And there are new ways to use the Internet that business owners may not have thought of. A successful Internet strategy requires careful planning and adroit execution. The right solution might not even include setting up a Web site. Instead, a small business might be better off getting an Internet connection, then using the medium for market research, or to use e-mail to speed communications with vendors and customers. What many business owners forget is that a company's Internet strategy has to be tied to the company's core mission.
Employees have to buy into the effort.
And the drive to the Web should never distract from the business at hand. Mr. Shannon says. The answer to that question should be the starting point for any Internet strategy. People are clearly starting to get comfortable finding, purchasing and paying for retail goods on the Web. But if the special character of a business can't be duplicated on the Web, the small-shop owner probably shouldn't go there.