Having a net presence today is vital for companies of all types and sizes, and ever increasingly so.

However, developing a web site needs to be done within the broad marketing and sales structure of a business.

This must take account of all the usual factors:

marketing - the use of the web alongside other advertising and publicity?

trading channels - the potential for extra business through an additional outlet?

geography - whether the business might be able to widen its trading area?

competition - to what degree your competition uses the Internet - can you afford not to?

product range - whether existing products are suitable to be traded over the net, or whether the Internet offers opportunity for new products?

e-commerce - should the company be dealing direct over the net - and even if not, would an on-line brochure still generate contacts and interest?

simple cost versus potential benefit?

Then, against the background of this careful analysis, consider that the Internet will be increasingly pervasive and impact all aspects of life and business over coming years

- to ignore the Internet is simply to bury ones head in the sand ignoring the inevitable.

Act now - before it's too late!