by Ralph Marston
rmarston@zilker.net
Having your own home page on the World Wide Web can be a very powerful marketing tool. Your home page will be more effective if it is a part of an overall marketing plan. Don't treat your Web page as your entire marketing plan, and don't expect it to do all the work for you. Design it to complement what you are already doing.
One of the most useful things about your home page is the ability it gives you to supply information on demand. Think of it as a full color fax on demand. Refer people there when they want information about what you're offering. This can save you time and trouble, and help you make a powerful impression quickly with anyone who expresses an interest.
Your Web page can be useful even with prospects who don't have access to the Web. The Web is hot. Everyone is hearing about it, even if they're not online. Your home page address on your business cards and other marketing materials give added credibility and excitement to your business.
Include a printed copy of your Web page in your presentation folder or other marketing materials. This shows prospective customers and distributors that they'll have access to a new and exciting high tech marketing tool.
It does no good for people to see your page if they don't contact you. Be sure to give people a way to contact you, as well as a compelling reason to do so. You may want to make an offer on your page - email me for a free report, something like that.
Put your Web page address at the bottom of all your email messages, on your "sig" line. People interested in finding out more about you will take a look at your page.
If you have Web browsing capabilities, put links to your page wherever else on the Web you can find an opportunity to do so. Then make your page interesting enough to get people to ask for more information, but don't put so much that they find out all they want to know. Leave them wanting more info, so they'll have to contact you to get it.
Use your home page to provide useful information, not just sales hype. This will build your credibility and create a sense of obligation in your prosepects' minds.