When you hear "Information Superhighway", do you find yourself tuning into your mental radio station, WIIFM (What's In It For Me), only to experience static interference? Well, if you do, I've got some good news — You're not alone.

Why Go Online For Business

The primary reason people use a product or a service is because it saves them time, money, or in some other way enhances their lives. After assessing my own business situation and that of several clients, I determined the online venue could best be used for business in:

1. Making valuable business connections I most likely wouldn't through more traditional means.
2. Expanding business opportunities into new geographic markets by having access to far more people from different areas than I could economically reach in one business day through other avenues.
3. Improving productivity from brainstorming sessions by exchanging ideas with people in similar businesses from across the country.
4. Increasing awareness of marketing trends and innovative ways to reach new markets.
5. Finding information, product or service resources faster than through other alternatives.
6. Gaining a competitive edge by being able to collect information before competitors could get to it, allowing me to take swifter actions for the customer's or client's benefit and business growth.
7. Increasing work efficiency as more and more of the substance from the communications could be stored on disk rather than paper.
8. Combating emotional isolation that comes with the territory of being a business owner and often creates a stumbling block in daily productivity.
9. Enhancing customer/client relations through more frequent contacts facilitated by online communications.
10. Saving time and money by not only having resources available that under other venues would cost significantly more, might not be available at all, and would not be promptly accessible.

Who is Online Today

The reason businesses go online may vary but one certainty is that they are flocking to the Internet in droves. On October 21, 2003 comScore Media Metrix reported that during the prior month the total number of U.S. Internet users passed the 150 million mark for the first time. As of September 21, 2003 Nelson//Net Ratings estimated the total Digital Media Universe of people accessing the Internet from work at 50,881,915 and those accessing from home at 184,448,433. In its latest Internet Use in the United States by Region Report published August 27, 2003, the Pew Internet & American Life Project has tracked the growth of Internet usage in the United States from just under half of American adults in 2000 to about 59 percent at the end of 2002.

According to Whois.Net Domain-Based Research Services , as of September 30, 2003 there were 34,755,183 domains registered, 3,326,357 deleted domains, and 1,935,678 domains on-hold. Top-level domains tracked by Whois.Net include .biz, .com, .net, .org, and .us.

Why Register a Domain

Time is running out. The best domain names are becoming scarce. Have you registered your domain? Should you register another domain to protect your corporate identity or next global marketing promotion?

Domains can be registered and used without constructing a Web site. Some companies and individuals are securing commercial domain names now in planning for a future presence on the World Wide Web while others simply want to establish their own identity for e-mail correspondence. Where do you stand?

If you're not connected to the Internet, today is a good day to begin your education. If you've already registered your domain but have waited to develop a Web site, do you realize the opportunities lost in delaying it further? It's time to start building your online business. Following are some of my tips to help you in establishing a lasting, successful presence on the World Wide Web.