Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
Cyberspace keeps getting more crowded: By the end of 1997, astaggering 82 million PCs will be hooked up to the Internet,according to survey data compiled by research firm Dataquest.What's more, Dataquest predicts 268 million computers will beon the Net by 2001.
With numbers like that, advertisers are flocking to the Web. Atwhat cost? Less than you might think. The cost per thousand viewersfor putting an ad on a site averaged $39.35 during September,according to Focalink, a Palo Alto, California, provider of Webadvertising solutions and software. Focalink reports the bigwinners in the ad derby are music-oriented sites, which chargepremium rates. Gaining ground are sites filled with classified ads,which are often ranked among the Web's top sites.
To contact Robert McGarvey, visit his Web site athttp://members.aol.com/rjmcgarvey/.
On The Move
Just how do Webmasters put those eye-catching tickertape-styleblocks of text on their Web sites? The answer used to be withtreacherously difficult codes, but Lotus' BeanMachine programchanges that. Tickertapes and even fancier java applets (withanimated icons and audio features) are a few mouse clicks away forusers of BeanMachine (about $150). The program is so easy to use,you may have to fight the temptation to fill your entire site withjava applets. BeanMachine is one of the most useful tools aroundfor adding a bit of java sparkle to any site. Visit http://www.lotus.com for details.
Page Turner
Just now released in polished form, Microsoft's FrontPage'98 has emerged as the definitive Web-authoring and managementprogram for the technically challenged. While FrontPage '97 washighly usable software, the latest version represents a dramaticimprovement. No fancy coding is required, but a FrontPage '98user can still dress up Web pages with everything from hit countersto custom-made buttons that help users navigate a complex site. Abig plus for noncreative users: The program includes 50"themes"--coordinated kits of elements (buttons, bullets,page backgrounds, lines and so on). Whether you've built dozensof Web sites or you're about to create your first, FrontPage'98--about $149--belongs in your tool kit.
Support Group
Does your business need a Web site? Don't guess--take the20-question test offered by Nua's Website Planner (http://www.nua.ie/wp ) instead. Thesurvey can be filled out in five minutes, and the verdict from Nua,a Dublin, Ireland-based Web site developer, is instantaneous.Sample questions: "Do you sell travel- or tourism-relatedproducts or services? Do you sell products or services that requirea lot of education and backup information to sell?" And, no,the survey isn't rigged. Some businesses still don't needWeb sites, and Nua will tell you if yours is one of them.
E-mail Unplugged
The road warrior's digital dream is e-mail that'saccessible anywhere, any time, without a telephone line. That dreamrecently became a reality with San Luis Obispo, California, WyndCommunications' (http://www.wynd.com ) WyndMail. Thiswireless service lets users send and receive e-mail without a phoneline. Prerequisites include a laptop or a personal digitalassistant (such as Apple's Newton), and a wireless modem(available for purchase at $499 or rental at $39.95 per month).WyndMail isn't cheap--the basic monthly fee is $29.95 for 200incoming or outgoing messages; additional messages cost 5 centseach. Another minus: The service works only in metropolitan areasof the United States. (The rest of the country isn't in thewireless network; in dead zones and abroad, WyndMail can beaccessed by dial-up connection.) But in most metro areas, WyndMailusers can fetch their e-mail while stuck in traffic jams, atfast-food restaurants, and from hotels with balky dial tones thatconventional modems won't recognize.
Contact Source
Focalink, (800) 286-6778, http://www.focalink.com
