Many people have heard some horror stories about advertising on the web. But, as it is in everything in life, there's upside as well as a downside. The following article documents some of the most common myths that people have heard concerning Net Commerce.

Myth #1 You need a computer to advertise on the Internet

You need a computer to access the internet, to design and load the web site, to go online to see your home page, or if you want to make use of electronic mail to receive and respond to prospects, but you don't need to own one. Internet advertising services are popping up everywhere and can relieve you of the requirement of owning a computer. Advertising services can create an ad or a home page for you that can be as basic or elaborate as your budget allows. But it is your responsibility to see that you get the best out of your bucks. Do some research. You need to decide which service to use and who offers the best services with the best results.

Myth #2 It costs a huge amount of money to advertise on the Internet

Maybe at one time it did, but it certainly doesn't now. Or, at least, it shouldn't. There are still some services out there that try to suck you dry, but it shouldn't cost you an arm and a leg to place an ad or get a page on the Web. Be a smart shopper and look around. Compare prices and services, currently the average prices range from $20 - $50 dollars per month.

Myth #3 Internet advertising doesn't work

Whoa! Who said this?! Internet advertising doesn't work? Maybe they should tell that to the people who are making major money with net commerce right now! I did a little bit of research and came up with the following information on the web site www.activmedia.com:

WEBSITE REVENUES ARE EXPLODING... Back in 1995, analysts scoffed when we predicted that 'Net sales in 1997 would be $13.3 billion. And we were wrong -- our projections were too low. 1997 sales nearly doubled our then-outrageous prediction to reach $21.8 billion. Based upon historical data and current Web growth, Web-generated revenues are predicted to exceed $1.2 trillion by 2002. Mean monthly sales were over $18,000 per site in our 1997 study, up from $4,200 in 1996 as web users became more accustomed to shopping online. $1 million per month was not uncommon among leading sites in 1997. The upward curve in sales generated by the Internet is only just beginning, as our new 1998 study will soon show.

You're probably thinking, "Yeah, but that study is for Net Sales, it doesn't say anything about Net Advertising." But, come on people. How do you think they got their products sold on the net if it wasn't on the net to begin with? One of the best ways to be successful with net sales is to put out an advertisement on the web. And don't just place it anywhere. Be strategic when selecting a location. You don't have traffic right now, right? Why not go to a place that already has traffic going through it? Let others do the work for you! One way you could do that is to set up your ad in an already existing Virtual Mall where the traffic flow has already been established. And remember folks, the Internet is a big place; you could easily get lost and end up wasting your money if you don't plan out where and how you advertise. You might end up with a pretty groovy web page that NO ONE knows exists.

Myth #4 All Internet Advertising Services Are Equal

My little sister created her home page at the age of 14. She used www.geocities.com to get a free home page and minimal instructions. With all the information floating around the web, just about anyone can create a home page and put it up on the net. But do you want a mediocre site that "works good enough", or do you want an excellent site that stands out and represents you and your company. Think of this site as the first face your company puts out to your customers. What do you want them to think when they see you? All internet advertising services aren't equal, in fact they couldn't be more different. Think of all the different people working for them, all the different tastes and idea's that they will be sharing with you when advising you on the layout of your site. What you should do is get the advertising service's web address and check out their site. You can see for yourself how their site is organized, how the advertisers are listed, etc. From there decide what you can do with your site once it is up, for instance, once the page is up can you make changes? What about graphics and color and hyperlinks? What about their customer service? Can they promote your site adequately? It goes on and on. Once again, it would be wise to do a little research on your own, after all it's your money you are investing. You are going to want something that will provide you with a little something extra in return!

Myth #5 If I place my ad or get a home page on the World Wide Web 50 million people see it

Well, let's break things down and take a look at it in further detail. There are an estimated 30 - 50 million Internet users on line, and it's growing at increasing speeds. However, you will not be seen by all of them. It's just like running an ad in a magazine with 100,000 readers. Not all 100,000 people will see it. What it actually means is that you have a potential audience of 30 - 50 million. Also bear in mind, that the actual number of people that see your site will greatly depend on where your site is located and how actively it is being promoted.

Myth #6 If I place my ad with an advertising service they will promote my home page for me and generate traffic to my page

Very few Internet advertising services are dong any kind of promotion of their own site, much less the sites of their customers. This is the same naïve consumer that believes that just by being on the net will guarantee him an audience of 30 - 50 million. If the advertising service you have selected isn't promoting their site both on and off the Internet, you will end up with what you began with: a lonely sign posted amidst tumbleweeds in a ghost town-like desert.

Myth #7 After I place my ad on the Internet my job is done

Only if you are aiming for a lonely sign posted amidst tumbleweeds in a ghost town-like desert, then your job will be through. But for the regular motivated entrepreneurs, we know that placing an ad is just the beginning. Your URL will be just as imperative as your phone number is on business cards. Even the "big guys" use this marketing ploy, as you've probably seen on their commercials (MCI, NIKE, Toyota, etc). Advertising on the Internet is an excellent way to promote products, services and business, either big or small. But you can't stop there, you have to select the right service for you. And even after you've established a service that will cater to your needs, you still have to do periodic check ups to see if your site maintains it's consistent tones and messages.

Myth #8 Search Engines guarantee that my web site can be found on the Internet

Search Engines are one of the ways that prospects can find your site. In an article "Thinking About Advertising On The Internet, by S. Hunter and G. Kosch" it states that "..there are roughly about 500 existing search engines, and of them only a dozen of them are really good." Our explanation is that there are only about 12 search engines that are used by everybody everywhere, the rest are industry or region specific - so not as many people use them. Also, there are many types of promotional sites other than search engines (directories, classified ads, free-for-all links, etc.). All in all there is a list of about 5,000 of all types. The chances of a prospect finding the right search engine where you registered is highly unlikely. You'd have a better chance of being found with bigger search engines like Yahoo! and Lycos.

Myth #9 The Internet is just a load of hype and will die off soon to go to the way of 8 track tape and the pet rock