Business Requirements

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Building Your Online Business for Success

OK, so you have decided to join the 21st century's trendy bunch and put your business on to the great big world wide web. Having struggled with that decision, you then come up against the problem of people such as us throwing technical lingo at you and asking you to make a hundred more decisions!

So, let us guide you gently through the various choices, what they mean, and how they will affect YOUR business. We want you to choose the correct solution, the one which will complement your existing business, or if you are just starting out, the solution which will give you the very best chances for success.

So, first off, we need to establish WHAT you would like your website to achieve. There are basically three types of business website:

1. Static Informational
2. Interactive Informational
3. e-Commerce

See, in with the technical lingo straight away! Right, lets talk about these three types of site to decide which is best for you.

Static Informational: This type of site is very simple, and effectively does the same task as a leaflet distribution. You provide some information about your company or organization in an easy to understand and user friendly manner. The amount of information you provide is entirely up to you, but the content of your website stays exactly the same regardless of who is looking at it, or where in the world they are.

These sites work very well for service organizations and are inexpensive to establish. However, today's consumers are anxious to get information fast, so if the answer to their question isn't on your site, you may be missing opportunities. It is important to supply quality text and images which will satisfy initial curiosity and whet a clients appetite enough to persuade them to get in touch with you.

Interactive Informational: This is a step further, and offers your customers the chance to individualize their visit to your website. You may offer a simple solution such as a "find my nearest..." or more complex tasks such as designing their own kitchen with graphics. The important aspect of these sites is that the customer is empowered to make your site a friendlier place for them. As a direct result, visitors spend longer on the site and when they get in touch with you they will already have made many important decisions and be well informed about the services you offer.

These sites obviously cost more to implement, but can save you countless hours fielding mundane inquiries as well as providing leads from sources you may never have imagined before.

e-Commerce: The full monty! An e-commerce site allows your customers to shop from the comfort of their own home, or to buy your products on their lunch break at work without having to make a mad dash through the rain. Whether you are selling physical goods or services, the UK online marketplace is a growing sector, and increasingly people are looking to shop through their PC. e-Commerce sites allow your customer to choose products at their leisure, researching and making informed decisions before deciding to commit.

Accepting payment online means that you are able to dispatch goods or provide services quickly, and the customers can tailor their online experience to suit them best. Obviously, e-commerce solutions are the more expensive solution of the three, but also provide the only direct return on your investment, with online orders being very easy to quantify.

Hopefully, this brief introduction to your online choices has helped - please take a look through our other guides for more advice before selecting the service we offer which will best suit YOUR business.

About the Author

Now offering CRELoaded custom coding such as CRELoaded addons and RCI modules for your websites.


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Tuesday, May 5, 2009

The Importance Of Research When Obtaining Business Insurance

Most savvy businessmen will recognise that operating a company carries an inherent risk that can affect the stability of the operations as well as its financial foundations. This is true for almost all types of business and hence having an expansive insurance policy is vitally important. Those without insurance should be acutely aware that their business is at great risk and hence obtaining insurance is essential. It is hoped that the following article will highlight the importance of insuring a company's operations and what is included in the process of signing up to a policy.

Small businesses are especially vulnerable and hence need insurance more than larger companies. This is because smaller companies find it harder to absorb financial difficulties and recover from unexpected circumstances. Subsequently having an effective policy is crucial should a business be protected from unforeseen events, not only does it secure an operation, but reduces stress for the company owner.

Before heading out in fear however it is important to take a conscientious and logical approach to selecting a policy. The first step is to assess exactly the level of cover that will be required. By understanding what parts of the operation must be protected it is possible to secure a policy that suits the needs of the company. The result is a smaller financial expense, as having cover for circumstances that will not arise is a waste of money. Ultimately obtaining only the policy inclusions that are vital to your operations is the preferred outcome.

As with any expenditure it is always advisable to research all of the options out there before making a purchase. Insurance can be befuddling at times although by using internet forums and advice websites it is possible to gain an understanding of exactly what you will need. The other option is to employ an insurance broker, a good one will only present you with what you need and will not give you a policy full of useless inclusions. Once again however researching the history of a particular broker is always advisable; normally using a personal recommendation is the best course of action. Of crucial importance is to ensure you are not underinsured, while it may be cheaper in the short term, it can work out far more expensive in the long run.

Once the research has been complete the next step is to assess the policies on the market and which are the best deal. Remember however that the cheapest price does not always relate to the best deal, in the decision making process the balance between costs and services should always be considered. Shopping around is vital, with so many insurers out there the deals to be had are vast. In some cases it can even be advisable to have different policies with a variety of companies if they offer the best deal on a certain policy inclusion.

Once you have selected the coverage and policies that you require, make sure to read the contract in detail. Make an understanding of exactly what you are paying for, never make assumptions that you are covered for a certain circumstance, finding out you are not covered after the event can become very expensive. Once again this highlights the importance of research in the process.

It is hoped that this article, however brief, has given the reader a better understanding of the world of business insurance. The main point has been the importance of research and a conscientious approach to purchasing. By following this advice your company should receive the right level of cover at an attractive price.

About the Author

Financial expert Thomas Pretty looks at the importance of business insurance and what decisions need to be made when looking at policies.

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