By Sterling Ledet

The World Wide Web is changing faster than even the most technically advanced of graphic arts shops. New opportunities for enhancing revenue, upgrading customer service, and improving efficiency are springing up almost daily. In this article we offer a variety of options to make your Internet presence more useful and more profitable. We`ll look at a number of companies who are treating the World Wide Web as an opportunity to reengineer their operations, improve their customer service, and increase their revenues. Web development services are gaining momentum, too. From start to finish, these companies explore numerous options for you.

Many new systems are helping these companies provide services to their customers over the Web. Since there are so many new advances, we`ll move rapidly through the technology, so fasten your seat belts and launch your browser. You can also access this article from the Web site, http://www.ledet.com/electronicpublishing, where we`ve got links to the sites mentioned in this article, or you can type in the URLs yourself from the sidebar at the end of the article.

The single largest difference between a useful Web site and one that just sits there consuming resources is the availability of content. Companies made a mad rush to put up sites in 1996 just for the sake of establishing a presence. While that is not all bad, many were shocked to find that the sites quickly absorbed money and didn`t return anything on the investment. A simple ad is not going to return much or make your site an overwhelmingly popular place.

For a site to be useful and profitable, you need to understand why users are accessing your site. The answer in a large percentage of the cases? Content. Remember, a large majority of the users are dedicated computer professionals accessing a site for a specific reason. The idea is to define and provide for them what they need and want while establishing your presence on the Web. The successful sites do that in a manner which satisfies the user and serves the interests of the company. A good starting point is to put on paper your business advantages as well as your business workflow. Ask yourself what a "typical" customer will want from your site. With this in mind, you can begin to add features which satisfy both company objectives and user expectations, such as order entry and customer service systems, technical support, and access to high- and low-resolution images.

Sales and marketing

While many graphic arts shops offer some sort of home page for their business, the quality and professionalism of these Web sites vary greatly. If the primary purpose of your Web site is marketing- and sales-oriented, you won`t want to leave out such standard features as online quotes via e-mail as well as downloadable price lists and order forms. The most important tip, however, is to have your company`s phone number (preferably toll-free) listed on every page. People often use the Internet as a glorified phone directory, and a phone number can make the difference between a prospect with a Web hit and a new client with an order.

Many printers, such as Mandarin Offset, a book printer based in Hong Kong and New York (http://www.mandarinoffset.com), provide a virtual tour of their facility on their Web site. Apple`s QuickTime VR technology (http://qtvr.quicktime.apple.com) can take a plant tour to the next level by providing a realistic 3D perspective. Using QuickTimeVR in your plant tour, however, can mean making users wait while their browser downloads relatively large 160K movie files, although the movies do appear in the browser window. The OLiVR streaming viewer (http://www.olivr.com) used with QuickTimeVR can help you offer a 3D tour without the hassles of long download times.

File transfers

You can gain a competitive advantage on the Internet by making your file transfer system easier and faster than that of your competitors. For an example of an extensive Web-based file transfer system that supports the Upload File command in Netscape Navigator, check out FreeMail Inc.`s Web FreePrint for the Internet (http://www.freemail.com). FreeMail sells an easy-to-use Web development kit so you can develop a front-end for e-mail and ftp-based file transfers to your Web site, or you can hire FreeMail to build your file transfer front-end for you.

For faster network transfers, check out Niwot Networks` (http://www.niwot.com) product, Gigabyte Express, which offers built-in STAC compression. The software is fast and a time-limited demo is available for free. For more information on other file transfer options, see the article "Tools for Telecommunications" in our May issue [of Electronic Publishing].

Order entry and job tracking

Another service graphics professionals can provide that offers convenience to the customer, while improving your own productivity, is enabling customers to place orders, check inventory, and see the status of their jobs from the convenience of their own Web browser, 24 hours a day.

Geographics Inc. (http://www.geographicsinc.com), a commercial printer in Atlanta, is using a private, password-protected Web site to replace a fax-based order entry system. One client, a major boat manufacturer, has a network of some 300 dealers around the world. These boat dealers needed to be able to place orders for product literature as it was exhausted. The manufacturer paid the printing and shipping cost for those dealers who met their sales quotas, and needed tracking of how much literature was being shipped to each dealer. The previous fax-based order entry system was hard to manage and impossible to track.

Geographics developed a system based on Microsoft Windows NT, Internet Information Server, and SQL Server that, including all software, hardware, and development, cost under $25,000. As a result, Geographics delivered a customized solution for this client that exceeded their expectations. The client has instant, online access to shipping history, current order status, and inventory levels at the Geographics printing facility. This solution also strengthened an already good business relationship.

"Clearly this system offered immediate advantages," says Mark Evans, general manager of Synergiegraphics, the digital division of Geographics. "We have reduced 7 to 10 phone calls per day to one call every three days. As the information is available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, it provides them a freedom we`ve never been able to offer before and allows our people to stay focused on their core responsibilities."

If you are not quite ready to design your own job tracking system, or if you are looking for something with a bit more power out of the box, Meta Communications (http://www.jobmanager.com) offers a shrinkwrapped system for Macintosh-based prepress shops. Since the system is based on Microsoft SQL Server, it`s not difficult to offer job tracking information from the program on the Web.

A brand-new product that is also easy to install is PrintersWeb software from Luminous (www.imation.com/Internet). This database-driven product can create an interactive site by allowing customers to obtain information on job status, scheduling, and quotes, at any time.

Online proofing area

For graphics companies offering design or creative work, it`s not hard to set up a digital proofing booth such as the one Replicolor (http://www.replicolor.com) has on its Web site for previewing files destined for output on an LVT photographic film recorder. While this can be as simple as making JPEG versions of data available on a Web server, you may want to consider providing a more extensive proofing area using tools such as Timbuktu (http://www.farallon.com).

Timbuktu offers a low-cost solution for viewing and controlling remote Macintosh, Windows 95, or Windows NT computers. It also includes file transfer and live chatting. It works from within a browser and gives printers the opportunity to solve problems with a customer job remotely from their Web server. Timbuktu can give you control over your customer`s computer so you can show them how you are solving their problem. It can also let customers observe one of your production machines as your employees work on the customer`s file. You use a simple HTML tag to link a Web page to Timbuktu with or without password protection, so using it couldn`t be easier.

Hi-Tech Color, a prepress service provider in Idaho (http://www.hi-techcolor.com), offers access to its technicians through Timbuktu, but goes even further and offers video conferencing.

Another company that offers remote proofing over the Internet is GroupLogic Imagexpo. In addition to providing support for more accurate color with Colorsync 2.0, this company enables users to mark up the screen with corrections and suggestions. Imagexpo comes with plug-ins for PageMaker, QuarkXPress, and Acrobat, but it does not yet offer support for popular Web browsers.

Image Management

Another opportunity for printers to add value to their client relationship is to offer a Web-based media management system. Clients are using their warehouse of images for many other purposes besides prepress production. Image management systems were covered in some detail in our May issue`s article entitled "Keeping Track of Digital Images." Here we`ll concentrate on how these products integrate with the World Wide Web.

My vote for the leader in Web-based media management systems has got to go to Cascade`s Mediasphere/W3 Client (http://w3.cascadenet.com). This Unix-based system is very Web-friendly and provides a powerful live Java Client, top-notch text searching, and extensive integration with Adobe Acrobat. The Java Client, called the Information Station, offers several channels of live video feeds, rotating ads, sound support, and a live ticker of new information. Cascade`s custom HTML in-line scripting language, CIS, provides more flexibility and Web integration than almost all of its competitors. It may not lead in ease-of-use, but if you are looking for power and flexibility, you`d be hard-pressed to find a better solution than Mediasphere.

Another powerful Web solution is the Bulldog Group`s Bulldog 1.6, which is based on the Informix Illustra object-oriented database server. An online demonstration and tutorial (http://www.bulldog.ca/bd/DemoIntro) shows just what`s possible when it comes to Web-based image management.

Picturenet`s Phrasea (http://www.picturenet.org/Home Page.Archiving) is a powerful Macintosh-based image management system. Using this technology, British Telecom developed an image database and now offers an online picture library which has over 5000 images. Users can search through these images and purchase them in low or high resolution.

Canto Cumulus is another Macintosh-based media management system with the largest installed base. This company now has an Internet Image Server (http://www.canto-software.com) plug-in available for free download from the Web. A demonstration server is also online. The Wace ProtoCall imaging site (http://images.wace.com) offers a simpler searchable image database built on Canto Cumulus. Users can search for images by keyword and download low-res images for use in comps. The presentation is clean and professional using an easy-to-use tabbed interface. The Cumulus Image Management server is currently a Macintosh-only product, but an NT Server version is in the works.

Archetype`s Mediabank software (http://pioneer.atype.com/shell/mbweb.cgi) has a Web interface that allows for downloading of high-resolution images as well as low-res. Mediabank is based on xBase technology with ODBC access so it`s easy to integrate with the Web.

Luminous Media Manager is a popular client-server solution which is based on SQL Server, so access from the Web is easy with products such as Tango. Luminous Media Manager was originally developed as Telescope from North Plains Systems. North Plains Systems (http://www.northplains.com) has a functioning, Tango-based Web interface to its demo database online as well as free download of an evaluation version of Telescope.

Web development services

Almost every ad in this magazine refers people to a related Web site, and someone is providing these services. Although the area of Web development services is crowded with competitors, it is frequently the traditional graphic arts supplier who has the opportunity to close the sale when it comes to developing Web sites for new clients. If your company has not yet developed Web building expertise in-house, you may be interested in the reselling arrangement developed by Net Propulsion.

Net Propulsion (http://www.netpropulsion.com) has developed a well-organized and professional marketing program that lets companies provide Web-site packages even if they don`t have the expertise or resources to create them in-house. They follow the same, easy-to-use approach that has been successful in the quick print industry for years, making selling and buying Web sites as easy as business cards or wedding invitations. It costs $50 to join the company`s dealer program, and you receive an album containing ordering information and samples of complete Web sites for many different businesses.

One of the most practical uses for a Web site is in conjunction with conventional (or unconventional) printed marketing. Once you have developed your production departments skills with products like Astrobyte`s Beyond Press, Adobe`s PageMaker 6.5, or Terry Morse Software`s Myrmidon, you can look at each design job as a possible source of additional Web-related revenue. Myrmidon is a new HTML conversion program that is selected from the Chooser and turns anything you print into a WYSIWYG HTML document. If you are going to offer Web development services, it helps to have some database expertise as well, so client visits can be logged and client information can be tracked and integrated with your company`s marketing programs.

Hallmark`s site (http://www.hallmark.com) is a good example of co-marketing between the Web and other promotional activities. The site offers Web access to the Hallmark Gold Crown frequent purchasing program. Customers obtain Gold Crown points for purchases in Hallmark gift shops across the nation. They can then check their status in the program by entering their card number at the Hallmark Web site. Hallmark also offers free electronic greeting cards, a free reminder service for special dates, and plenty of information on holiday activities.

Those prepress companies producing catalogs for clients have a great opportunity to capitalize on new revenue opportunities using products like Microsoft`s Merchant Server or The Vision Factory`s Cat@log. Both of these products are built on SQL Server and allow a graphic arts company with database development skills to use the text and graphics content they already have to build an extensive and professional online store.

Useful Web content

Finding good content for your Web page is probably one of the hardest challenges facing graphic arts Web sites. One great source for automatically updated content is the NewsPage network (http://www.newspage.com) which offers automatically updated news headers each day. Joining the network is free and only requires a skilled HTML coder to set up a template page that links to the NewsPage server.

If you have a large enough user base for your Web site, your customer content area can include discussion boards and chat rooms. Once people start using an area frequently, it`s a good idea to provide methods for them to communicate with each other. This group communications area can include discussion areas for popular software or industry trends, for example.

Another content area that most shops can easily set up is a customer education and information section. Moore Corporation Limited, which specializes in printing for direct mail, uses its Web site (http://www.moore.com) for customer training to an extent few others have managed. This printer offers a Customer Campus with extensive information on direct-marketing including database design tips, how to create direct mail pieces that get read, and an online response calculator.

Although the public Internet offers low-cost, almost universal access that`s fairly easy to use, it also comes with its own set of problems, such as delays and security issues. Deploying new technology internally before rolling it out on the Internet is a typical development scenario. Most shops are further along on development of their internal intranets than they are on their public Web sites. Some of the shops mentioned in this article only offer access to their advanced Web site features to existing customers. As your company increases its activity on the World Wide Web, you should also plan to use an internal intranet for development, and publish new material on the Web only after it has been completed and tested. Nothing turns off visitors to a Web site faster than Under Construction graphics. Once you`ve developed and installed technology that meets your company`s quality goals, you can roll it out on the Internet with a minimum of concern for bugs and problems, since most should have been caught by your employees on the intranet.

Now that we have a Web site, where do we go from Here?

Once you`ve built a basic Web site with company information and marketing materials, you can begin to make it more useful and profitable by adding services:

• Online Quotes and Estimates Clients like to serve themselves and appreciate the ability to easily and accurately communicate job requirements.

• File Transfer Section Many buyers of printing and prepress services are not comfortable with the Internet standard File Transfer protocol, and e-mail transfers are not practical for large files. Your file transfer section should include other options.

• Virtual Tour Your online tour should be an interesting presentation that highlights your company`s competitive advantage.

• Online Store An online store for any retail products your company provides can provide a source of additional revenue and, more importantly, position you to offer online order entry and electronic commerce services for your clients.

• Remote Proofing With Online Conferencing A simple remote proofing area based on JPEG or PDF file formats is inexpensive and easy to set up.

• Order Entry Customers who order reprints frequently will appreciate you providing them with the ability to place orders, check inventory, and see the status of previous orders placed.

• Job Tracking If you`re using an open database system to track work orders and job costs, providing secure access to this data over the Web can help gain new clients and reduce costs. You can link to your shipping vendors` tracking system so clients can know where their work is at all times.

• Image Database Data warehousing of images and electronic media is rapidly becoming a must-have requirement when large companies are selecting commercial printing and prepress services. The competition in this area is fierce, so shop carefully and negotiate a solution that meets your needs.

• E-mail Directory Since this will typically be accessed quite frequently, it should be fast to load and conveniently located.

• Technical Support and Training A proactive and responsive site with FAQs, e-mail, and training information can help reduce problems once jobs hit your production floor.

• Discussion Areas People love to communicate with one another, and for larger Web sites chat rooms and bulletin boards can become one of the most popular areas.

A printer and client collaborate

A&a Printers and DigitalGraphics of Menlo Park, California, represent a great example of the customized one-to-one marketing that is enabling entirely new types of business applications on the Web. The company has developed The Business Card system, which not only allows customers to order business cards online, but also provides online soft proofing, process control, and reduction of administrative overhead.

Robert Hu, general manager of A&a Printers, states his philosophy for treating the Web as a new production tool. "We believe that the print manufacturing process now begins with the document creator at our customer`s location. We need to reengineer our production workflow from that perspective as opposed to when we receive the digital file. Our focus is to devise processes that allow document creators to make informed decisions and participate in the manufacturing of their document."

A&a Printers worked with Chris Glon of Laiglon Systems to develop this Java-based business card production system. The system allows customers to access a Web page and enter the information to appear on employees` business cards, and then add the ordering information. An online proof is then delivered on a Web page. Once the online proof is approved by the customer, a Java application running on a Sun Unix system uses an intelligent agent to determine the most appropriate imposition layout. An Acrobat PDF file is then generated with the business cards imposed and ready for film. The same Acrobat PDF file that is used to generate the film for printing can be downloaded from the Web page and inspected and approved by the customer. The technology, which A&a Printers is now licensing to other printers, is customized for large corporations, such as Apple Computer, to incorporate the corporation`s logo and production and administrative requirements.

The A&a Web site also has a Tools On Demand section. For project planning, A&a provides a Shipping Weight Calculator and Spine Thickness Calculator, both aimed at assisting the client in job preparation. The site includes other useful features like a Crisis Control Panic Button for clients needing after-hours help and support.

The business card production system is a good example of collaboration between printer and client and how this makes the production process easier for both. According to Hu, "Printing and publishing has always been a collaborative activity that spans multiple business activities. With the advent of the Internet, we see huge potential to leverage the Net to bridge the span between the document creators and document producers."