MARKETING ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB: SELLING WITHOUT HUSTLING

So you're working on another marketing push for your freelance indexing business, but the thought of sending out cold-query letters and making unsolicited phone calls makes you shiver. You put aside that cold-query letter you've been working on all day, take off your glasses, rub your eyes, and decide it's time to take a long walk -- to the cafe for a double tall latte.

As you're walking, trying to forget about selling your services to people you don't know and can't see, your mind keeps turning to Anne Leach's presentation about marketing. She verbalized everything that is uncomfortable about marketing: it feels like hustling, pushing, and persuading. We feel obnoxious and brash when we're doing it. You can't help thinking that there must be a comfortable way to market yourself. As you pay for your latte, you continue the thought: there must be a way to have a store-front where editors and publishers can see you, and you don't have to intrude on anyone. There must be a way to subtly remind potential clients of your services. Take this cafe, for example. It is always here, and you pass it on your walks. Its being here is one form of advertising. Customers don't get calls or letters from the cafe's employees asking you to come back when you want more coffee. Isn't there a way for a freelancer to do that? If marketing is "advertising, packaging and selling goods," isn't there a way for you to focus on the packaging part and make the packaging a form of advertising?

There is. You can do all those things by using one of the hottest new communication tools. That's right, media hype and mass hysteria aside, the World Wide Web can help make your marketing feel less like hustling. In this article, I'll explain how you can do this by establishing a Web Site. Please keep in mind that establishing a Web site is not The Answer -- not every indexer should have one. Having your own Web site is just an additional tool in your marketing toolbox, yours to make use of, should you decide that marketing via the Web is comfortable for you.

When you think about using the Internet to support your business, you should first identify what needs you want to meet, and then choose the Internet tool(s) that will be most effective in meeting those needs. If you want more efficient communication with clients and colleagues, email will do the job. If you want to deliver files quickly, learn how to use file transfer protocol (FTP). If you want to do market research using the Internet, or you want to make use of specialized dictionaries and thesauri, using telnet and gopher can give you immediate access to that information. For all of the above, you can use the Web. In Doing Business on the Internet, Mary Cronin includes a chapter on doing a business needs assessment to help you clarify your needs and the resources you'll want to use. She describes the major Internet tools and includes a detailed chart analysis of what Internet tools support what needs. I recommend that you take a look at Cronin's book for of an explanation of how you can take advantage of the tools mentioned above. If you are interested in new ways of promoting your business and your profession, you should consider creating a Web site. Before taking the plunge, you need to thoroughly evaluate what you want to get out of creating a site. Remember, only you can determine whether creating a Web site is right for your business.

Marketing on World Wide Web is quite different from traditional marketing. The two are as different as are email and snail-mail. The late media critic Marshall McLuhan reminded us that new technologies are usually seen in terms of previous technologies: film was first seen as a new form of theater, and television as a new form of film. As we use the new media more, we see it in a new light. Its own light. Right now, we think of the Web as a new form of publishing, but we are beginning to see how different it is. Our experience with the Web is changing our views of it and we are becoming accustomed to its unique qualities.

How will a having a Web site change your business? Each case is different. Below I'll outline some of my reasons for creating a Web site. Use these to spark your thoughts about how you might use the Web for your own business.

Clients and colleagues can get information about me 24 hours a day (if there are no technical problems). My Web site provides a point-of-need service that allows them to stop by without thinking about whether I'll be in my office.

Clients who don't use FTP can get requested documents at their convenience if I mount them on my Web site. I haven't used this yet, but if someone wants to see a specific index, I can put it on my Web site and say "you can view the document at my Web site..."

Web pages are living documents, so I can update my client list to reflect the real situation. Clients know the information in their files is out of date. Now they know how they can get updated information about me any time they need it.

Newsletter-type publications can be distributed with no mailing costs. I never would have considered writing a newsletter for my small business, but now I can.

"Marketing" is easy because potential clients come to me rather than me having to find them. Sure, I won't attract the tens of millions of Internet users, but I will attract interested people. It is more efficient for me to address the needs of these self-selected individuals than to spend time, effort, and money on developing advertisements that reach many uninterested people via print resources.

PR, PR, PR! Indexers can begin to create a professional presence on the Internet. When people do searches for Publishers or Editors on search engines (like Lycos or Yahoo), I want them to find Indexers. Many publishers have established Web pages, but where are the indexers?

The results of my having a Web site have been interesting: 244 browsers stopped by my site in three months; 4 editors have contacted me to say they found my site via search engines and were impressed, 2 of which had immediate projects for me; I received invitations for 3 speaking engagements at ASI meetings; 3 people interested in indexing as a career emailed me questions about indexing; 3 indexers ready to create their own Web pages asked me for help.

What do these reactions mean? Is it worth it to have a Web site? For me it is, but only you can decide what is right for your own business. Here are some drawbacks to creating a Web site:

You will need to learn HTML.

Time flies when you're designing and maintaining Web pages. You will do a lot of tinkering.

If you aren't used to email yet, or are not a regular Web user, you may find this task daunting.

It may be a large investment, either in time or money. Be sure you can afford the time or money involved.

As a new media that is still evolving, you may find that in a year or so, you'll have to re-do some of your work.

Web users are still only a small portion of the world. In the U.S. alone, only 8% of the population regularly use the Web.

If you have time and energy to create your own Web site, I highly recommend it. The two major steps are (1) learning HyperText Markup Language (HTML), and (2) layout and design of your pages. Learning HTML is actually the simple quick step. HTML is simply a language used to write documents so that all Web browsers can read the documents. Just as a document has to be written for WordPerfect in order for it to be read correctly in WordPerfect, Web documents must be written in HTML in order for Web browsers to read it correctly. Once you have a basic understanding of HTML, you will spend the rest of your time playing with the layout of your Web site. That is where most of your time goes. My business Web site only took a couple of long days to set up initially, and I edit / update two or three times a month. However, it wasn't my first site. You will do a lot of tinkering with your first site, so I will take you longer to get going. There are several forms of instructional assistance available if you decide to design it yourself (see the FOR MORE section at the end of this article for specific starting points):

Classes/workshops. Check with local colleges & universities, libraries, or computer stores for offerings of Web page design classes. There will be an HTML workshop ("Weaving Your Own Small Web") at the ASI Annual Meeting in Denver, taught by Jan Wright and myself, the designers of the ASI Web site.

Books. You can find hundreds of books on HTML at bookstores and libraries. The one that I hear praised the most is Teach Yourself Web Publishing with HTML in one week by Laura Lemay (1995).

Instructional Web pages. There are numerous Web sites including HTML primers. Find a few that fit your learning style and dive in.

Software. There are software programs designed to make creating HTML documents easier for you. Microsoft offers Internet Assistant (at no charge) through their Web site. This is an add-on to Word for Windows that converts Word documents into HTML documents.

If you have more money than time to invest in creating a Web page, consider hiring someone else to do it for you. I would also recommend that if you are new to the Web, you might hire a professional to design your site. As I mention below, your Web experience is the key to designing a good Web site. You can find plenty of Web site designers through search engines. Expect to pay anywhere from $200 to $2000 for the initial site, and the same amount monthly for maintenance. Be sure to ask about extra charges for space on a Web server, updates to pages, additional space, large graphics, and forms. As with other services, shop around and look at samples of each one's work. Choose to work with a designer whose sites are your style.

One option for getting a less expensive Web page is to find someone who is interested in creating Web pages, but who has little or no experience. You may find a student at a local university or know of a friend who wants to learn HTML. Volunteer to give them their first project.

Your experience using the Web will help you design your Web site. Think about the how you use the Web. Have you sent email from the Web? Ordered products off the Web? Become impatient when waiting for graphics to load? Browsed with images off? (40% of Web users browse with images off, says Mary Cronin in Doing Business on the Internet.) Been frustrated by traveling to a site that looks interesting, but once you arrive, it's useless?

These are all valuable insights for designing a Web site. As a user, you know what you like and what you don't. So, will you want to include a form so that potential clients can get a project quote from you immediately? Will you rely heavily on graphics? What kinds of information will you give browsers so that they won't feel that visiting your site was a waste of their time?

The most important thing to remember is that your audience is coming to you, you aren't going to them. They are voluntarily visiting your site, so you need not be flashy. You do need to add to the "free information" culture of the Internet by adding something of value. In other words, offer information that is unique, needed, and wanted by your browsers. Marketing on the Web is more about creating a presence than selling a service. Keep in mind that users can click the mouse (or hit the "back-arrow" key) as easily as they change t.v. channels with a remote control. Jill and Matthew Ellsworth share insightful thoughts about information vs. hype in their Internet Business Book.

What information do you include on your Web site? Unique information will keep browsers returning and will motivate them to refer their colleagues and friends to your site. Provide useful information, like a business biography, client list, resume, or pricing information. Include any other information unique to you: published articles, brochures, awards, accomplishments, or glowing client quotes. Anything that potential clients would find interesting and informative is game.

Make your pages aesthetically pleasing, of course. Strive for readability, browsability, and consistency within and between documents. Make sure each document looks like it belongs with the rest: for example, have your business name at the top of each page in the same format, and end each page with a link to your email address. Do large graphics make your page take too long to load? What does your site look like using a text-based browser? Try to make your site just as appealing for people using text-based browsers and for those browsing with images off.

Make use of the hypertext function - that's what the Web is all about. Don't include long documents that (1) take a long time to load, and (2) waste users' time by making them scroll down a long page to get to information at the end. To avoid having one enormous page, redesign your documentation so that information is "chunked" and users only get as much information as they want and ask for. Let your users be active by determining what information they want to see more of, and giving them the choice to link to still more information.

One last note about page design -- remember that for many people, this is their first look at you and perhaps at indexing as a profession. What does your page say about you? About indexing?

On that note, here are some things to avoid when designing your Web site...

Do not use the Web as a marketing tool without having some idea of what you aim to get from it. Browsers can tell if you don't know what your goal is. Is your site aimed at friends or clients?

Do not expect immediate increases in clients (the Web is still experimental and evolving).

Do not begin your campaign without support ready to handle responses (what if you do get 10 email messages one day from beginning indexers?)

Do not announce your Web site until it's done (initial phases, at least). Even if you include an "under construction" note asking browsers to return later -- chances are, they won't.

Do not rely on graphics, do not rely on graphics, do not rely on graphics.

If you design your own site, your easiest option for housing is to find out if the Internet provider through which you have an email account also has Web space. With some providers Web space is free, and with others you may have to pay a bit extra per month. If you will have to find a new provider, be sure to talk to your colleagues, friends, and librarians about reputable providers in your area. Another place you might try is a nearby educational institution with classes or programs relevant to your business. Maybe a nearby School of Library and Information Science has its own network with Web space. If so, see if they would give you free space in exchange for mentioning on your Web page that they are providing you with space ("you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours"). What other departments at that institution would go for this? What other institutions could you solicit? You might also try finding a brand new Internet provider who might be offering very reasonable rates. You can find lists of local Internet providers through search engines.

When you're looking for Web space, be sure to ask your provider questions like:

Will I have any login restrictions? (for example, can I only connect from 6-9am, or for a maximum of 2 hours at a time)

Are there space / memory limits? Can I pay for extra space, or is there just no more space? (for perspective, ASI pages are only 288k)

What are your user-to-modem ratios? (12 to 1 is good, 25 to 1 isn't) You want to make sure that you can connect to update your pages.

What modem speeds do you support? (standard new modems are 28,800 bps)

What kind of technical or customer support do you provide? Is the support only via email, or can I speak to a living human being? How many support people do you have?

Does your system support CGI scripts? (if you want to include forms on your page, you will need this)

Once you've gone through the trouble to set up a Web page, how do you let people know you're there? First, submit your site to major search engines (like Yahoo). Be sure to add your URL to your letterhead, business cards, and your signature file. Write a note by the phone reminding you to mention this new development to clients the next time you contact them. Send postcards to clients announcing your exciting new service. Mention your page when networking with colleagues at meetings, at the ASI Annual Conference, or on INDEX-L.

Here are some books and Web sites that will be useful should you decide to create a Web site. There are hundreds of books and Web sites out there, so find one that works with your learning style, and dive in...

Internet introductions:

An Indexer's Guide to the Internet by Lori Lathrop. ASI, 1994.

The Whole Internet by Ed Krol. O'Reilly & Associates, 1995.

Business on the Internet:

Doing Business on the Internet by Mary Cronin. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1994.

The Internet Business Book by Jill & Matthew Ellsworth. Wiley, 1994.

Web site creation:

Teach Yourself Web Publishing with HTML in one week by Laura Lemay. Sams.net, 1996

Yale's Web page style guide (very helpful) at http://info.med.yale.edu/caim/StyleManual_Top.HTML

NCSA's "getting started" Web page at http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/General/Internet/WWW/HTMLPrimer.html

HTML editors reviewed:

"Writing Tools for Web Pages" by Steve Rosenthal in NewMedia, October 1995.

For computer novices, this section summarizes the basic concepts of the Internet for you. If this introduction still leaves you wanting more of an explanation of the Internet, please see my FOR MORE section for recommended starting points.

Back in the 1970's the U.S. Department of Defense wanted to create a way to transfer information from one computer to another via wiring (like phone lines), but without problems if one section of the wiring was damaged. So, they created an inter-connected network of networks. Lots of little networks that were all somehow connected. That way, instead of sending information from New York to Los Angeles directly, the information could be first sent to Cleveland, then to San Antonio, then on to LA. And if the lines to Cleveland were down, the information would go through St. Louis first, then to San Antonio, etc. This network of networks was dubbed "Internet". And that structure is still in place today and being used by many academic institutions, businesses, and now, private households.

The Internet is a network of computer networks. "So, what is a computer network", you ask? Two or more computers connected to each other and sharing resources. For example, in my house our two computers share one printer: thus, creating a computer network in my house. The local library has half a dozen computers sharing databases. Those computers are "networked" and share the same information source. Those are all networks. Internets (lower case i) are two or more networks connected together. The Internet (capital I) consists of over 40,000 autonomous computer networks. When you connect to the Internet, your computer becomes part of this world-wide network of computers. How? By becoming part of a small network, which is then connected to the Internet. That's what it's all about.

Just because you have a modem in your computer, doesn't mean you can access the Internet. To use information accessible via the Internet, you must belong to a network that is already connected. You do that by finding an Internet provider. Think about your telephone service: if you buy a telephone at Wal-Mart, and plug it into a jack in the wall, you must take another step before you'll hear a dial-tone. You have to get an account with a telephone service provider. Well, to have access to the Internet, you need to have an account with an Internet service provider. Internet providers are networks connected to the Internet, which in plain English means they will give you a phone number for your modem to dial in order to connect to their network. They are your on-ramp to the information superhighway that we call the Internet. Once you're connected to your provider, you have access to other resources connected to the Internet. From there, you can use email or other tools mentioned in this article. Ask your colleagues, friends, and librarians for names of reputable providers in your area.

The Internet is not a company. There is no single authority that controls the Internet. Each autonomous network on the Internet makes its own rules, regulations, and decisions about which resources to make publicly available. Because these networks are decentralized and self-governed, each has something unique to offer the rest of the world. The Internet evolved into its current state of information sharing, when academic institutions began to make use of it. It is now, and hopefully will continue to be, a huge experimentation in information sharing. Everyone on the Internet gives the world something they value, and in return, they can access information from other people or organizations. There is an enormous amount of information made available to the general public via the Internet, so the possibilities of you finding information of value to you are quite great.

So, the Internet is just a network of networks sharing information. So what? How can you use the Internet? There are several navigational tools that you can make use of as a businessperson.

The most widely used Internet tool is electronic mail, known affectionately as email. Email is very similar to what we now call snail mail (postal mail), except it is in electronic format rather than on paper. Email moves quickly and messages are often received within minutes of being sent. Because of the speed of email, notes tend to be less like written communication, and more like spoken conversation. Among the advantages of using email is electronic storage and speed of correspondence, the ease of sending electronic copies of documents, and the fact that sender and receiver do not have to be online at the same time. Real life applications? I have of most of my business email sent and received (saving file cabinet space), I emailed this article to Anne Leach, and I'm a member of a committee that functions entirely through email (the ASI Web Committee).

Another useful tool is telnet, which allows you to connect to computers at remote sites. Once you are connected to your Internet provider, you can connect to other computers connected to the Internet, and you can use those computers as if you were sitting in front of them. For example, when I'm connected to my provider's network, I can telnet to my local public library to search their catalog or reserve a book. Voila! Some computers require that you have an account on their system when you telnet. But others (at libraries and other kinds of information services) allow you to use their site to access information without having an account. My real life example is that I telnetted to small business information networks to get all kinds of useful documentation when I first started my business. Now, I telnet to networks with information on publishers, or to check out the latest issue of Literary Market Place at my local library.

The first real user-friendly tool on the Internet was gopher, which presents public files in an organized menu. Documents available on gophers still account for a large portion of the documents on the Internet. Most government agencies have gophers. That is how I get tons of business, tax, and legislation information. I also use dictionaries and thesauri available via gophers. That's just a fraction of what's available.

Another tool that I use a lot is File Transfer Protocol (FTP). It is more challenging to use because you must learn commands. The concept is simple - it is a universal language that computers on the Internet use to transfer files between themselves. That means that if I had a document on my IBM computer (say, an index), I could transfer it to my Internet provider's UNIX computer, where I could then transfer it to a client's Macintosh. Thanks to FTP, I can do that. My Internet provider's computer can communicate with my client's computer because they all understand FTP. I use FTP to send indexes to clients, among other things.

The World Wide Web (a.k.a. the Web, WWW, or W3) is the fastest growing Internet tool. It is the easiest way to navigate the Internet. If someone has demonstrated "the Internet" to you in the last year, and you saw pictures, what you saw was the Web. The Web is a hypertext-based way of finding and accessing Internet resources. Hypertext is a non-linear, non-hierarchical way of organizing information. Highlighted / underlined text can be selected in order to move to a related document (which may be on another computer system). If you have used online help on a windows-based or Macintosh computer, you have seen hypertext in action. On the Internet, this feature is unique to the World Wide Web. To view Web documents, we use Web browsers - software packages that know how to interpret and display Web documents. The two browsers you may have heard of are Netscape and Mosaic. There are also text-based browsers that display Web documents to you without the graphics. Lynx is the most common text-based browser.

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