|
Ensure site serves clients
|
 |
June 20, 2000: 1:53 p.m. ET
Find out what your customers' online needs are and tailor your site to match
By Jane Applegate
|
NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Before you spend thousands of dollars building a glitzy Web site, spend a few hundred dollars and a few days surveying your customers or clients.
Too many business owners are rushing into cyberspace without asking their customers if they even USE the Internet for business purposes. A simple postcard, e-mail or telephone survey will not only put you in close touch with your clients, but can save you big money and headaches down the line.
 You don't want to build a full-service e-commerce site if your customers don't plan to order online or after hours. They may just want product information and instructions available 24 hours a day.
Tailoring your Web site to your customers' needs makes sense, economically and design-wise. Before you sit down with a designer, spend time visiting many other sites - including those operated by your competitors. Note what you like and don't like. This saves time and money.
(Jane Applegate, a syndicated columnist and author of 201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business, covers small business for CNNfn.) 
|
|
|
|
|
|
SBTV.com
|
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
External sites are not endorsed by CNNmoney
|
|
|
|
 |
|
