TIPS AND INFORMATION FOR WEBSITE OWNERS
from Websites at Work

IN THIS ISSUE

WELCOME

Welcome to the June issue of WEAVING THE WEB. In this issue you will find useful and interesting tips and information to help you get the most out of your website. This issue concentrates on e-commerce.

FEATURE ARTICLE

E-commerce is more than a shopping cart

How do you get the best from your e-commerce website' Too many businesses merely add a shopping cart to their existing website, or worse still a link to a third-party e-shop, and get very poor results. To successfully sell over the Internet you need to effectively integrate all elements of e- commerce. This article outlines how e-commerce works and what your e-commerce website must do to succeed. http://www.websitesatwork.com.au/howecommerceworks.html

NEWS YOU CAN USE

Mobile Internet set  to take off
There will be up to 930 million mobile Internet users five years from now. Websites at Work websites can already generate SMS messages. Find out more about how the mobile Internet market will grow at:
http://smh.com.au/articles/2002/06/11/1022982835152.html

20% Referrer discount
Our aim is to provide top quality websites and a service that is so good you recommend it to your customers and colleagues. To show our appreciation when you do this, we offer a 20% discount on your monthly hosting and support fees for every new customer that you introduce to us. The discount is cumulative, so only five successful referrals and your monthly hosting and support will be free.

Canberra business again leading e-commerce use in Australia.
Businesses in Canberra are leading Australian states and territories in the use of the Internet to conduct business. But while 60% of Canberra business would like to sell their goods and services online only 40% are actually using e-commerce. For more information see: http://www.paybysnap.com/ news/.

.com.au and .net.au domain name rules liberalised
From 1 July, the previously restrictive rules will be relaxed so you can register names that have a close and substantial connection to your business and you can have multiple domain names for one company. You will be able to own .com.au domain names that are based on generic names, products, services, events, proffesions and abbreviations. For more see http://netregistry.net/headlines/June/june_news.html.

Beware of spyware
Spyware is ostensibly useful programs that in fact exist to spy on your Internet usage and sell this information to advertisers. Find out what spyware is and how to avoid it at:
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/06/12/1022982864714.html.

Hardware firewalls for broadband connections
If your a dialup user a software based firewall is generally adequate, however, for locations connected permanently to the internet via a broadband, leased line, ISDN or long held dialup connections a hardware based firewall should be used. For more information on firewalls see
http://www.fusioncommunications.com.au.

COACHES CORNER - TERRIFIC TIPS

TIP 10: A refund policy is essential for any e-commerce website that sells products. The key to e-commerce is building trust with potential customers and a clear refund policy will reassure customers that you will not mistreat them.

TIP 11: Choose a font to use throughout your website and use it consistently. Changes in font distract your visitors and make your website look less professional. If you don't need more than one font for your content, Websites at Work can lock this font in to avoid any chance of inadvertently introducing a different font when adding new pages.

WEB WORDS

e-commerce
E-commerce has many definitions, often contradictory. Broadly, e-commerce is the use of the Internet to buy and sell goods and services. It can include business-to- business transactions, but is most commonly used to mean selling products and services direct to consumers.

WEBSITE OF THE MONTH
Our June website of the month is http://www.mosaicmadness.com.au/. This vibrant website shows the power of a dynamic visual presence combined with comprehensive information and e-commerce. The website reflects the friendly and exciting nature of the business. The Mosaic Madness school offers several creative and technical courses for the mosaicist, and the art school offers specialist courses for the strictly beginner in painting & drawing. The Omega Studio School has introduced a new school called the Classics  where beginner students can learn about Fresco painting, Murals in oil, Egg Tempera Techniques and Encaustic (wax) techniques. The online shop has 'DIY' Do-It-Yourself kits & Books, mosaic materials and supplies, greenware pieces and more.

INTERNET MARKETING RESOURCES FOR YOU

From our partners Creative Thinking:
http://www.creative-thinking.com.au/

Tip
So, your new business is primarily by word-of-mouth, but things are slow and you are not sure where to turn. Actively seek out your current and past clients and ask for referrals. Be proactive in your word-of-mouth management.

Useful article on marketing
Budgeting for marketing communication activities is a contentious issue. What method do you choose? Find out how to plan your promotional budget at:
http://www.creative-thinking.com.au/resources/1024531779.html

Until next month!

Michelle Davis

Websites at Work – websites created to put you in control.
Get a free website needs assessment at http://www.websitesatwork.com.au/websiteneeds.html

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GIVE A GIFT TO A FRIEND!
Please forward this update to your friends and colleagues! Your recommendation is how we grow, and anyone can subscribe by visiting http://www.websitesatwork.com.au/newsletter.html. Remember that we give you a 20% discount on hosting and support for every customer you successfully introduce to us. See http://www.websitesatwork.com.au/discounts.html for details of this offer.

SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE
If you wish to be added to or removed from this newsletter please use the form at http://www.websitesatwork.com.au/newsletter.html.

FREE WEBSITE NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Does your website meet your business needs' Simply contact Websites at Work, or fill in our new website needs analysis form at http://www.websitesatwork.com.au/websiteneeds.html and we will give you a FREE initial website needs assessment. Too many websites fail to match the real needs of their owners, even though in many cases relatively few changes are needed. Our aim is to gain and hold the loyalty of our customers, we achieve this by ensuring that we understand your business needs and making sure that your website meets these needs. Our assessment, and our service, covers all aspects of owning a website, not just its appearance or functionality.

Michelle Davis is Director of Websites at Work, a web design business that specialises in designing and supporting database driven websites and e-commerce set up for easy owner content management. http://www.websitesatwork.com.au
E: mailto:info@websitesatwork.com.au P: +61 (0)2 6241 0467
F: +61 (0)2 8569 1505         M: +61 (0)412 819 376

COPYRIGHT
This material is Copyright Websites at Work 2002. Feel free to share this Update or any of the resources on our website with your colleagues and friends, just keep the copyright information intact. The author is Michelle Davis and requests to publish tips or articles should be directed to: mailto:info@websitesatwork.com.au or telephone +61 (0)2 6241 0467