© Copyright 1999DEION ASSOCIATES & STRATEGIES, INC. 1 USING THE INTERNET AS A STRATEGIC BUSINESS TOOL A Basic Internet Guide 2’nd in a series Presented.

© Copyright 1999 DEION ASSOCIATES & STRATEGIES, INC.

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USING THE INTERNET AS ASTRATEGIC BUSINESS TOOL

A Basic Internet Guide2’nd in a series

Presented by:

Mark S. Deion

DEION ASSOCIATES & STRATEGIES, INC.


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Introduction:• Not everyone is on-line, but internet technology

allows you to deal with people who are on-line and off-line.

• It allows you to significantly reduce costs.

• It allows you to significantly increase performance.


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Introduction: (cont)

• Relate your internet plan to cost reductions and operational enhancements and you will be able to justify all internet expenditures!

• We suggest you review other internet development material on our web site at:

http://www.deionassociates.com

http://www.deionassociates.com/




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Introduction: (cont)

Don’t just…..“do it”.

Do it well!

Do it with a plan!

Do it with measurable objectives!!

Think globally, act locally AND globally!


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Key Issues:

• Implementation Plan• Cost Reduction• E-Mail Policy• Performance Review• Customer Relationship Analysis• Security• Search Engines


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Implementation Plan:

Establish an Internet Implementation Plan

• Use multi-directional communication for input:– Management < 2-way > Staff

– Company < 2-way > Customers (end users)

– Company < 2-way > internet professionals

– Company < 2-way > other internet users


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Implementation Plan: (cont)

• Ask:– What do you want the internet to do for you?

– What will your staff use it for?

– What will your customers use it for?• How are they currently using the internet?

– Are your competitors using the internet?• How?

• Will they be able to use your internet data to their advantage?

– What is the “bottom line” for your plan?


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• Develop a multi-phase implementation plan– Initiate phases to facilitate:

• Integration with staff

• Integration with customers

• Revision and re-development

– Don’t expect to do everything at once!

– Be prepared to constantly revise your plan!


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• Establish realistic operational and performance goals & objectives:– Cost Reduction

– Increased Staff performance

– Enhanced customer relations• Existing / Prospective

– Increased marketing activities• Existing markets

• New markets


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Cost Reduction:

• Printing– Labor Costs

• Personnel time

• Sub-contractors (printing, design, etc,)

– Material costs• Stationery

• Collateral material

• Catalogs


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Cost Reduction: (cont)

• Telephone– Reduce personnel time

• Eliminate “on-hold” time

• Reduce response time

– Reduce telephone charges• Local

• Long distance

– Internet access plans can be coordinated to facilitate all your telco communication needs.


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• Fax– Reduce line usage

– Reduce telephone charges• Local

• Long distance)

– Reduce equipment and supplies expense

– Reduce personnel time• Staff waiting to send / receive faxes

• Re-entry of faxed data into software


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– For some interesting fax cost saving programs• Check out: http://www.Fax4Free.com

• Check out: http://www.callwave.com

• Mail– Reduction of “mail-out” expense

• Refer customers to web site data– Maintain product / service catalogs on-line

http://www.fax4free.com/


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• Distribute data via E-Mail lists– Alert customers to price changes, new products

– Alert customers to policies and helpful information

– Provide customers with “Free” helpful information

– New market penetration• Reach out to new customers without knowing who they are

– Web site data can be “searched for” by potential customers

– Potential customers can “find” you rather than you “finding” them and paying the expense to forward information to them


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• Personnel Time– Accomplish more work in less time

• Reduce time to complete tasks

– Offer more things to existing customers• Increased efficiency allows for increased customer service

– Offer more things to prospective customers• Increased efficiency allows for increased service to prospects


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– Offer more things for a fraction of the traditional cost• Increased marketing capabilities

• Increased information dissemination

• Faster response time to requests for information

• Faster (real time) business transactions


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E-Mail Policy:

Establish E-Mail Policies & Protocols

• Establish guidelines for E-mail usage– Make sure your personnel is aware of and complies

with your policies and procedures

• Answer your E-Mail!– Demand a timely response to ALL E-Mail messages

received!!!


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E-Mail Policy: (cont)

• What to send– Only send “appropriate” information

• Do not send “spam”

• Do not send massive amounts of un-requested information

• How to send– Send information in a format usable by the recipient


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• Who to send to– Originator of message

– Recipients who would value the information being sent

• When to send– Send information which is “time sensitive” and would

be valued by the recipient(s)

– Send information which is requested in a timely fashion


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• How to respond– Respond to recipient

– Respond in a timely fashion

– Do not use “cc:” or “Bcc:” unless appropriate

– Do not use “reply” which copies the entire original message and original recipient list unless appropriate

• If you use “reply”, edit the original message


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• Content of messages– Proprietary information

• What is allowed?– Make sure your personnel knows what they may send!

• What is restricted?– Make sure your personnel knows what they may not send!!

– Appropriate comments• Be polite and courteous “at all times”

– Do not send inappropriate remarks via E-Mail

– Do not argue via E-Mail


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• Ease of Use– File attachments

• Only attach files if file size and file format requires it– Do not attach small files unless there is a reason for doing so

– Do not attach small file size memos. Cut and paste text of message into the E-Mail message.

• If you attach a file, note the file type in the text of message– Don’t attach files that recipients cannot open

– Do not open or send executable files (.exe) unless:» Sender and recipient are aware of purpose for doing so

» Sender and recipient confirm integrity of .exe file


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– Replying to messages received• Using “Reply” automatically copies the original message

• If you use “Reply”:– Edit the original message to reduce length/content

» You can insert your comments within the text to increase relevancy

• If you communicate back and forth with another person using “Reply” all previous reply messages will be listed

– Edit the message to reduce length/content

• Do not “Reply to All” unless required


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– Forwarding messages received• Using “Forward” automatically copies the original message

and the list of recipients

• If you Forward a message which was Forwarded to you, the entire Forwarding history will be listed on the recipient’s E-Mail message

– Edit the message to only Forward the original message

– Edit the message to remove the Forwarding history


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– Learn how to use:• “To:”

– This option will let you send a message to anyone listed in the “To:” section. If you select a group of people or various E-Mail lists, these E-Mail address will appear in the in the E-Mail message received by all recipients.

– If you’re sending a message to numerous people, it might not be advisable to have every recipient know who the message was sent to. You could be revealing valuable marketing information!

– Also, no one likes to receive a one sentence message with a 3- page list of all the people the E-Mail message was sent to


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• “cc:” (carbon copy)– This option will let all recipients know who the message was

sent to, and who it was copied to

– Every message received will list all of the “To” and “cc” recipients

• “Bcc:” (Blind carbon copy)– This option eliminates the list of recipients

» Each recipient only sees their own E-Mail address

– When sending a bulk E-Mail message, this option eliminates:» The long list of E-mail recipients

» The potential to disclose valuable E-Mail address information


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For additional E-Mail Hints, check out: http://www.deionassociates.com/ehints.htm

For E-Mail software data, check out: http://www.deionassociates.com/hplist/in4.htm

http://www.deionassociates.com/ehints.htm






http://www.deionassociates.com/hplist/in4.htm







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Performance Review:

Create a Company-wide Internet Plan Performance Review Process

• Establish measurable goals and objectives– Review performance based upon:

• Time

• Financial impact– Cost savings

– Increased financial leverage


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Performance Review: (cont)

• Enhanced personnel performance

• Enhanced customer / vendor relationships

• Educate your staff– Provide training in all aspects of internet usage

• Encourage cross training of staff members and departments

• Establish performance review parameters

– Provide training to support desired goals• Illustrate how to guarantee positive impact

– Don’t assume they’ll figure it out on their own


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• Measure the impact on:– Operations:

• Determine what has been accomplished– What is better?

– What needs to be improved?

– What needs to be revised?

– How can use of the internet make other activities more effective and efficient?

– Sales efforts:• Are you able to increase sales?


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– Marketing activities:• Are you able to:

– Expand your market share?

– Enter into new market areas?

– Market new product / service lines?

– Customer relations:• Can you service more customers?

• Can you service existing customers more effectively?

• What is your customer approval rating?


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• Determine positive and negative impacts– Identify positive impacts

• Ask your staff what works well, and why?

• Establish support plans to maintain and enhance

• Expand use of positive results to other areas of business

– Identify negative impacts• Ask your staff what doesn’t work well, and why?

• Implement corrective measures

• Make necessary adjustments to internet plan


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Customer Relationship Analysis:

• Determine what your customers want before you develop your plan– Encourage them to participate in development process

• How will they use the internet with you?

• What will make the internet a viable tool for them?

– Encourage them to participate in the review process• Does your internet plan enhance their operation?

• Does your internet plan enhance their performance?

• Does your internet plan impact their finances?


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Customer Relationship Analysis: (cont)

– Request input on future development• What additional options/features are desirable?

• Offer training assistance on internet usage


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Security:

• Web site data– Assure web site data security and integrity

• Design plan with internal / external site host

• Control access to data revision

• Develop plan to prevent outside “hacker”

• Password, hardware, software protection

• Internet - Intranet - Extranet– Protect internal data from outside access

• Firewalls, remote servers, extranet, etc.

• Password, hardware, software protection


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Security: (cont)

• E-Mail / File transmission– Establish security protocols for:

• E-mail attachments

• File transfers / downloads

• Utilize remote storage facilities

• Beware of the “.exe” file

– Utilize virus scanning software• Update frequently!

• Utilize remote storage facilities


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Search Engines:

• Learn how to use the various search engines– Practice and learn the different search parameters

– Learn how each engine compiles/indexes data

– Try the same search on different engines• Compare the results

• Develop search engine use skills

• Learn which engines are best for which types of searches

• Share these results with your staff


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Search Engines: (cont)

• Perform test searches– Determine if the data returned is relevant

• Refine your search

• Use a different engine

– Develop search guidelines for your staff

• Bookmark valuable sites– Share bookmarks with staff

For a list of search engines, check out:http://www.deionassociates.com/hplist/in6.htm


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Conclusion:

• We hope you will be able to use some of this information to assist in the development of your internet program.

• We recommend that you research what others have done on the internet to make your job easier.

• Remember, the internet is only a tool. Use this tool to have a positive impact on the performance of your company.


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Additional Resources:

• This presentation and numerous other internet related presentations, articles and seminars can be accessed on our web site at: http://www.deionassociates.com

Mark S. Deion President

DEION ASSOCIATES & STRATEGIES, INC.106 Tyler Street Warwick, RI 02888-2704

Tel: 401-732-0457 Fax: 401-732-8767

E-Mail: [email protected]

URL: http://www.deionassociates.com

© Copyright 1999DEION ASSOCIATES & STRATEGIES, INC. 1 USING THE INTERNET AS A STRATEGIC BUSINESS TOOL A Basic Internet Guide 2’nd in a series Presented.

Documents

internet plan

internet implementation

internet users

internet data

internet technology

internet expenditures

internet development

basic internet guide