Sunday, January 30, 2000
SMALL-BUSINESS DIARY
Making the Web work for you
Small-business owners who are newcomers to the power of the Web can find the best tips on how to harness the information superhighway at www.freemerchant.com, say some personal computing magazines.
Editors at PC Magazine recently reviewed nine free and fee-based e-commerce platforms for small businesses and gave top honors to Freemerchant.com, as well as “Best Products of 1999,” “Editor's Choice” and “Top 100 Web Sites.”
The site also received a best-of-the-breed five-star rating in the February 2000 edition of PC Computing.
The Freemerchant site was praised by PC Magazine for offering considerable help in running an e-store with catalogs that can be imported from Excel; databases; sales data that can be easily imported to Quickbooks; automatic sales tax/shipping calculations; and inventory control.
Launched in December 1998, Freemerchant.com has a no-strings-attached philosophy — that is, there is no “sell-up” to a more robust Web platform and no obligation to buy anything at Freemerchant.
Following the appraisal from the editors in November, Freemerchant received “a dramatic spike-up in signups, about 300 a day,” said Andrew Sprung, public relations specialist for Freemerchant.com. The Emeryville, Calif., firm makes money by offering goods and services of partners such as Office Max, CompuBank and respond.com at a discount for a commission.
Costs plenty to build Web site
Businesses looking to hire to build a Web site can expect to drop about $16,000 on average, says a survey from Second Wind, the largest advertising agency network in the world.
The amalgam of 650 small and medium-sized advertising agencies found the cost to produce a home page or Web site ranged from $8,955 to $23,318, which includes Web strategy, design and programming.
Costs do not include maintenance. According to Second Wind, many smaller and midsized agencies are fueling up for a ride on the information superhighway. About $50 billion worth of Web design and e-commerce spending is projected to occur through 2005.
In other findings, Second Wind determined a 100-word news release with distribution to 40 to 50 media outlets costs $1,526 to $2,437, while a 30-second radio spot for local broadcasts ranges from $3,823 to $6,174. Costs include concept, script, talent, production, art direction and account service charges.
Business bookshelf
From How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci, by Michael J. Gelb (DTP; $13.95): “I am comfortable with ambiguity. I am attuned to the rhythms of my intuition. I thrive with change. I see the humor in life every day. I have a tendency to jump to conclusions. I trust my gut.”
Seminar feels richly rewarding
Gold Star hitches up with two new partners
Digital camera records fun at theme park
Going the distance for job-poor Ohioans
Enquirer reporter in Japan with Taft
Are competitors' coupons fueling Febreze rumors?
Classes show how to start from scratch
Old-fashioned barber; newfangled shop
SMALL-BUSINESS DIARY
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