Electronic Media
Published: 03-25-96


FOR INEXPENSIVE, POTENT AD TOOL, TRY CYBERSPACE        


By - Joe Fedele 




With World Wide Web sites springing up like crab grass, I 

figured why buck a hot trend? So I created my own (http: 

//www.fedele.com/website), and will tell you why you should too.


If you're not up on the latest and greatest in communications 

technology, I'll review a couple of key phrases.


A Web site is your little corner of the world where the 

information you provide is stored. This site can be stored in 

any computer server system that is con-nected to the Internet.


People find your home page on a Web site by the uniform resource 

locator, or URL, address. This address always begins with an 

``http://'' designation.


You can think of a Web home page as a storefront marquee-the 

welcome mat and doorway to what you want to sell, advertise or 

communicate.


The Web page typically contains your company name and logo as 

well as some basic information on what can be found at the site.


In my case, you will find such things as reprints of this 

column, reprints of columns by Ron Alridge, ELECTRONIC MEDIA 

publisher and editorial director,  copies of important Federal 

Communications Commission dockets or notices of proposed 

rule-makings, information on job opportunities in broadcasting 

and even information helpful in writing your own Web Page.


Hot Links, or Hotlinx as they are sometimes called, are 

``pointers'' that take you from one Web site to another, giving 

you access to the entire global network.


This limitless ability to surf from site to site through 

cyberspace is what makes the Internet such a powerful 

advertising and promotional medium.


I am constantly amazed at the diverse information available on 

the Internet. I even use my Web site to distribute assignments 

for the class I teach at Florida International University.


Much of the information is available free, but some can only be 

accessed at a price.


The Weather Channel, for instance, operates a site where you can 

access a wide variety of weather-related information free. But 

as you click through the site you will find advertisements 

inducing you to purchase CD-ROMs or videocassettes of programing 

that's not available for free.


At the CNN site you might encounter Nynex Corp. advertising 

``billboards,'' similar to the ads you see alongside the highway 

or in the Yellow Pages.


Basic stock market information can be found free, but the good 

information can only be accessed on a subscription basis.


In my opinion, the Internet is the most powerful and least 

expensive advertising tool any business can invest in.


With more than 40 million people accessing the Internet and with 

an estimated growth of about 10 percent annually, it's the place 

to be.


And next month, I'll tell you just how to get there by walking 

you through the steps of building your own Web page.