Hello again! Week by week we are exploring the Information Superhighway! This week we look at topic, we have covered numerous times, the BBS. But this Weeks focus is on the BBS as a Business. We will zero in, in particular on my BBS, Holman's World Ministries and the feature of it and how it meets various Business needs.
We hope by now that you have gotten that you definitely need a PC, Modem, Phoneline and Software to access the BBS. The Software can be many of the popular packages such as Qmodem,ProComm, etc.
The BBS as a Business is one of the most important functions that are available today. The BBS can serve as a avenue for dissemmination of news. Should one of the Customers of Holman's World want to know about new additions to the BBS, they would able to Choose from the Main Menu the Newsletter. In the News Letter you will find items relative to the BBS and the BBS Community as well. Most recently the BBS upgraded the latest version of it's software. It's in the Newsletter.
Another option on the BBS is the Bulletins. You will find in the Bulletins again a host of information. Being a Reseller of Computer/Hardware Software, you will find a partial Product listing of available items. There may be a Company that you have a name for, but need to know their Support or BBS, this will be found in the Bulletin Menu. The Bulletin Menu also gives you the option to Download the Bulletin right there on the spot. So instead of capturing the display or toggling on your printer you can download the Bulletin to your PC.
Yet another powerful option the the BBS is the Door Menu. Door programs basically allow you to run an independent program on the BBS. It is like saying I have this great program for you to try out and you don't have to hav the diskett to run it, you can run it while you are online. Again in the Reselling Business, there are products that I offer for Resell. The BBS Product Door allows for customers to place orders right online. They can choose the product(s) of their choice right online. The Door will ask them how they wish to pay for the order and gives the option of Credit Card or Direct Debit. What the BBS will do at a specified time (EVENT) is process all of the Credit Card Orders and send them to a third party Merchant Provider for processing. The BBS will generate a message to me and the Purchaser on the BBS as a Confirmation Message. This same door will take Subscriptions to the BBS as well as product ordering. Subscriptions are handled via the Credit Card or Direct Debit, as well as a new Technology in the BBS arena which allows for procesing via (900) numbers. The Users can call a (900) number and receive a validation Codee and Input this Code in the BBS and then be given Specialized Access.
Another Door Option is the abilitly for Customers to review or Advertise Business Services. This option will present the customer with a simulated Business Card in which the Customers Info is placed online for others to see. They will view it just as they would a Business Card. Also posters of info can attach a file to the Business Card that can be an indept description of a product or Service. This option will also placing postings by Category. So one category might be Business Services. Another my be Job Opening (in this case Resumes are attached). Yet Another can Be Real Estate Listings. Many BBS's have the Technology to offer Databases that are in Full Picture Display. So in a Real Estate Section would be presented with picture of the Actual Property.
The BBS provides Customer Support via Email. Should a customer which to Amend or even Cancel an order, the customer can leave a message right there on the BBS. Also as an additional Service the Customer can have access to Product Support regarding their purchases. In some Cases Discussion Areas are setup for Customers to post inquiries not only to me but to other local users. Where some message area are part of Networks, (coalition of other BBS's) support is provided by users who may be located across the country, In this the Customer is provided with a wide range of opinions and views. Some conference are gated through the UseNet NewsGroups, so even a wider range audience is addressed. Support is one of the key items in Customer Relations in a Business and the BBS can provide a good portion of it.
Often a Customer may want to have access to files relative to their needs. The BBS provides this via File Areas. These are Files that are on the Hard Drive of the PC. Today's technology, allow for users to also have access to files not only on the PC's Hard Drive but on it's Network Drive or CDROM. The CDROM Technology as you may have noticed is popular because it will allow for more information to be placed on it. So my CDROM hold about 1 GIG of files in various topic areas to adress the varying needs of customers.
Often Customers want to receive information on the Products and services offered but to not want to download document as mentioned earlier only to have to edit the document for viewing. They often want to use another Technology available called FAX on Demand. With this feature, Product and Service Descriptions can be faxed to the Customer Fax Machine on Request or Demand. Within a 24hour Period the BBS will look for pending Documents that have been Requeted and send them out.
So as we can see their is more the BBS than just getting online, but once their many options are at our disposal and should be decide to do so, we can see the Business Oppertunities that many Companies have seen and may want to set one up for ourselves.
This concludes this weeks lesson, as always hoping your CyberTravels are PROFITABLE ones!
We end this weeks lesson with a Tip of the Week...
In Business you need to stay ahead of the Competition. You need a source of info that is relative to YOU. How do you get info relative to YOUR needs sent DIRECTLY to YOU?
Answer.
HeadsUp. The Personal Interactive NewsService. A FREE 30 Trial is available tha scan over 12,00 articles based on the profile you present to send you info relative to your background.
How? Via Email. Send your request to:headsup@enews.com Ask for info on a Free Trial Subscription.