If you are already advertising in the Yellow Pages, the newspapers, your industry’s trade directory, handbills, posters, etc., etc.......

then you must know why you have to be on the Internet, namely to :

21 REASONS TO BE ON THE INTERNET

To establish a presence. About 35 million people worldwide have access to the World Wide Web (WWW) - the graphical portion of the Internet. By end of 1997, it is estimated that the number would increase to around 40 million. If you want their business, you have to be on the Net. You know your competitors will. (If you need to know more about the Internet, we do have a booklet, selling at S$5.00, for you to understand quickly the potential of the Internet.)

To establish a constant presence. With newspaper advertisments, to establish a constant presence means that you must have deep pockets. Even then, the print media cannot allow you a coverage of 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Internet gives you this very ability, absent from other forms of advertisement.

To inform about your products. Like all advertisements, your web site is to tell people more about your products. However, unlike other advertising media, only the web site allows people from all over the world to access it, regardless of time zone, hour or the day or even months after the events.

To help find specific items. With the ability to index and cross index, numerous search engines allow you to browse and find the item you want and the vendor you wish to deal with. Therefore a web presence and the proper indexing of the web pages will allow you to be ‘around’ when someone is looking for your product. (If you can check us out, we are usually at the top.)

To sell 24 hours a day all through the year. Only when the server is down, then only your web site cannot be accessed. (But we have 3 servers!) Otherwise, this is the best salesman any company want on his payroll. On top of that, no need to pay CPF, career path management or anything else.

To provide efficient and prompt customer service. Imagine being able to talk to the customer whenever he has a query or complaint. Imagine his feeling of having his feedback attended to quickly, his anger soothed and his grouses heard. You may have a customer for life if you handle such situations well.

To publicise your company’s events. How many times have you heard of people being misquoted by the Press? Well, don’t let this happen to you. Write and design what you want and say it the way you want - for maximum impact and effect to achieve the company’s objectives of your product launch, social events, products updates, etc. Why allow someone else to spoil your image?

Only the feel is missing! With a web site, everything about the product can be shown to the potential customer, except that he cannot reach out and touch the product! Advances in technology allows pictures, sound, music, film and of course plain text to be packaged together to create a powerful and desirable product for the consumer. Exploit the features and advantages!

Let the customer browse to his heart’s content. Unlike shopping in the stores or mall, most people usually have no time to look and feel, ponder and wonder, compare and discuss. Well, welcome to the web site! The customer can take half a month to decide, or half a day or even half an hour! The important thing is that he comes back to browse and order, without any pressure tactics (except maybe some form of sweeteners from your site!) and when he ask questions, you will have him!

Value for Money Advertising. With the ability to reach more than 35 million surfers worldwide (about 600,000 in Singapore), what is the cost of one page of advertising? Mini-minuscule! Not even one cent per day! Compare that to doing an advertisement world wide or even in your local newspaper!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Don’t you get tired of repeating yourself to twenty different people asking the same questions? You will soon be if one thousand of them ask you that in the course of one day! Let the machine take over and do it for you! It can even send them the answers through automatic fax response or email.

The Most Cost Effective Retail Store. Even when you are on vacation, your store is operating : answering the FAQs, collecting buy orders, allowing you to contact customers, allowing you to quote or your customers to see the quotes for themselves.... There are so many things an integrated Web site can do for you, while you are enjoying life in the Swiss Alps!

To Release Time Sensitive Materials. This feature has more to do with publicity you wish to hold and release for maximum impact - eg. results of your lucky draw, press kit for your charity drive, etc. Giving such information to the press and asking them to open only at midnight and trusting them to follow your instructions can only remain a dream! Why trust them? Keep them until time is up!

To Stay In Contact With Sales Staff On The Road or Overseas. Your traveling sales staff may require up-to-date information to clinch a deal or to demonstrate a point he made. With passwords and other security features, you can ensure that only your staff can access such information, quickly, without time differences, without heavy long distance telephone calls and bills, and most importantly, without keeping anyone awake while waiting for the call (which may even never come) from the other side of the world.

To Open More Markets. By posting your products on the Net, you market has suddenly expanded to include the whole world. Isn’t this something you want?

To Update Changing Information Quickly. Any time the information changes, you can change the information on your web site. Imagine being able to tell your staff on the other side of the world that the US Dollars has depreciated and that you can now offer a better margin to your dealers. If you rely on the traditional method, you may have lost out on a crucial deal because your competitor has already informed his people through the InterNet.

To test market new products and services. To allow feedback from anyone, including customers. To work closely with the media. To reach specialised markets. To reach your own neighbourhood markets. A company Web site will provide you with the flexibility to plan, carry out and support all your advertising requirements. And best of all, allow you to finetune your marketing and AP campaign at a mere fraction of the cost of the traditional methods of advertising.

Call us today for a serious discussion on how we can work together to achieve your marketing objectives.

Benaran Marketing Services

"We are serious about your Web success"

12 New Industrial Road, #05-05 Thoren Technocentre Singapore 526202

Tel : 288 7234 Fax : 288 0058

Email : bizdevt@singapore-business.com