Plain e-mail, for instance, may be better suited when someone asks for specific information from a company. Firms can also target Usenet forums or newsgroups, which link people interested in particular topics like Asian affairs or astrophysics. Of course, an attractive website can elicit requests for information as well as guests' Net addresses. And popular homepages charge to carry ads and links to other sites. THE NET Building a site, however, doesn't ensure people will visit.
Businesses have to promote their homepages and prominently display their Net addresses.
Firms pay for electronic links to bring in visitors from popular homepages. It helps, of course, to know what site guests are like. But they don't want to waste it downloading complex graphics. They're surfing for fun. They don't want to sit and wait.