How Does the Use of the Internet Change a Company's Business Model?
The networking reach of the Internet can affect how you develop your company's business model. Being able to effectively use the Internet as a business tool means understanding how to create interest and turn that interest into revenue. Combining elements of the Internet in with your business plan can help you to retain those clients that search you out on the web.
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Customer Service
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Customer service is the part of your business that helps to retain customers while maintaining the flow of revenue. The Internet can alter the way that your company approaches customer service and make it a more convenient process for the client. By creating an online customer service business element, you are allowing clients to take care of basic customer service needs, such as finding part numbers, getting technical information and submitting a defective product ticket any time of the day, any day of the year. Offer clients a toll-free phone number to call if they have questions they would rather ask a customer service agent in order to maintain the personal touch. But an online customer service function can help reduce the need for customer service staff and help keep personnel costs down.
Sales
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Your sales staff's time is best spent looking for new clients and maintaining larger accounts. The Internet allows your company to introduce a sales companion to all clients that can help free up your sales professionals' schedules for their more important tasks. Clients can place ongoing orders over the Internet or request orders be shipped from an established contract by using an online interface. Clients also can do up-to-date checks on inventory, pricing and get product technical specs without having to call their sales representative.
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Marketing
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A marketing business model needs to include an element that takes full advantage of the free networking opportunities on the Internet. Company positions, such as web marketer, webmaster and Internet content curator, can be created based on the need to use the Internet as a free marketing tool. Some of the free elements of Internet marketing include social networking sites; blog websites hosted by free blog hosts, such as Wordpress; public message boards; and online classified advertising sites.
Overhead
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The Internet can allow a company to create telecommuting positions that do not require extra overhead costs such as office furniture, office supplies, office space and utilities. By utilizing the remote capabilities of the Internet for such positions as sales, accounts payable, customer service and marketing, a company can dramatically reduce the cost of doing business.
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