/Get Your Business Online;      Commonly the first step in putting your business online is to create a website that acts as a source of information about your business, and informs potential customers of how to contact you to do business. For many businesses the next step is to actually do business online, and to be able to offer your business services across the Internet. Familiar examples of this are Online shops Airline ticket reservation Hotel booking systems Theatre ticket booking When these services need to talk to your business to get information - a hotel booking system that must keep updated with rooms which have been booked directly at the hotel and vice versa - then your business applications and your website must be able to communicate. If the systems used in your business do not currently share information over the Internet, then they must be web-enabled to allow this to happen. To web-enable a business system, for example a booking system, it is necessary to create an interface which will allow the information online to be brought into your business application and also distribute the information in your business application through your website. The major benefits of web-enabling your business systems are that your website is always available to customers; they don't have to queue in a shop, wait on a telephone line or find time to call between your office hours. The website can process business even when your office is closed. Applications which have been web-enabled allow customers to do the buying or booking themselves and do not require staff to complete the transaction. Web-enabling your business does not only make it easier for your customers, if you have an internal business application, it can be easier to make this available through the intranet rather than installing and configuring the application for each new office or each new member of staff. A central point for updates makes keeping all staff using the latest version of the application. An added benefit is that makes it possible to access your business applications remotely. It is important to be aware of the effect of putting your business applications online. Firstly, security is an important consideration as customers will be booking across the Internet and the system will not be used only by your staff, so it is important that anyone booking or buying from the Internet has only limited actions to perform with your applications. Secondly if you work to build the brand and value of your company in person, then it is important that this is enhanced by your web presence. It is very powerful to be able to sell or offer bookings 24 hours a day, but as customers are buying for themselves it is important that: The process is as easy as possible to allow booking Useful help is available on the website as there may be no telephone assistance at the time the customer is using the website Your business is aware of any problems in the online booking process as soon as possible to improve the booking process, for example the stages at which people give up when starting a booking An experienced web company can help to offer security advice and put in place a secure and reliable interface between your business applications and the Internet. They can also assist with bringing the brand you have worked to build, and also make it work for you online, and make the most of your business. If you would like to know more about what we can do for your organisation, please telephone: 0131 454 3311 or use our   Enquiry Form.