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An IBM Guide to Doing Business on the Internet

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An IBM Guide to Doing Business on the Internet

A Complete Blueprint for E-Business Success

McGraw-Hill,

15 min read
10 take-aways
Text available

What's inside?

IBM’s advice to would-be Web designers, in a nutshell: Keep it simple, and make your guests feel at home.

Editorial Rating

6

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

While there’s certainly no shortage of hype about the Internet, there is a scarcity of clear, effective information about how companies are executing successful Web strategies. If you’re confused about how to carve a niche on the Internet, or if you’re overwhelmed by the complexity of the dauntingly dubbed "e-commerce initiative," An IBM Guide to Doing Business on the Internet offers a helpful starting point. With concrete examples and clear language, author Kendra R. Bonnett takes readers through a link-by-link plan for launching an effective Web site. She dutifully defines jargon and appropriately focuses on customer needs. As a result, this book won’t appeal to hard-core geeks, but it does have plenty to offer readers whose Internet knowledge is at the novice or intermediate level. getAbstract recommends An IBM Guide to Doing Business on the Internet to executives who, when it comes to the Internet, just don’t quite get it - but want to.

Summary

WWW: Why Would We?

E-commerce last year supplanted catalog shopping as the third biggest purchasing arena in the U.S., behind brand-name stores and discount retailers. In 1999, online shoppers spent $109 billion, and total online purchases are expected to reach $1.3 trillion by 2003. In addition to providing this growing market, e-commerce can help companies save money, improve efficiency and build sales. In general, there are three primary reasons for a business to establish an online presence:

  1. To sell products and services. Consumers expect businesses to have an online presence.
  2. To attract visitors. Their eyeballs can translate to ad revenue and co-marketing relationships.
  3. To improve efficiency. A business often can operate more cost-effectively on the Internet.

There are plenty of groundbreaking Web companies that can provide examples to businesses looking to build an Internet identity. Consider Preview Travel, which began selling travel services on its Web site in 1996. The site has grown to six million registered members, and bookings in 1998 hit $200 million. Its Farefinder feature helps users find...

About the Author

Kendra R. Bonnett is former president of Mark Stevens & Co. and the founding editor of IBM’s Profit magazine. She is author of numerous magazine articles and two books, The Everyone Can Build a Robot Book and The Creative Print Master: Graphic Design Tips for Computer Users.

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