Services Required for E-Business

Different types of business partners are required to create and implement a successful e-business strategy. Think twice before you hand over the responsibility to a ''friend who knows about computers.'' Your e-business is important and, if at all possible, you should outsource the job to professionals, but keep yourself involved in the process.

Choosing a Domain Name

A domain name is your lot on the Internet. An example of a domain name would be mybusinessname.com. It is used for your website and your business e-mail addresses.

Your business name and your Web domain name

So you’ve done some thinking about your business name, polled some friends and prospective customers, and come up with a great name. Before you register your company under this name, don’t forget to think about your online presence.

• If someone else already owns the rights to the Web domain for the name you’ve selected, you may end up sending a lot of business their way or making it difficult for customers to find you. You may wish to choose a different business name, if the domain is already taken.
• If your business name is very long, you might want to think about having a shortened version of it for your domain name, so that people don’t need to type in a very long URL to get to your website.
• Think about whether you want to register your domain as a .ca (dot ca), .com (dot com), or other extension.
• You may want to have multiple domain names, for example, one dot ca and one dot com, one with the long version of your company name and one with an acronym, domains for specific business lines or tag lines that you use, and so on.
• Avoid choosing a domain that is a trademark owned by someone else.
• Pay attention to what a new customer might see in your domain name. Do the letters make any unintended words?

Have a domain name in mind? Learn more about domain names, check the availability of your chosen domain and find out how to register it.

• Domain Names
  
  http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/dir-ect.nsf/eng/h_uw00337.html
  Learn the basics about how website domain names work.
• Canadian Internet Registration Authority
  
  http://www.cira.ca/home-en/?lang=en
  Find out how to register for a dot-ca domain name.

Your Internet Service Provider (ISP)

An Internet service provider (ISP) is the company you use to access the Internet, so you can surf the Web and use e-mail on your computer. Often, your ISP is a large telephone or cable company.

For business users in urban areas, high-speed access (also called broadband) through a telephone or cable line is the most common type of Internet access. In rural or more remote areas, dial-up access through a telephone line might be your only option. New wireless Internet access options are also becoming more readily available, both in urban and rural settings.

Your Web Host

A Web host will provide space for your website and allow it to be viewed online. You are essentially renting space on the Internet, so you can put your website there much like you might rent an office. The Web host will have a number of different packages available. The one you need depends on how much space you need, how many e-mail accounts you need, how many visitors your site will get and how complex your website is.

You get what you pay for. Usually, a budget Web host is not the best idea for a business site. You want your website to be there when your customers are looking for it. Choose a company with a reputation for excellent customer service and a high level of technical expertise. Your best option is probably going to be a specialized mid-sized hosting company. While larger companies are often very good at providing Internet access, they do not always offer the same level of personalized customer service and specialization as a mid-sized company.

Your Website Development Team

You need a team of experienced professionals to build a successful website. The main players of your website development team could include:

• Web Developer - Your website developer handles the overall project. The developer will help you plan and create your website, and works as the project manager, taking the lead role on guiding the development team.
• Web Designer - The designer creates the visual concept for your website. A professional designer will help you create an attractive website that your audience can relate to. The designer makes sure your site follows design principles and fits well with your company's identity. A good designer takes accessibility and usability issues into account.
• Web Programmer - A programmer takes care of any software development that your website needs. The developer can have a technical partner for programming or have a programmer on staff.
• Writer - Your writer helps you create the content for your website, from profiles of key people to clear and concise information about your products or services. A good writer can save you time and will increase the value of your website.
• Photographer - Your photographer makes sure the photos in your website look professional. Buying royalty-free stock images is a viable option, although they may not be as relevant for your business as a custom photo shoot.

Your Application Service Providers (ASP)

Many companies offer online tools that can help you with various business tasks, such as tracking sales leads or building an online store. These companies are called ASPs or application service providers. ASPs provide online services that would be too costly for a single business to develop. They spread the cost over many users with a per-use cost that smaller businesses can afford. An ASP is a lot like an airline. Business people fly all over the world, but very few businesses own an airplane. It is cheaper to buy travel services from an airline on a per-use basis.

There are far too many ASPs to list, but here are some of the more popular services that many businesses make use of:

• eBay.ca - an auction website that you could use to sell online
• PayPal.com - for online sales and credit card services
• SalesForce.com - complete online customer relationship management
• WebEx.com - online meetings and video conferencing
• EmailLabs.com - e-mail newsletters and marketing campaigns
• eFax.com - allows you to receive and send faxes via e-mail

Your website developer should have some knowledge of ASPs and be able to help you decide if a service like this is right for your business.

Your Computer Services Company

Your computer services company is the one that keeps your computer hardware working properly. Without computers, you can't have much of an e-business. Your computer services company will help you set up your computers, maintain an office network, install new software and take care of pretty much anything else related to your computers. They might also provide computer hardware or recommend good vendors. Some companies may also offer related services, such as Web hosting or custom programming.

Some important computer issues include:

• keeping your software updates, patches and bug fixes current
• having a good anti-virus program and keeping it updated
• setting up a reasonable level of security on your computers and changing passwords regularly
• cleaning your computer regularly, that is getting rid of old software or files you do not use
• backing up your files on a regular basis and storing backups in a safe place
• setting up a rescue disk so you can restore your files, should your computer crash
• keeping all software information and registrations on file in your office

Your Professional Services Team

Your e-business will benefit from professionals, such as your banker, lawyer, business or marketing consultant and security specialist. Each of these partners can add value to your overall e-business strategy.

• Banker: Your banker can help you set up an Internet merchant account to accept online credit card payments. Banks can also help you finance parts of your e-business, such as website development or buying computers.
• Lawyer: You may want to contact a lawyer who specializes in Internet law to help with your privacy policy, online sales contract and terms of use, click-wrap agreements, trademark disputes, business and partnership agreements, contracts and other legal issues.
• Business Consultants: Professional business or marketing consultants can help you shape your e-business strategy to make sure it fits well with your business and your customers. Consultants can provide new ideas and concepts that will help your business grow.
• Internet Security Specialists: Small businesses rarely can afford a full-time Internet security specialist. They would be wise to have a computer systems engineer or a certified security specialist audit their network on a regular basis, just as they would have an accountant audit their books.

Inexpensive Alternatives

Contracting a team of people can get expensive. If you have a very limited budget, there are inexpensive pre-packaged solutions. Many ISPs offer business packages that cost less than residential broadband services. There are also ASPs that offer templates for websites. All you need to do is add in the graphics that suit your business. The cost of doing e-business is well within reach.