difficult problem for thecorporation is, what should go on that web site, not
if they should have one. There are three distinct types of sites. The most basic
identifier site is most common and all major manufacturers support their dealers
by setting up a page or a paragraph that mentions the dealer, but this rarelygrants the
dealer a distinct URL. But, even if the URL includes the manufacturer's name, the
URL even without a distinct company name, is better then no URL at all. Many companies
establish an inexpensive, or free web site and do not worry about the company URL
and such sites are effective and can be used in paper advertising. The second type
of web site establishes a distinct URL but the site itself is less elaborate, concentrating
on the company's fixed nature, its business structure and business practices. Many
of the largest corporations rely on this form of website. The third category of site
is a much more comprehensive site that includes product information, data on the
company, its employees and its commitment to the customer. Sites of the third category
are actually in the majority with varying degrees of detail. Interestingly, many
of thehigh
tech companies and home based businesses have seen this realm as a means of giving
themselves an edge, as they launch their business relying on the web for their income.
It is unfortunate but reality, that this route is rarely successful. The reason being,
that the web is not a sales vehicle, it is an information vehicle and must go hand
in hand with the other |
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