The Internet Has Become A Bona Fide Business Opportunity, Says Spokane.Net Executive

Trendy businesses come and go, but the Internet seems to be here to stay. The growth curve just won’t quit.

And with this dynamic new industry comes a host of new jobs, said Caty Frazier, Website advertising manager for Spokane.net.

Frazier, who will lead a seminar titled “Career Opportunities on the Internet,” said opportunities range from programming to management, with stops at content development, graphic design and sales.

In some cases, one person may be responsible for all aspects of Web development, she said, but a growing number of businesses are segregating positions into smaller, more specialized functions.

“At the bigger corporations, they’re realizing that it takes more than one person to handle all the aspects of a Website.”

Every Website begins with someone who is responsible for creating the content.

“It needs someone to write it, to generate the relevant information,” she said.

When the content is developed, it’s “handed off to someone who manages the architectural design of the site, the workflow and the navigation.

“This person needs to be real intuitive as to how the viewer will use the site.”

Improper structure and poorly considered navigation confuse and frustrate users, Frazier said.

Graphic designers create the images that make a Web site appealing, she said, and technicians code the site’s contents so that it appears in a format which can be understood by the software through which the Web is accessed.

“That person needs to know CGI, Java, Shockwave, Real Audio and et cetera,” she said.

A Web administrator “installs, maintains and trouble-shoots all the software and hardware” that are necessary to run a Web site but, Frazier said, perhaps that person’s “biggest skill is explaining all that technical stuff to people like me.

“The people who can go from the computer manuals to the average Joe manager who kind of understands what the Web does has a huge leg up. All us neophytes are getting into the industry and we need someone to explain it all to us.”

On the business side of the Web equations are the same needs for management and sales that exist in any organization.

There must be a manager who responsible for the nuts and bolts of the business operation, including budgeting, planning and personnel issues.

“A profitable Web site needs business planning and management just like any other business,” Frazier said.

If a site is supported by advertising revenue, then there must be salespeople and a sales manager.

“And your site must be marketed, just like any business venture. All the old standards of running a business apply, but the Internet changes quickly and things need to be implemented rapidly.”