Internet Business
Tutorial
In
the years after the World Wide Web
entered our consciousness in 1993,
conducting business operations on
the Internet was more novelty than
necessity. Sure, companies
registered their ".com" domain names
and pundits spoke breathlessly about
the Internet's potential to
revolutionize business, but it took
companies years to integrate
e-commerce into their existing
brick-and-mortar operations.
Twelve years later, it's nearly
impossible to discuss business
plans, proposals and operations
without taking into account the
Internet marketplace. The Internet
and related digital technologies
make so many aspects of business
more economical, efficient and
interactive.
Learn the business concepts,
Internet jargon, and more to make
your business a success on the
Internet in this free tutorial.
Click on one of the topics in the
outline below or click on "Start
Now!" to start the tutorial.
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Introduction to Internet
Business Concepts
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Section 1:
Internet Software and
Hardware |
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Section 2:
Types of Internet
Connections |
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Section 3:
Internet Protocols & Their
Function |
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Section 4:
Domain Names & DNS
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Section 5:
The Role of Web Browsers
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Section 6:
How Email Clients Work
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Section 7:
Internet Security
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Section 8:
Using Search Engines
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Section 9:
Internet Marketing
Techniques |
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Section 10:
Information Technology Jobs
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Introduction to Internet Business
Concepts
In
the years after the World Wide Web
entered our consciousness in 1993,
conducting business operations on
the Internet was more novelty than
necessity. Sure, companies
registered their ".com" domain names
and pundits spoke breathlessly about
the Internet's potential to
revolutionize business, but it took
companies years to integrate
e-commerce into their existing
brick-and-mortar operations.
Twelve years later, it's nearly
impossible to discuss business
plans, proposals and operations
without taking into account the
Internet marketplace. The Internet
and related digital technologies
make so many aspects of business
more economical, efficient and
interactive. Just imagine the
changes in customer service,
fulfillment and direct marketing-and
in intra-office communications and
culture-that have been driven by
Internet technologies in the past
decade. Imagine the changes in
consumer behavior that have taken
place and the number of marketing
tools that have been added to a
businessperson's repertoire.
In
the 21st century, understanding
business requires understanding the
ins and outs of Internet
technologies and how they can be put
to work to the benefit of business
owners as well as their employees
and customers.
There's a wealth of information,
software tools, and Internet
business techniques to help
fledgling businesses stake their
claim to their share of cyberspace.
You just need to know where to turn.
The amount of information out there
can be daunting, so that's where
this tutorial comes in. We encourage
you to use it as a starting point to
learn about what it takes to
establish and make the most of your
Internet presence.
Section 1:
Internet Software and
Hardware
The
first thing you need to establish your
business's presence on the Internet is,
not surprisingly, to get your business's
computers connected to it.
Establishing your Internet connection
has become increasingly easy over the
years, and the vast majority of
off-the-shelf computers on the market
today have all the components you need
to establish a simple connection. The
most challenging question is the type
of connection you want to establish, and
that depends upon several factors,
chiefly how much money you want to spend
on Internet access and how much and how
frequently you plan to use the
connection. We'll explain your
connection choices after we look at the
software and hardware your computer
needs to get started.
Software. An
Internet-connected computer needs two
pieces of software that often are part
of the same package: a web browser and
an e-mail client.
A web
browser is the software you are using
right now to read this tutorial. You can
think of it as your steering wheel that
lets you drive around the World Wide
Web. Most computers that run the Windows
operating system come bundled, at no
extra charge, with the Microsoft
Internet Explorer web browser (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie).
In fact, Microsoft controls more than 90
percent of the web browser market,
according to January 2005 estimates.
These
same Windows-based computers come with a
free e-mail client called Microsoft
Outlook Express (http://www.Microsoft/windows/oe).
This software, using the same
Internet connection as your browser,
lets you send and receive electronic
mail (e-mail) and perform other related
functions. For a more feature-rich
e-mail client, you can buy Microsoft
Outlook (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX010857931033.aspx),
which goes beyond e-mail functions to
include tools you will find useful in
your business communications.
With
Outlook, you can store detailed contact
information, schedule meetings, and keep
a digital appointment book. Many
businesses find Outlook a more
complete e-mail and scheduling tool than
Outlook Express and are willing
to pay extra for it.
Although Internet Explorer is
used by a large majority of Internet
users, it certainly isn't your only
choice. Netscape Navigator (http://www.netscape.com),
which had a greater market share of the
browser market in the 1990s than
Internet Explorer, is also a
feature-rich web browser suitable for
business use. A relatively new browser
called Mozilla Firefox (http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox),
an offshoot of Netscape Navigator,
has made inroads with Internet users in
recent months, but hasn't seen
widespread adoption by businesses.
Opera (http://www.opera.com)
is the best known of the other
alternative web browsers you might want
to consider. For more about browsers,
click the Web Browsers section of this
tutorial.
Hardware.
Other than computers themselves, of
course, your computers will need modems
to connect to the Internet. A modem
(short for modulator-demodulator)
is a hardware device that converts
digital information into analog
information so it can be sent over
ordinary telephone lines. The
information is then reconverted to
digital information at the computer
receiving the information. In other
words, a modem helps computers connected
to the Internet exchange information.
A
built-in modem used for telephone line
connections to the Internet are standard
issue in consumer and office computers
sold today.
by
Robert H. Fraass on Friday, March 11,
2005
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