Whether you are a wise and weathered elder of the community or a generation Y business owner, you may wonder how things work on the Internet and online. Understanding a few basics to full application service provider (ASP) tools for online storefronts and business Internet will help you out.

You may think you know the basics, and then you may think it’s all too complicated. If you have a bigger company and you want to connect all of your people across the globe, you will find information and help using these Internet and online basics.

1. Begin your Internet and online basics with a few fundamentals.

2. Learn about search engines and what Google is really good at.

3. Find out who can help you launch your Internet dream business right away.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn the basics of the Internet

Have you ever wondered what some of those 'simple' Internet terms might really mean? Wonder no longer, because you are going to find out now the meanings of a few basic Internet and web terms like 'web server,' 'web browser' and 'Internet portal.'

I recommend: HowStuffWorks will explain web servers to you. HyperOffice explains an Internet industry portal, which is a way to keep your office staff connected wherever they go in the world.

Find out what Internet search engines really do

It always feels good to know the basics in life--a little science, math and politics. Learn the basics of the Internet and feel more intelligent. How do you define a search engine? How does the most popular of search engine in the U.S. work?

I recommend: See the Webopedia description of a search engine. Monash and Buzzle.com explain how spiders and crawlers work in search engines, and how they file and rank pages using keyword phrase. Google is one of the most popular search engines, and they can teach you how to make your site more visible through their search engine.

Find out how you can get a B2B Internet gig going online

What is really nice is that you don't need to be a computer software engineer to be involved with business Internet. All you need is to find the right Internet companies or ASPs, learn what they do and how they work and get online.

I recommend: AspDotNetStorefront offers almost everything a small business may need or want to get online and active right away. Some of the services they offer include email marketing, running your ebusiness stores like an online mall, up-selling services, keyword analytics, shopping carts, toolbars, connection to your financial systems' software, storage and shipping help. Take a look at the link and find additional tools as well. 1Shoppingcart also offers web services that deliver a near total package from mailing list programs, email broadcasting services, auto responders, ad tracker tools and stats, affiliate programs, up sell modules, questionnaire features, pop-up features, custom forms and opt-in boxes.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Define your Internet industry needs and then find the web services that will serve you. Find out what is available-think big and imagine-and then find the kind of B2B Internet companies that meet your particular business needs.

An Internet Service Provider (ISP) – or Internet Access Provider (IAP) - is a company that provides Internet access to its customers – either businesses or individuals. For a monthly fee, an ISP provides all of the capabilities you need in order to connect to the Internet, browse the Web, use email and more. Generally, when you select a broadband or cable internet service provider, the ISP component comes with it. The technology and functions operate largely behind the scenes.

The Internet access field is highly competitive and includes many players. How can you choose the right ISP for your small business? There are three basic factors to consider when choosing your business's ISP:

1. Which ISP offers the optimal connection speed and features for your business?
2. Which ISP offers the local, national, and/or wireless access?
3. Which ISP has proven reliability?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

How fast do you want it to be?

Your connection speed depends on how many employees you have, how many email addresses the ISP allows, and how often you use the Internet. The more you want, the better connection you need. DSL is okay for home-businesses, while growing companies may opt for the faster and more expensive ISP connection offered via leased T1 (Trunk Level 1) or T3 (Trunk Level 3) lines.

I recommend: See Surfers Can Be Choosers Quiz for ISP recommendations. At BuyerZone's Internet Access Quotes, take a quiz to be matched up with up with up to five applicable ISPs.

Select your top features

The more you do online, the more your ISP must offer. If you download/upload large files, will your ISP support it? Or, if you want to host your own Web site, your ISP must e-commerce services.

I recommend: Check out Verizon's Business DSL for their featured services. Covad serves small and medium businesses, while EarthLink offers national and wireless services.

Consider security and service

Find out what the ISP provides to keep the virtual wolf – we're talking spammers and viruses - from your e-door. Service: can you reach a live ISP rep, via a toll-free phone number, 24/7?If not, keep looking.

I recommend: What's available in your neck of the woods? Click on DSL Reports Local Search, Broadband Power Search, or Everything DSL (to search by state).

Check provider reviews

Want the real 411 on a company, from its own customers? Don't sign up with an ISP until you've gotten the full scoop.

I recommend: Check out DSL Reports– they're grouped according to customer ratings, as "Smooth Ride," "Mixed," and "Unhappy Campers."

ISPs-to-go

Do you travel for business? If so, find an ISP with service coverage in the applicable cities, wireless ISP (WISP), and/or integrated voice mail/email to check messages by phone/Internet.

I recommend: Time Warner Cable offers Small Office/Home Office (SOHO); Small to Middle Sized Businesses; or Enterprise Solutions. Check out BellSouth FastAccess Business DSL for great tech support, including their same-day repair guarantee! Try Boingo or Earthlink Mobile Devices for wireless options.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Think Reliability: ISPs offering T1/T3 or higher connections include a now-standard Service Level Agreement (SLA) that protects your business against Internet downtime.
• •  Plan for Growth: As your company grows, so will its email and Internet needs due to more employees and increased business, so plan accordingly
• •  Contractual Basics: Most ISPs have a standard contract length of 3 years, AND charge penalties if the contract is broken before it expires.
• •  All-in-One: Some ISPs now offer all-in-one packages, with several small biz features grouped together for one price.

Receive Internet and online skills education and training to specialize in the field. There are many opportunities online from setting up websites to programming and designing. Getting an education in Internet and online services gives you a detailed look at all the possibilities and helps you hone your skills into an area where you excel.

For fun or for business, Internet knowledge is essential for many people in this day and age. Online companies have to stay up to date on information in order to stay competitive. Educating yourself in the field makes navigation through the information super highway smooth in business dealings. To educate yourself further in this area you might want to:

1. Get ahead in the Internet industry by earning a degree in the field.

2. Obtain Internet and online skills education and training through online resources.

3. Attend workshops and seminars pertaining to the Internet industry.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get a degree specializing in web services and other Internet activities

Getting hands-on experience while obtaining your degree can give you an edge over competitors and shows clients that you are serious about your work. It shows them that you are willing to put in the time and effort to become knowledgeable in your field.

I recommend: Champlain College offers a degree that focuses on web design and web development. It walks you through website design for businesses and database usage. Rasmussen College claims to revolutionize business with its Internet Marketing degree. It combines book learning with real-world experience.

Learn how to make the most of the Internet industry by taking online courses

There are many facets of doing business on the Internet and online courses are a great way to learn about them. Take learning to a new level while educating yourself around your work schedule and doing it in your own time frame.

I recommend: World Wide Learn offers a detailed summary of e-commerce and what the degree entails. It has a list of educational institutions that offer courses and degrees related to e-commerce online. Education Online Search has a list of resources for schools that offer Internet training through online courses. Search the list by degree type or location.

Learn about the information super highway through tutorials or by attending workshops and seminars

The online industry is massive, so attending seminars and workshops keeps you up-to-date on the latest industry changes. Attending seminars also gives you extra benefits such as hands-on training and the opportunity to network.

I recommend: The Ohio-State University offers an informal workshop using hands-on methods for using the Internet to learn about e-commerce. It teaches research techniques and marketing. Business Training Media lists a number of DVD tutorials related to Internet business. The topics covered range from Internet advertising and strategies for marketing to e-commerce in business and website design.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider getting an internship with Internet companies to get an inside look at the industry.

Internet and online key terms are crucial to conducting effective online business. One must be able to use the tools the Internet has to offer to increase profits. In order to use Internet tools one must learn the current terminology so you know what your competitors are saying and doing.

Find out how to use internet and online key terms to your advantage. Find out how an ASP can cut your costs for expensive software. Broadcast email to your customers and respond to them in real time with an auto responder. Find out what the Internet lingo means and increase your bottom line.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Information superhighway

Information superhighway is another name for the Internet or World Wide Web.

I recommend: UCLA provides information about the information superhighway.

Application Service Providers, ASP

Application Service Providers or ASP's provide computer programs to businesses over their network. Instead of the business purchasing the software, the ASP provides it online over the Internet and the business receives the program over a network.

I recommend: Cisco provides information on how to evaluate Application Service Providers’ security. Network World provides information about Application Service Providers.

Search engines

Search engines are programs that return online webpage results from queries one provides. Internet search engines such as Yahoo! and Google comb the Internet for the most relevant pages that meet your search criteria.

I recommend: Web Reference provides detailed information on search engines including what they are and how they work. Search Engine Colossus provides a directory of international search engines.

Keyword density

A keyword is a word placed strategically into a webpage to populate results in online search engines. The correct keyword or keyword phrases will rank the page high on the list of results when someone searches the Internet on that word or phrase. Keyword density refers to the number of times one uses the keyword compared to the total number of words on the page.

I recommend: The Site Wizard offers information on what keyword density is and how to improve it. Keyword Discovery has a keyword density tool that checks your keyword density on any Internet page.

Auto responders

Auto responders are programs that automatically answer incoming email with a standardized message. Any person or online business may use an Internet auto responder for any purpose. Auto responses range from announcing that one is on vacation to letting a customer know he received the email and someone is looking at it.

I recommend: NTC Hosting explains in detail what an auto responder is.

Email broadcasting

Email broadcasting is sending an email to a group of people for a specific purpose. For example, online advertisers use email broadcasting to send an ad to their customer list.

I recommend: Bulk Email Software provides information on email broadcasting features.