bCentral Services

Microsoft� bCentral� asked small businesses what they needed to get online and succeed on the Internet. Their responses helped in designing the three bCentral services: Start, Market and Manage. You can use one or a combination of these services to make your e-commerce venture successful.

Step 1:

Taking the first steps to developing an online presence can be a major hurdle for some companies. Use this section of the Microsoft bCentral Web site to get online and develop a compelling Web sites.

�� Get connected: Connect to the Web with an ultrafast DSL connection, enabling you to download e-mail messages and files in seconds. DSL omits logging on and off PCs to keep phone lines free.

�� Set up an e-mail account: Stay in touch with customers 24 hours a day by e-mail.�

�� Register a Web domain name: Find an available domain name for your company and register it online. You can also register Internet keywords so that shoppers don�t have to remember URLs.

�� Establish a Web presence: Create a Web site with the bCentral Site Manager application and have the site hosted by Microsoft bCentral. Choose from a selection of 40 themes and background colors that you can use to personalize your site.

Step 2:

Attracting online customers can be one of the biggest challenges of e-commerce, and one of the biggest benefits of bCentral. bCentral market services help you reach up to 40 million viewers and attract 65 percent of Web surfers to your site�and keep them coming back. How you use these services will be key to your success.

�� Get listed on search engines: Post your URL on more than 400 search engines with the bCentral SubmitIt! tool, including search engines specific to your market and location.

�� Advertise your company: Use the bCentral Banner Exchange Network to post your online banners on sites specific to your products and services. You can also track how many visitors have seen your site and measure the effectiveness of your advertising.

�� Save on advertising on major Web sites: Use the bCentral AdStore. For just $50 you can start ad campaigns on major Web sites such as MSN� and/or place ads on more topic-specific sites.

�� Pick up shoppers from other sites: Set up your own affiliate network using the bCentral ClickTrade service. ClickTrade handles all the tracking and affiliate payments.

�� Keep in touch with customers: Collect and maintain lists of shoppers� e-mail addresses with the bCentral ListBot tool. Send mailings to these customers to advertise sales and other special deals, and create multiple mailing lists of customers with specific interests. For example, a sporting goods store could maintain separate lists for tennis players and runners.

�� Find buyers online: Market your products and services to other businesses with the bCentral Request for Quote & Auction (RFQ) service. Like an auction, RFQ allows you to post your offerings online and connect with other businesses. bCentral will notify you daily with any new buyer requests.

Step 3:

Once you have customers, you can use bCentral services to help you save time and money with a central location to handle your day-to-day business tasks. bCentral is the one place to go to take care of your business problems.

�� Manage business finances: Manage finances, customers and taxes using Microsoft Money 2000 Business and Personal, and apply for credit, loans and leases from well-known financial institutions. You can also research tax law changes and do credit checks on potential business partners.

�� Purchase supplies online: Save money with low prices on more than 6,000 products. Search and compare products from leading manufacturers before making purchases.

�� Recruit employees: Find employees and advertise job postings in an online employment database. Then automatically sort, evaluate and route resumes to everyone involved in the hiring process. bCentral can also help you select a preferred provider organization for employee benefits.

�� Keep on top of legal matters: Download tax publications for small business owners and keep abreast of tax law changes and how they affect you.

�� Book online travel: Save on business travel and check frequent flyer information at Microsoft Expedia.

� 2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.� Microsoft, bCentral, and MSN are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Expedia and Expedia.com are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Expedia Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.