Expanding into cyberspace

Christine Carrillo

In an age where computers have become an integral part of everyday

life, the business world has needed to remain ahead of the game. More

and more people seeking information look to the Web to find it,

replacing the days of making inquiry phone calls and trips to the

office.

Now, potential customers and clients want their questions answered

with the click of a mouse. And what better way for businesses to

oblige them than through an informative Web site.

“I think every single industry can benefit from having a Web

site,” said Rick Dill, president of Online Building Products, a Web

site design company in Newport Beach. “We do custom-designed Web

sites that meet the company’s needs based on the image the company

wants to project.”

And just as brochures have done for years, Web sites can reflect

the quality of a company and even virtually augment its size. With

one visit, customers can get a feel for the capabilities of a company

based entirely on the productivity of its Web site.

“It shows what you’re company is capable of,” said Elana Siegel, a

marketing assistant for Worldview Travel in Costa Mesa. “If you have

a good Web site that’s able to do all those things, it says that the

agents are just as good.”

By providing customers with an opportunity to make changes to

their itineraries, check their flight status and make reservations,

the role of a good Web site within the travel industry has proven to

be one of convenience, especially for its corporate clients, Siegel

said.

Similarly, the restaurant industry and its customers have

benefited from the convenience of a site.

“It’s just another vehicle that allows us to reach our guests,”

said Frank LeFranc, executive vice president and chief operations

officer for Newport Beach-based Ruby’s Diners. “For us, it’s a matter

of maintaining an ongoing relationship with our guests.”

The company’s Web site, which was established only three years

ago, provides customers with investment information, opportunities to

provide restaurant comments and online games for kids.

“We didn’t see it as a technology,” LeFranc said. “We thought it

could be informational ... and we’ve made it interactive.”

And many Web sites aren’t just providing information anymore.

As the computer industry continues to replace its technology at a

rapid pace with increasingly sophisticated applications, the role of

Web sites among various companies often expands.

In many cases, a Web site can serve as a cost-effective means of

conducting business, providing an economical way to share information

among employees and customers, said Dill.

By establishing applications that allow companies to download and

upload files or send mass faxes, companies alleviate some of their

workload and expense. And by serving as an online storefront to

millions of people around the world, a Web site can also enhance the

company’s business reach.

Worldview Travel, which has offices in Orange and San Diego

counties, has acquired clients as far as Europe as a result of its

Web site. However, Siegel maintains that word of mouth continues to

serve as their best means of advertising.

But today’s Web site can be employed to do so much more.

“I don’t think companies realize what’s possible,” Dill said. “If

you can imagine it, we can develop it.”

* CHRISTINE CARRILLO covers business. She may be reached at (949)

574-4298 or by e-mail at christine.carrillo@latimes.com.