What Am I Supposed to Do With a Web Site?

~ Part II:  Cut Operating Expenses ~

© 2004 Trisha Torrey

Q: Last month you suggested I can use my company’s Web site to cut our cost of doing business.  That sounds great!  How do I do it?

A. While a case can be made for saving costs associated with employees and benefits for larger companies through use of some Web capabilities, this article will address savings in printing costs, postage and/or time which can be realized no matter what size your organization may be.

One disclaimer:  remember that the more you include on your Web site, the more it will cost to build.  But those upfront costs can be minimal and will likely help you realize substantial savings over the long term.

Use Online Forms

Does your company use forms to conduct its business?  Employment or credit applications, requests for quotations, sales staff reports;  making forms available online can save time and the cost of printing and mailing.

Forms can be easily made available online in a few ways. They can be set up to be filled out online and submitted electronically to you.  This requires someone to help you program them to be delivered either through email, or even into a database. This is the most expensive way to present a form but it’s usually a one-time cost.

A less expensive way to present a form is to set it up online just as you would above, but not program it for electronic delivery.  Once the form is set up, it can be filled out online or by hand, printed, then mailed or faxed to you.Finally, forms can be scanned, saved as an Acrobat file (Adobe, pdf) and linked from a Web page.  The basic idea is still intact.  By presenting the form online, you have saved the cost of printing and mailing it.

Intranets and Extranets

You may have heard the terms “intranet” or “extranet”.  These simply refer to the use of the web for proprietary audiences.  Your employees might be given passcoded access to an intranet which provides them with human resources information; access to employee discounts, forms to keep track of sick or personal time, policy updates, employee newsletters or other information that is meant only for them. Use of an intranet saves the time of both the employee and the person who would have had to help them get that information.  

An extranet provides similar information to people who may be independent contractors or customers or are in some way related to your business.  Whether they are local, or located on the other side of the world, salespeople can instantly access marketing materials, customer forms, sales reports, databases or any other information that needs to be shared. Customers may be given access to project updates, photos, accounting or other project management tools.  This information can be hidden by using encrypted, passcoded protected areas so the general public has no access, although sometimes, depending on the kind of information that needs to be shared, even that may not be necessary. 

Customer Service Information

Printing brochures and flyers is expensive; the cost increases with the number you print, the quality of the paper, and the number of colors you choose.  On the Web, however, once your site is up and running, there is no increased cost for more visitors or colors.

How often does someone request driving directions to your office?  Including a map and directions on your Web site can cut the cost of the time needed to give them over the phone.  Need to give customers access to a complete list of colors, sizes, services, or any other lists of information?  Make it easy for them to get all that information on your Web site – it’s 24/7 customer service that benefits everyone.

Any information you can provide on the Web for public or internal access that might have required the use of other resources for its dissemination becomes a cost saving tactic.  Be creative in finding even more Web-based ways to help your company cut costs.

Trisha Torrey, owner of IntegriMark Communications and author of http://411, has been helping businesses score on the Web since the mid-1990s. From large corporations, to non-profit organizations, to individual entrepreneurs, her advice, planning and development services have helped raise the Web marketing bar while keeping a keen eye on the bottom line.

Email questions to her at: questions@http-411.com .