World Wide Web

The World Wide Web has rapidly become the dominant Internet tool, combining hypertext and multimedia to provide a network of educational, governmental, and commercial resources. Much of its power comes from the fact that it presents information in a variety of formats while it also organizes that information through hypertext links. 

The World Wide Web (known as "WWW', "Web" or "W3") is the universe of network-accessible information, the embodiment of human knowledge. The World Wide Web began as a networked information project at CERN where Tim Berners-Lee, now Director of the World Wide Web Consortium [W3C], developed a VISION of the project. The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect."

What the World Wide Web can do for you as a great resource for information:
· Can be used to communicate using written words via e-mail at a fraction of the cost of Long Distance phone charges. 
· Allow shopping right from your home for certain items 
· Promote reading and communication skills 
· Help keep you up to date on topics you want to know about through e-mail 'lists' 
· World Wide Web provides the World's largest directory of online courses, accredited online degrees, continuing education, online training, and online education.

The World Wide Web has received a great deal of attention in the media and many companies have set up an Internet presence. Companies are quickly moving to use the World Wide Web as a way of segmenting markets and doing something that ordinary promotional media cannot: reaching consumers across the country and around the world interactively and on demand – all at a reasonable cost.

The potential applications of the World Wide Web are being expanded every day, and companies which are the first to exploit these opportunities will have a tremendous advantage over their more traditionally-oriented competitors. Because of World Wide Web Marketing is pretty simple. It's the process of understanding the needs of the market and communicating the benefits of some product, technology or offering in such a way that the market understands the benefit and sees the value it can bring to them. The ultimate goal in World Wide Web marketing is for the market to desire the product, technology or offering that has been marketed.

Ninety-six percent of the companies in this study use the World Wide Web as an interactive brochure, providing information about their companies, the products and/or services they offer, and contact information. Interactive brochures range from simple information provided in a text-only form, to so-called “flat ads”, to highly sophisticated multimedia productions, with full scale audio, video and interactive capabilities. Flat ads, essentially single page electronic flyers, are often the first step into an eventual multimedia format. They allow companies to get an initial feel for the marketplace. Even these relatively simple sites on the World Wide Web send a message to current customers, potential customers and competitors that a company is on the cutting edge.

World Wide Web sites provide users with a variety of multimedia materials, Including sound bites, video clips, allowing access to detailed product information. For example Sony Corporation provides links for each of its divisions (music, pictures, Costs electronics, electronic publishing, and merchandise). Its music division allows users to hear a portion of their favorite artist’s latest CD, view a video clip from their most recent music video, or get information about their upcoming concert tours.

Another example is Virtual Storefront was used by 12 percent of the corporate World Wide Web pages examined. It makes use of the same features as the interactive brochure, but interested consumers can browse through merchandise and purchase items online. Both large and small businesses have taken advantage of this particular aspect of Internet access.