A: The Web is the graphical version of the Internet, just as Windows 95 is the graphical version of MS-DOS. It is more user-friendly, more pleasing to look at, and arguably more powerful because it provides direct access (via clickable "links") to related information. On the Web, it is very easy to find what you are looking for.
Dear Webwiz: How much growth has the Web seen in the last fiscal year?
A: In September 1994, only 588 businesses were listed on the Commercial Sites Index (a popular site for business listings). A year later more than 6,000 businesses have listings and an average monthly growth rate of 34%, and sales have climbed from half a million dollars to almost 23 million dollars! [Source: ActivMedia.]
Dear Webwiz: What is the best way to find what I'm looking for on the Web?
A: Check out the online search engines with which you can search for something by category, title, key words, Web address, etc. If that produces no results, you might try posting a message to a newsgroup related to what you are searching for--if it's out there, someone will point you to it. If all else fails, write to the Webwiz and I will do everything I can to find it for you.
Dear Webwiz: What does it mean when a Web site gets a "hit"?
A: Although many companies like to brag about how many hits their site gets daily, this number can be very deceiving. Every file that gets loaded registers a hit. Your Web pages, clickable maps, and images are all separate files, so if you have three pictures on your home page, the page registers four hits when accessed (three for the pictures, one for the page itself). In fact, one click can register more than ten hits, and one person can be responsible for more than a hundred hits! For more accurate feedback, find out how many visitors came to your site.
Dear Webwiz: Are credit card transactions secure on the Web?
A: Not always, but if you are using the Netscape browser and your information is transferred over the Commercenet server, it is secure. Actually, it is safer to transfer confidential information over the Web than on a fax machine. Expect robust information transfer within the next four months.
Dear Webwiz: What can I expect from the Web in the future?
A: It is likely there will be full-motion video news broadcasts, educational classes, interactive games and other entertainment, book and magazine publication, and even voting on the Web! [Source: The World Wide Web Unleashed]
Dear Webwiz: How is Web marketing different than traditional marketing?
A: Traditional marketing can require a lot of travel and a lot of money to reach a wide customer base. Print advertising, though highly effective, is cost-prohibitive and information must be updated regularly, which translates into even more money. On the Web, you have instant access to electronic mail, where clients or prospective clients can reach you at any time of day or night, instantly, and for very little money, however far away they might be. Since you are hooked into a network with people from around the world, a business that could afford to be only local can now expand to a global marketplace.
Web information is also very easy to update, and the changes appear instantly. The Web does not require that you be "logged in" for others to access your information, so your site is up and running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition, the Web is interactive, meaning people browsing your site will be able to quickly find what they want, avoiding information that is not of interest. Some might say this is a disadvantage, because Web surfers could skip over something you intended for them to see. Luckily, the Web is flexible enough that you can decide how the information is presented, and change it to suit your needs if business is slow. You also have online ordering forms at your disposal, so your customers can complete an entire transaction online!
Web marketing will become even more powerful in the future because of increased audio and video capabilities, increased interactivity, and the simple fact that the Web is "catching on." The number of Web users has been growing steadily, and it will most likely become an indispensable tool before long. As more sophisticated Web marketing strategies are developed, other media are likely to decrease in popularity because the Web is more flexible and more up-to-date. The Web is the future of marketing--get caught up in it!