Internet and Online Business


Recent Internet and Online Business Articles

Assure Customers You Will Fix Any Problems

By Jennifer LeClaire |  Apr 1, 2000

"This will be fixed" is the mantra. This will be fixed because we care about you, our customer. Remember always to acknowledge receipt of a customer compl...  Read more

Acknowledge Receipt of Complaints Immediately

By Jennifer LeClaire |  Apr 1, 2000

Acknowledge receipt of every complaint immediately by e-mail. Your first contact should be an e-mail message (or phone call, if the complaint warrants it)...  Read more

Explain Exactly How You Will Remedy the Problem

By Jennifer LeClaire |  Apr 1, 2000

It's vital to explain in writing to your customers exactly what will be done to fix a problem and when. Here is a template you can use to create an e-mail...  Read more

Understand Merchant Accounts and Their Fees

By Delilah Obie |  Apr 1, 2000

To accept credit cards, you must establish a merchant account, which is a special bank account for handling the revenue (and fees) from credit card transa...  Read more

Evaluate Alternative Online Payment Methods

By Delilah Obie |  Apr 1, 2000

Credit cards still reign as the leading method of payment for online purchases, but other payment options are available. Your product and your customers' ...  Read more

Determine the Fee Structure that Maximizes Your Profit Margin

By Delilah Obie |  Apr 1, 2000

Not every product sells in the same way, and not every merchant account provider (MAP) charges you the same way. Choose a MAP that suits your business. Be...  Read more

Specify Your Technical Requirements

By Delilah Obie |  Apr 1, 2000

Different MAPs require different "gateways" on your site. These gateways are the pieces of code that transmit your customers' orders to and from your bank...  Read more

Find MAPs You Can Work With

By Delilah Obie |  Apr 1, 2000

Many merchant account providers (MAPs) refuse accounts to start-up firms or firms and individuals with bad credit histories. Some MAPs will not accept hig...  Read more

Secure All of Your Transaction Data and Prevent Fraud

By Delilah Obie |  Apr 1, 2000

Credit card information is extremely sensitive, and plenty of villains are waiting to exploit any breach in your security. Online merchants are as suscept...  Read more

Where to Put Keywords on Your Site

By Fredrick Marckini |  Apr 1, 2000

Search engines list sites based on keywords that you can embed in your HTML code. Below is a list of different places in your site where the placement of ...  Read more

What Is a Software Spider?

By Fredrick Marckini |  Apr 1, 2000

A "software spider" is an unmanned program operated by a search engine that surfs the Web just like you would. As it visits each Web site, it records (sav...  Read more

E-Business Revenue and Spending on the Rise

By Fredrick Marckini |  Apr 1, 2000

Hard charger technology businesses see a 22% revenue contribution from e-business Overall, a 23% rise in e-business spe...  Read more

Identify the Primary Audience for Your Site

By Delilah Obie |  Apr 1, 2000

Who will be interested in your Web site? Answering this question plays a crucial part in determining what information to include in your site and how to o...  Read more

Determine Your Web Site Goals

By Delilah Obie |  Apr 1, 2000

To ensure that your site benefits your business and its users, clearly define your site goals from the beginning. Focus on a primary function and build yo...  Read more

User-Friendly Commerce Sites

By Bob Kranker |  Apr 1, 2000

Animation, sound, video, and applets of all kinds are considered the "hot ticket" for high-tech Web sites. My question is: Do you know who your end users ...  Read more

Community or Ghost Town?

By Heather Duggan |  Apr 1, 2000

We've all seen them - empty message boards, ancient posts, unanswered questions - the vast desert of unused discussion spaces. If the Internet is the new ...  Read more

Tailor Your Web Site to Your Target Audience

By Nancy Ging |  Apr 1, 2000

Everybody says your business needs a Web site. But why? And where do you start? Here's an overview of the basic process and guidelines to help you be an i...  Read more

Checklist: Monitor Your Web Site's Performance

By Lane McCulloch |  Apr 1, 2000

The goal of monitoring performance is to ensure that, at any given time, your site is available to visitors and that your pages load quickly. There are nu...  Read more

Monitor Your Web Site's Response Time

By Lane McCulloch |  Apr 1, 2000

When we run up against the "World Wide Wait," we tend to think that we're waiting for the requested page to download. But there's something that happens b...  Read more

Test Potential On-Site Search Engines

By Russell Shaw |  Apr 1, 2000

After you've identified several search engines that may meet your needs, you'll need to put them to the test. Take the time to download, install, and test...  Read more

Upstarts: ASPs

By Alessandra Bianchi |  Apr 1, 2000

Say good-bye to software as we know it and hello to ASP start-ups.  Read more

What kind of software is available for an e-publishing start-up?

By Russell Shaw |  Apr 1, 2000

Internet in Business mentor Jakob Nielsen responds to the following question from an inc.com user: I have a keen interest in s...  Read more

You've started many companies. What lessons have you learned about starting a business?

Mar 27, 2000

Internet in Business mentor Bradley Feld responds: I think mentors are more important than ever . The gre...  Read more

Entrepreneur Profile: InfoCharms

By Jennifer Hopfinger |  Mar 20, 2000

What will be the hot fashion accessories of the next millennium? Something inspired by Gucci? Created by Calvin? InfoCharms, a Southern California-based...  Read more

First Do No Harm

By Bob Duncan |  Mar 15, 2000

How does a manufacturer take advantage of the Web without destroying its relationships with retailers?  Read more

The Metamorphosis

By Mike Hofman |  Mar 15, 2000

Roy Wetterstrom saw his successful high-tech consulting company about to hit a dead end. So he's risking everything to remake it from top to bottom.  Read more

When Something Clicks

By Bronwyn Fryer |  Mar 15, 2000

During its 22 years as a profitable retail and mail-order business, Camera World honed its expertise in fulfillment, customer service, and supplier relations...  Read more

The Editorial Oui

By Ilan Mochari |  Mar 15, 2000

Need to communicate document changes quickly? This product can turn your copier into a networked scanner for paperless document distribution.  Read more

Come In. I've Been Expecting You

By Jim Sterne |  Mar 15, 2000

Personalizing your Web site doesn't have to lead to personal bankruptcy. Here's how inexpensive tools can make every site visitor feel like an audience of one.  Read more

The Portable Surfer

By Ned Snell |  Mar 15, 2000

A guide to the wireless Web: What your mobile phone can and cannot do with the Internet.  Read more

Fair Play?

By Mary Kwak |  Mar 15, 2000

Come April 21, Zeeks.com will face a new challenge -- as if constantly coming up with "kewl" features for its ever-chan...  Read more

The Incredible Shrinking Web Site

By Mike Hofman |  Mar 15, 2000

Remember the "level playing field" theory of the Web? How in cyberspace size didn't matter because even the most picayune start-up could conceal its lack ...  Read more

A Word to the (Web) Wise

By Anne Marie Borrego |  Mar 15, 2000

Just when we thought the saga of Krystal Kleen Karpet Kare's Web site and subsequent design contest was over, a reader pointed out some glaring errors in ...  Read more

Making the Most of Your Web Site

By Kimberly McCall |  Mar 14, 2000

Having a Web site is now a given. Your clients will expect you to have a site that is informational, easy to use, and well designed. Your Web site has lik...  Read more

Maximize Freebie Online Tools

By Kimberly Stansell |  Mar 13, 2000

Implementation of the right technology tools can empower you to save time, make money, and work smarter. Whether you're starting a new business or trying ...  Read more