Internet: The Power To Transform
April 14, 2006
Nothing in recent history has transformed our daily lives as dramatically as the Internet. It has radically and permanently changed the way we inform ourselves, amuse ourselves, meet people, bank, shop and stay in touch. And it is growing at unprecedented rates. A survey released earlier this month confirmed that there was an astounding 3.1 million increase in hostnames from March to April. Currently there are 80,655,992 web sites compared to 40 million sites in April 2003.
Five million people post or share some kind of material on any given day, whether through blogs or other content-creating applications according to a recent Pew Internet and American Life survey. At least four million share music files on peer-to-peer networks and three million people use the Internet every day to rate a person, product or service.
Because the Web has become a way of life those who don’t go online are an ever-shrinking minority. Everybody knows a four year old child who can easily turn on the computer and quickly navigate to the Sesame Street web page. Once there, they play games, listen to stories, dress Elmo, dance with Big Bird and generally have fun learning.
High school students see the Internet as a virtual textbook and reference library, a virtual tutor and study shortcut, a virtual locker, backpack and notebook and even as a virtual guidance counselor when they are making important decisions about careers and colleges. Enabled by information technology, the pace of learning in the next decade will increasingly be set by students’ choices. Most students will eventually spend at least part of their “school days” in virtual classes, grouped online with others who share their interests and skills.
This new generation of savvy users will be complete strangers to the “technophobia” that plagued many baby boomers when the computer age first arrived. Internet users ages 12-28 years old have embraced the online applications that enable communicative, creative and social uses, ensuring that the Web will grow and thrive for generations to come.
Web Enables New Levels Of Connectivity
As more groups discover ways to use the Internet to connect, disseminate and influence a new element will be added to group interaction. Those who have traditionally been excluded from group participation, including the physically disabled and the elderly, can be brought on board. “Building community is one of the most effective uses of the Internet,” noted Toby Dichter, founder of Generations On Line. “Exciting global connections will do more for international understanding and intergenerational respect than any tool since the printing press.”
Families, friends and colleagues are communicating much more frequently through the Internet than through the almost-lost art of written communication or voice. Most people will answer personal emails immediately but postpone answering phone messages for several hours or even days. The context for family interaction has changed dramatically. The ease with which children and grandparents can communicate and the ability to message instantly add a new level of connectivity to our lives.
Businesses Harness Web’s Power
For business, the web has evolved from a “value-added tool” to an essential ingredient for success. The barriers of time and distance don’t exist on the Internet, so customers can buy a product or service day or night with the simple click of a mouse. Those businesses that aren’t connected are losing share at rapid rates. Paul Shane a professor of law at Ohio State University and the editor of Democracy On Line, believes the most radical changes involving the internet will continue to be in the workplace “because of the economic incentives involved and because the Internet is such a fabulous medium of creation and distribution.”
Online businesses enjoy the advantage of a global audience. By the same token, many consumers who typically have not enjoyed access to a diverse range of products and services now find themselves tempted by a dizzying array of attractive choices. When “e” was added to business it created unheard of opportunities for even the smallest of players to take advantage of global distribution and the enhanced customer service and improved communications with clients and vendors.
Some service providers initially thought their businesses were not conducive to ecommerce. They argued that it was impossible to guarantee hot food delivery at any hour of the day or night all across the world. As more and more service providers have come on board, that view has changed dramatically. Webopedia, the official online dictionary of Internet terminology contends that services are in fact one of the most suitable products for ecommerce.
In today’s fickle business world where markets quickly mature and competition remains fierce, businesses are forced to do whatever they can to achieve that all-important edge. In a mature market where selling prices cannot be increased and the cost of manufacturing can’t be decreased then the only remaining choice is to change the way business is carried out.
The nominal cost of setting up a web site has many businesses turning to ecommerce to eliminate the overhead expenses of hard-to-maintain physical buildings, large employee rosters and complicated accounting processes. Those who make the leap to ecommerce are inevitably rewarded for their efforts. As more and more people are spending time on the Internet the market of online customers continues to grow and grow.
How Do You Get Started?
So how and where does a business begin to design a site that allows them to take advantage of this growing global market? Most business owners can’t afford the expense of the time and staff it would take to create a first-class web presence. There are many experts out there who specialize in developing and hosting user-friendly web sites for business and personal use. It is easy to find a web designer or host, but finding the one who is the right fit for you can be an overwhelming task.
When choosing a web design or hosting service, make sure you are hooked up with a company that understands not only the technical aspects of web hosting, but also the marketing strategies and personal components that separate the good from the great.
Your web site is the global doorway to your services. Your customers are out there, waiting. Invite them in.
Copyright 2006 © Website Source, Inc.
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