The Web: Your Window of Opportunity

By: Dina Giolitto, Wordfeeder.com

Thinking about starting up a business? The web is the way to go.
Look around! More and more, people are relying on the internet
as an information resource, a way to foster personal
relationships, and method of purchasing goods and services.

What would you think if you received a business inquiry from an
unfamiliar company, and you looked them up on the internet to
find they had no website? They’d seem a little behind the times,
wouldn’t they? They might even come across as slightly
unprofessional. It would take away from their credibility, to
see that they had no presence on the world wide web.

Likewise: if you own your own business or are thinking of
starting one, the first place you should put your name is the
internet. Why? It’s the cheapest method of advertising that gets
you the most exposure... and it’s a way to present your offer to
the world without ever leaving the house.

The web is reputation that builds on itself. It’s a potential
buyer sitting at home, typing your specialty into a Google
search, and seeing your company pop up. It’s your own website
URL getting forwarded on via email. It’s someone in a chat forum
passing your good name along because you gave them a bit of
thoughtful advice.

The web is your own portable office space, and it’s
practically rent-free.

Now you’re probably thinking "Hey that sounds great... but I
don’t know how to create a website! And who has the time?"

I have the time. I make the time, because I love what I
do. I write web copy. I talk with people who want to increase
their exposure and grow their businesses. I take the time to
learn about them and what they do. And then I wrap it all up in
a neat, organized information package, and turn it into a
professional portfolio that showcases the best of everything
they have to offer the world. Web advertising really works. I
should know. It’s what I use to run my own business.

Part of the trick of web advertising is positioning. You want to
speak to your audience in a way that 1) identifies their needs,
and then 2) positions your company as having the solution. It’s
not a lie; it’s just a strategic way of presenting yourself. If
you do it right, it can one-up you over the next guy. How so?
Putting out a quality product is only half the secret to being a
successful seller. The other half is communication: in the right
manner, and to the right people. I can develop an athletic shoe
that will enable you to run 15 miles, but if I can''t convince
people that they might want to run 15 miles, I may as well not
have created it. I can revolutionize a way to speed-cook
chicken, but if I''m telling my story to vegetarians, it ain''t
worth a cluck!

Now that we’ve covered the basics of effective advertising: the
time has come to build a reputation for yourself on the web!
Remember that movie, Field of Dreams? If you build it, they
will come. A website, that is. The current state of our
economy is increasingly driving today’s professional to seek
options beyond the corporate job as a way to sustain income -
and especially, to make use of their talents and expertise!
Web-based businesses are hot. Free enterprise is exploding...
and everywhere you roam, inspired entrepreneurs are eager to
share their newfound knowledge. There’s a lot of cameraderie
happening, and networking with potential buyers has never been
easier or more productive.

What will tomorrow bring? Your guess is as good as mine. But
what I can tell you is this: if you''ve got a head for business,
today is your day to shine! Make the web your window of
opportunity while the going is good. If you don’t... you may
miss out on the chance of a lifetime!

Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. Use with permission.

Dina Giolitto, Wordfeeder.com:
Dina Giolitto is a New-Jersey based Copywriting Consultant with
nine years'' industry experience. Her current focus is web
content and web marketing for a multitude of products and
services although the bulk of her experience lies in retail for
big-name companies like Toys"R"Us. Visit
http://www.wordfeeder.com for rates and samples.