Excuse me, can you direct me to the Internet?

Managing by Computer

By Steve Kohn

Each month, more and more of you are becoming more computer literate; you are finding that your computers can be powerful tools for working effectively, much like the equipment you rent. The importance of "the right tool for the right job" begins to take on a whole new meaning. You've gone beyond contract writing to word processing, database management, spreadsheets and now the Internet.

In my May-June article I discussed the Internet and how it could benefit your business. Now I will take that thought a step further: What can be done on the Internet and what can you expect in return?

If you are like most folks, at first you found the Internet just plain confusing - all those protocols, those crazy commands. It seemed the only people who really knew how to use the Internet were geeks and nerdy neighborhood kids.

This has all changed! People from all walks of life and all fields of business are becoming Internet-literate and are making the World Wide Web a part of their daily routine.

One story I love to share is a conversation I had with Region One Director Jim Bunkoff. Recently Jim called me with an urgent request. He had to learn to use the Internet right away because his mother had just gone online! Well, I'm proud to report, Jim can now talk to his mom, and as a matter of fact, he communicates with her now more than ever. Jim is just one example of an A.R.A. member who has gone online (skrntls@aol. com). Each day more and more of you are signing up.

For those of you who want to learn about the Internet, let me suggest some simple-to-understand products. There is a great book called Success with Internet (Jamsa Press, about $35). Another super publication is Internet for Dummies (IDG, about $25). There is also a software package called The Internet Master Pack by the Saratoga group that includes four titles: "How to Use the World Wide Web"; "How to Find Things on the Internet"; "How to Use E-mail on the Internet"; and "The Internet Reference Desk." This package is around $39. The newest product I have found is Internet Coach, a crash course in Netscape Navigator, the most popular Internet browser software available. This program takes you on an interactive Internet simulation tour, illustrating how to browse the Internet, gain access to information and download files.

Also, plan on attending the A.R.A.'s fall conferences in Salt Lake City and Tampa, where detailed hands-on classes and workshops will be offered on the Internet.

Let's take a moment to consider some facts about the Internet and how it affects us as rental businesses.

• Most major corporations and companies are on the Internet already or are in the process of establishing their presence. Small businesses are realizing the value of the Internet and are going online by the thousands every day.
  
  
• The Internet is quickly replacing the Yellow Pages as a source of business-to-business information and as a resource service locator as well.
  
  
• Establishing an Internet presence is not as complicated as you think. You can get a do-it-yourself package or go all the way up to an application designed specifically for you.
  
  
• E-mail, which is the No. 1 reason individuals use the Internet, is growing at a phenomenal rate; it's expected that e-mail addresses will become as common as postal addresses and phone numbers.
  
  
• Companies that sell themselves as Internet providers and designers are popping up overnight. Many of them are legitimate vendors; others are fly-by-night operators looking to make a fast buck off of you.
  
  
• The Internet is an ideal medium for rental companies to display their services and products. It's cost-effective and its results can be measured.

When we say a company has established a presence on the Internet, we are referring to a "home page." Unlike a Yellow Pages ad, where you are limited to basic information about your company, a home page gives you the power to use "interactive multimedia." This means your ad can use color photos, video and sound, and it allows people to respond immediately. These responses can be counted and analyzed.

For example, my home page went online in late fall 1995. I received my first quarterly report from my service provider in April. It said 7,200 "hits" were reported on my site. A hit is a contact on your site - a particular individual accesses your site for a given amount of time. These are not people who just accidentally wandered upon our site. In my opinion, that represents a great return on my investment. Can the Yellow Pages do that? Many of the rental company home pages I've viewed have shown pictures of jobs they have done and unique products they specialize in.

A home page can be as simple as your name and a picture of your company, along with a brief description of what you do, or as detailed as your entire brochure, with photos of your products.

Some things to remember when designing a home page are:

• Make it interesting. Include some graphics and eye-catching material. If your site is just text, readers will get bored and move on.
  
  
• Don't go crazy. Too much graphic art takes too long to come on the screen. Readers will become impatient and go elsewhere.
  
  
• Get information as well as give it. Make your site interactive; allow readers the opportunity to answer questions, fax or e-mail you back. Let readers tell you about their needs and requirements.
  
  
• Update often. Put in seasonal specials. Offer coupons or discounts on your Web site. Use it to bring customers into your store.
  
  
• Research other sites. Check out the competition, sure, but also explore other companies and what they do. Once information goes on the Web, it becomes public.
  
  
• Consider sponsoring news groups. Just like TV or radio, you can have your page featured during discussion groups and live chat sessions that are run at scheduled times on the Internet. There are talk groups on construction, home improvement, planning a wedding, etc. Imagine the possibilities.

My personal recommendation is to have a professional design a home page for you. When you weigh the time, cost and quality, this seems to be the most practical decision.

But if you choose to create your own, here are four of the most popular software packages on the market, according to Windows magazine:

WebEdit 1.4c; $79.95; good for novices but 32KB file limit; platforms: Windows 95, 3.1x, NT; disk space: 5MB; 8MB RAM; from Nesbitt Software/Knowledge Works; (619) 220-8016.

Spider 1.1; $79; page-maintenance tools are good but there is a steep learning curve and nonstandard editor; platforms: Windows 95.3.1x (Win32s), NT; disk space: 8MB; 4MB RAM (8MB recommended) from InContext Corp. (800) 263-0127.

HotDog Pro 2.0; $79.95; editing tools and online help are good but graphics library could be improved; platforms: Windows 95, 3.1x,NT; disk space: 7MB; 4MB RAM; from Anawave Software/Sausage Software (800) 711-6030.

Web Publisher 1.1; $495; truly automatic and navigational aids are good but some functions are hard to find; Windows 95,3.1x; disk space: 3.5MB; 500KB RAM; from SkiSoft Publishing Corp. (800) 662-3622.

It wasn't long ago that when you needed something, the first thing you did was pick up the Yellow Pages. Now when we need something, including just a phone number, we can go right to our computer. Why are more and more people doing this? The reasons include convenience, speed, efficiency, quantity and - let's not forget - fun.

Did you know that you can purchase an entire dialing directory for a territorial area on CD-ROM or get this information from the Internet? Did you know this information is not just limited to a phone number, but also contains a complete database of information, from company contacts to e-mail addresses? Do you think the Yellow Pages sales reps are worried about this? I should say so.

A great product that shows how this can work is available from A.R.A. associate member MK Party Specialist. Its Show and Tell color photo catalog is available on diskette. Load it on your computer and you can see all the products available; you can even order them. This product also generates a terrific slide show for your customers. You will see many more companies using computer resources to sell their products. The key is to remember where you get the most value for your money. The Yellow Pages are not the only game in town anymore.

E-mailing is the easiest task to accomplish on the Internet. You are all familiar with the major providers by now - CompuServe, America Online, Microsoft Network and Prodigy. E-mail is a great way for your customers to reach you, wherever you are. Having e-mail is like having a mobile mailbox. Many of our corporate customers are asking us to e-mail their quotes, contracts, invoices and statements. Their responses are quicker and usually we get paid faster.

Pick up any computer magazine and you'll usually find it includes a free disk from one of the providers to get you up and running on the Internet with an e-mail account. (Remember, your computer still has to have a modem.) You can call AOL at (800) 827-3338 to get a disk that's good for 15 free hours of online time.

When choosing an Internet provider, there are a few important things you should look for. First, a local access number. If not, you will be paying long distance charges all the time. Second, good customer service. And third, the provider needs enough capacity; otherwise the lines will be busy every time you want to get onto the Internet. Don't worry if you happen to choose the wrong provider - it's easy to switch.

Be careful of those phone and mail solicitations from companies that want to put your business on the Internet. Although many are legitimate, others will take advantage of you. I have heard stories of companies asking exorbitant amounts of money for services that are not necessary. Before you sign with one, the best thing to do is check out other sites it has created. Ask for references and call them. Remember, just pay for what you want, no more.

Some of the services you should consider are personalized name domain, which gives your company a unique address (ABCRENTS.COM); site maintainment, which keeps your Internet presence on the Web; traffic reports, which show the number of times your site has been visited; newsgroup sponsorship, which is a way to reach a particular audience and not the entire Internet population; setup, which is the actual construction of your site and linking it to search engines on the Web (a very important consideration); and account updates, the fees charged for making changes to the site.

The message in all this? We have a great new means of spreading the word about rental. We have the opportunity to make renting look good. We can expose our products and services to new customer prospects via our computer. We can make contact with people we never reached before. It's a great way to get customers' feet into our stores.