Samples of Local Internet Uses
Many businesses in the Northeast Kingdom use the Internet in various ways. There is no “right way” for you to use the Internet in your business, but these examples may give your some ideas to try. If you have additional examples of interesting uses of the Internet in the NEK or elsewhere in Vermont, please email the business name and what is unique or interesting about the business’s Internet usage to the e-NEK Project.
Simple Web Presence
Many people don’t use the telephone book anymore, but rely on web searches to find local businesses. A listing on your local Chamber of Commerce’s web site may suffice, or you may want to have your own basic web site, such as this one for MG & EF Morse Insurance in Hardwick, with your contact information.
You may be able to have a web site that is provided by an industry association or your primary supplier’s company. For example, the web site for the Calderwood Insurance Agency in Hardwick is a part of the Co-operative Insurance Companies web site.
e-Commerce
E-commerce is the sale of some or all of your offerings on the web. Al’s Snowmobile Parts Warehouse in Newport has very successfully used Internet sales to expand their business, and their web site is a classic e-commerce site with online catalogs, ordering and payment.
You can also do e-commerce on a smaller and more local scale. Parker Pie Company in West Glover sells pizza and other menu items in their restaurant. Their web site includes online ordering for items from their Bake Shoppe, but no online payments or delivery. Customers pay for their baked goods when they pick them up at the restaurant.
Forms
Online forms are a good way to collect specific information from your customers. The Taylor-Moore Insurance Agency in Derby uses very detailed forms to provide information for a variety of insurance quotes. This allows their customers to request quotes on their own schedule, and takes less time for the agency to process.
Bulletin Boards
Involve the community in your site by using public bulletin boards that are related to your business. For example, Kiss My Winds and Brass, a musical instrument repair service in St. Johnsbury, hosts a bulletin board for music related items, such as instruments for sale and music teachers.
Internal Business Use
Not everything on the web needs to be accessible to the general public. Use controlled-access web sites to share information with your employees or business partners. Calex Ambulance Services in St. Johnsbury maintains a web site to provide the public with general information about the service and the opportunity to enroll in First Aid and CPR training. But the web site also serves a second function. The Members section of the web site is only accessible by staff members, and contains schedules, medical protocols and other information needed by the ambulance crews. This allows the entire staff to have access to current information 24 hours a day.
You can also use tools such as Google Docs to collaborate with selected people. This sample document is viewable by the public, but similar documents with restricted access were used by the Internet Biz – 2010 steering committee to help plan this project.
Business-to-Business or Business-to-Customer
Like the Internal Business Use above, many businesses need to communicate with their suppliers or their customers privately and securely. AM Peisch, an accounting firm in St. Johnsbury and elsewhere in Vermont, has a tax organizer for the use of their clients. General information about the process can be viewed by anyone, but only customers have access to the tool. Photographer Robin Ann Davis has a password protected section of her web site where her clients can proof their photographs.
Social Media
Many Northeast Kingdom businesses use social media like Facebook and Twitter to increase their exposure. You can also link to your social media sites from your web site. Notice the Follow Jay links on the Jay Peak Resort web site.
Embed Other Media
You can include a YouTube clip, audio clips, calendars, etc., on your web site. The Events and Schedules page on this web site contains an embedded Google calendar. Leroux Brothers Transmissions in Barton includes a series of audio clips from their radio ads on their web site. The Old Stone House Museum in Brownington sells a DVD about Life in Orleans County, and includes a YouTube preview on their web site.
Non-Web Uses of the Internet
The Internet is a way to move information. We think of it in terms of broadcasting a web site to anyone in the world or sending an email to a single person, but other kinds of information can be transported as well. Examples of non-web uses of the Internet are:
- Health monitoring: using blood pressure or other monitoring devices that transmit results to a health care provider over the Internet
- Web cams: allow for remote viewing of a live video
- Other monitoring devices: devices which monitor water level, temperature, etc., can trigger Internet-based warnings
Other Examples
If you have additional examples of interesting uses of the Internet in the NEK or elsewhere in Vermont, please email the business name and what is unique or interesting about the business’s Internet usage to the e-NEK Project.
