On the Internet there is now over 5,000,000 web sites! What does this mean to me, the average person? Web site means Worldwide Electronic Billboard. 12% of homes now have modems so it means a few of your friends have modems and even fewer now have internet access. There is a ratio of approximately 15 people to every Web Site(75,000,000 users). Not every Web site, however, has a dial up access. That person is called a service provider. That is the company that handles the passwords and is your on-ramp to the "Super Highway". You must choose your service provider very carefully. There is quite a few companies that have what seems to be a really great deal. If you ask the right questions you may save yourself some headaches. For example lets say a provider advertises a $20.00 package for unlimited use? False advertising!!!In every case?... unlimited busy signals. In most cases, no on line storage. If you want that, you pay extra. Please don't think me blunt here, I call this sort of business shortsighted and dishonest to the end user. It's not service, it's certain companies attempting to break into a market place fast and make a quick buck. Like look at what Bell is trying to do!
With the best Internet service, you can dial up anytime during peak and be guaranteed a line on the net. A company that is willing to guarantee in writing with a penalty clause is to be considered. Usually, if you made a mistake and registered with the wrong company, you can switch to another without re-paying a registration. Fear has kept has kept many people from correcting their mistakes but some providers are using the brain God gave them, to be good in business and they are happy to have your business.
Once you have registered with a local provider (not long distance) you can dial up and start learning what is on the net
. WHAT to EXPECT?
I have attended and even been asked to speak at the courses offered at Barrie Internet for each of it's new users. Also if you listen B101 in the next few weeks, I believe they are holding seminars all over Simcoe County with special well known guest speakers.
When you sign on to net you are on line with the rest of the world. Software is provided free at the time you register. You pull out of your driveway with a destination in mind.....Today I want to see what on at Imperial Cinema's and take a quick preview of each movie before I spend my $8.00. Is it worth driving in the snow and traffic?, with Internet I can check whats on without leaving my home?
At 6:50 p.m. last night I dialed up & using my Netscape Internet Navigator, I went to my bookmarks and found Imperial Cinemas. I saw that"Copy Cats" was on! I terminated my connection hopped in my car and caught the 7:00. Good movie! I got back home at 9:00p.m., dialed up, checked my E-mail... found a number of inquiries waiting for me.
I have 15 pages of advertising and pricing, available to the rest of the world, 24 hours a day. I reply to all email immediately, so no dinner for me until 10:30p.m. However, I think I may sell another system....so who needs dinner! Making money from the Internet....it's exciting. It, by no means represents a large portion of my business, but who of you will scoff at an extra 10%! Actually my business has doubled over last year but only 20% of the increase is directly from the net. Word of mouth is capable of multiplying anything if it's good. The cost of putting advertising on the net is about $25.00 a month....best advertising value on today's crazy market.! So those 5,000,000 web sites will soon become 10,000,000. It's not just Barrie anymore it's the whole world at your fingertips....so close you can almost reach out and touch them.
Web advertizing is the new wave of the nineties. It may just be the most in-expensive way to reach the most people that we have ever known. It works like this....lets say you want to sell Pillows and the deal is buy 3 for $10.00. First, you contact the webmaster at Barrie Internet. He introduces you to one of the graphic artists on staff. These artist guys are incredible, when you see some of their innovative work...wow! Anyway, he drafts out the concept and estimates the price for the number of pages you require. The art work is usually really inexpensive like $100.00 a page. Once he has produced the Web pages in electronic format he gives them to the Webmaster who transfers them to the Web server. Next the fun begins. Under the guise of work you begin to surf the net, strictly business of course, looking for places where you can index your web site so that other people can find your site easily without even trying. I mapped various pages all over the indexes so someone needing on line support for example can easily find "The Doctor" The space on the web server (which is a very high end computer) you rent by the year and it is almost free. Actually I talked with Paul J. tonight and he told me of a website he has in Minnesota that is free, they take 5% of his profit which was nil. Doing business on the net is easy, clean and doesn't break your pocketbook.
I attended a meeting two days ago where line access was discussed and how everyone wants to get in on the fun. Line access is a pain, it costs a fortune to maintain the bandwidth, the modems, the bell lines, the support, the emails, the news groups, and do it well enough that there is no busy signals and yet Rogers wants it, Bell wants it, More companies offering all you can eat for $15.00. What a crock, you can't eat if you can't get into the restaurant. I monitor modem pools of other companies and print off solid busy signals hour after hour. Web services that's where its at......unfortunately you can't check your email unless you dial in. So few companies offering a reliable on ramp that one can afford. If you have an on line advertizement you must monitor your email as that is the main form of communications used on the net. Support is done, orders are placed, deals are cooked. No access, no deal!
SO get Internet arranged today. If you call Chris before next Friday you can still get on the Barrie FreeNet which is the same service you would get if you paid a monthly fee. Barrie Internet figured if they give it free to every home in Barrie, they will use the two free hours, get hooked and eventually buy a large block of hours and become beach bums. For those of you who think it's too hard or can you learn it Barrie Internet has training courses for every level. Internet in every home!!! Awesome.