SUPPLEMENT: Pestech2002.com

After the success of last year’s inaugural Pestech2001.com conference in San Francisco, the National Pest Management Association and Aventis Environmental Science once again teamed up to offer this revolutionary technology conference to pest management professionals.

This year, Pestech2002.com was held in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 3-5. Speakers from around the country came to teach us about current technology trends, what’s coming down the new technology pipeline and – most important – practical ideas about how to use this technology in our everyday businesses. About 250 pest management professionals joined us in Florida to see, hear about and demonstrate some of the newest technology available to the structural pest management industry. This great program undoubtedly planted some seeds in the minds of those in attendance about much of the new technology that’s available to our industry.

Many pest management professionals were unable to attend this extraordinary event, which is why we’ve teamed up with PCT magazine to publish this 12-page supplement. We hope the stories on the following pages will offer you a glimpse of the program, open up the world of new technology and help you to grow your business.

Good luck to you and your company as our industry moves further into the technology age!

Sincerely,

RobLederer                                                                                                                      

Executive Vice President

National Pest Management Association

 

Michael McDermott

Vice President, Professional Products

Aventis Environmental Science, Montvale, N.J.

 

CATCHING ON TO THE WEB

The advent of the Internet id changing the face of modern day pest management.

by: Brad Harbison

Gone are the days when “following last year’s model” was a good enough strategic business plan for keep pest control company successful. Today’s pest management professionals must take advantage of all available resources, including the Internet, to maximize profits and productivity.

Dan Moreland, publisher of PCT magazine, shared with Pestech2002.com attendees how they can use the Internet to meet the changing demands of modern day pest management in his presentation “Using Technology To Manage The Impact of Change.”

CONTINUOUS GROWTH. The Internet is no longer a novelty enjoyed by a select few; it is a part of everyday life for millions of Americans. It has become a resource used by people of different genders, race and age groups.

“The World Wide Web has transformed the way we live, work, exchange goods and services, study, play and generally spend our free time,” Moreland said. “It has become the most dynamic communication tool of the 21st century.”

The late 1990s brought about the dot.com crash, which bankrupted businesses, put thousands of individuals out of work and cost investors millions. But that didn’t stop Internet usage. In fact, according to the 2001 UCLA Internet Report, “Surveying the Digital Future,” 72.3% of Americans had online access in 2001, up from 66.9% in 2000. And users are online more, 9.8 hours per week in 2001, up from 9.4 hours in 2000, the study reported.

The 2001 UCLA Internet Report reported that the five most popular Internet activities were:

1. E-mail and instant messaging

2. Web surfing and browsing

3. Buying online

4. Finding entertainment information

5. Reading news

It’s expected that Internet usage will only continue to soar. The reason: Those currently not using the World Wide Web will be doing so soon. According to the 2001 UCLA Internet Report, of the 27.7% of respondents who do not currently use the Internet, 44.4% say they are somewhat likely or very likely to go online next year — up slightly from 41.4% of non-users responding the same way in 2000.

Although many dot.com companies did not survive the late-90s crash, the Web emerged as a part everyday life in the first part of this century.

CONSUMERS ON THE INTERNET. Is the Internet still a good arena for a company to sell its goods and/or services? Almost half (48.9%) of Internet users made purchases online in 2001, compared to 50.7 of users in 2000, according to the 2001 UCLA Internet Study. A number of factors, including a declining economy, uncertainty in online retailing and continuing concerns about online privacy, led to this slight drop.

However, the study also reported that 48.9% of Internet users made at least one purchase in 2001 and more than 75% of those who purchased on the Internet in 2001 made 1 to 10 purchases.

As one might expect, the more experienced users are the ones purchasing online. According to the study, almost one-third (31.2%) of the most experienced users buy online 11 times per year or more.

These statistics reveal that despite all the talk of the dot.com collapse, people are still purchasing online. And even if consumers are not purchasing directly online, many are using the Internet to research the products and services they will purchase.

“Businesses will need to make a commitment to developing and maintaining a strong Web presence if they are to grow in the 21st century,” Moreland said.

IMPORTANT SOURCE OF INFORMATION. The importance of the Internet as a source of information is growing among users. In 2001, 60% of all users considered the Internet to a be a very important or extremely important source of information, up from 53.6% in 2000, the 2001 UCLA Internet Study reported. Add those who say the Internet is a moderately important information source and the total increases to 90% for 2001, up from 77.2% in 2000.

Many pest control companies have realized the information capability of the Internet and have made Internet-equipped computers available in their offices. The Internet brings all of the information in the world to a computer screen in an easily searchable format. If a pest management professional comes across a pest or pest control-related situation that they are unfamiliar with, they can search that topic on the Internet and get information from manufacturers, universities, publications, etc., in an instant.

Web sites feature information that can assist pest management professionals in every facet of the job, from pest identification, to product usage, to customer relations skills. The Internet even has sites with discussion groups where a PCO can post a question and get answers and advice from experts and peers in the industry.

A number of pest control companies even encourage their technicians to pass along Web site addresses to their customers. For example, if a technician knows of a good Web site about a particular insect he or she can give the customer that link. Or, a technician can access a Web site on his computer and then print out a copy of the screen and give it to the customer. 

WEB SITE DESIGNING FOR SUCCESS. Much like pest control, Web site construction is part art and part science. The art of Web site design is in choosing content, color, graphics, movement and other enhancements.

But there are also proven guidelines that should be followed. The first step when designing any Web site should be to have a “vision.” What is it you want to accomplish? Do you simply want to increase name recognition or do you want your Web site to be designed to do things like generate additional business, enhance your customer database, schedule service calls and recruit employees?

Business Web sites can range from simple one-screen designs featuring a company name and contact information to elaborate multi-screen designs with extensive use of color and graphics.

According to Moreland, questions to answer before you begin designing your site include:

•         What does the site need to do in order to be  considered a successful project?

•         What are my competitors doing? How can I deliver a better product that markets my business better than the other guy?

•         Who is my target audience, and what do I want them to take away from their visit? What do I want them to give to me in return?

•         What is my budget?

•         Who will design the site? What is their experience? (Be sure to ask for references.)

The next Web site design consideration is simple: Keep it simple. “Don’t try to be all things to all people,” Moreland says.  “Web sites can become too busy and users will suffer from information overload.”

Web sites also have to be “user friendly.” Web sites must be easy to navigate, intuitive and not have too many graphic/electronic enhancements. Page lengths should  be kept to minimum whenever possible and content should be clear, concise and usable.

Cardinal sins of Web design include:

• Becoming enamored with “bells and whistles.”

• Complex URLs.

• Long scrolling pages.

• Cumbersome navigation.

• Overly long download times.

• Non-standard link colors.

• Orphan pages.

• Outdated information.

Once your Web page is designed your involvement does not stop. Your company’s Web site is an ever-evolving document that requires daily care attention. Ask your customers what they like and don’t like about your site. Stay on top of technological trends to learn of possible site enhancements. As your knowledge of Internet technology increases, so too will your ability to judge what will and won’t work for your site.

 The author is managing editor of PCT.

 

Web Site Implementation: A Case Study

Planning on launching or reworking your company’s Web site? Here is some advice from one company that enhanced its market presence via the World Wide Web.

by Darlene Taylor

Herman Kahn, an American humorist andauthor stated, “The computer revolution isthe most advertised revolution in worldhistory. Yet one of the funny things about it is that we probably still underestimate its impact.”

One company that realized the power of the computer, including the Internet, is Middleton Pest Control Inc., Orlando, Fla. Middleton, a company celebrating its 50-year anniversary in 2002, started its Web site implementation research process in January 1999, according to president and CEO Greg Clendenin, and actually launched its site four months later.

Middleton saw the Web as a way to differentiate itself from the competition and Clendenin felt that potential customers are quick to do their research on the Web. “Customers expect it more and more. There’s a competitive aspect to it also, that there are some things that your competitor can do if it has a Web site that you can’t do. And a lot of those things have to do with service,” he said.

CUSTOMER SERVICE. Clendenin focused on five areas to provide good customer service through the Web site.

1. Online selling. By accessing the Middleton Pest Control Web site, customers can buy services online. This is still an area with great growth potential, according to Clendenin. “In 2001, we sold about $700,000 a month in new business at Middleton and we only sold $80,000 in new business all year long online,” he said. “But nevertheless for those people who did buy, it was a feature that they really appreciated.” Also, any commission from online sales goes to the assigned Middleton sales representative in that territory. That helps boost morale and also encourages sales reps to promote the Web site, so that the Web site becomes an extension of the sales force.

2. Online payment. Industry use is growing in this area and Middleton posted $90,000 worth of invoices paid through this service in 2001. In addition to being a convenient service for the customer, it also provides a means to make Middleton more efficient and it helps to position them for future growth.

3. Online scheduling. This can go hand in hand with online selling and is again convenient for the customer. “If a customer sees a bug at night, he or she can get online and tell us to be there the next morning and we show up. With today’s active schedules, this feature is very nice and the customer doesn’t have to go through the hassle of getting someone on the phone,” Clendenin said.

4. Education. Middleton supplies quarterly, seasonal updates to customers via e-mail to help educate them on insect identification, proper lawn maintenance techniques and other topics. Information is also included on the Web site to help customers.

5. Feedback. A section is available on the Web site for customers to comment or ask questions on any topic and Clendenin envisions supplying an electronic customer service satisfaction survey in the future. By using the data collected, each office could see a rating of the service it provides, interpret the results and work on any problem areas, which would enable the company to offer even better customer service.

MAKING IT WORK. One area on the Web site that is mutually beneficial to the company and to Web surfers is the recruiting section. Job candidates can post their resumes and Middleton usually receives about 25 to 30 applications each month. Since the company is adding four more offices, they needed additional employees. “A lot of these people have been great hires for us. And when we were ramping up, the Internet proved to be a valuable tool in finding the people we needed,” Clendenin added.

All these features can only be taken advantage of if people are actually viewing the site. Clendenin stated that Middleton experimented to find the right mix of advertising. Basically, he found the following choices available: using banner ads on other companies’ sites; using the free online listings for the Yellow Pages and Chambers of Commerce; contacting the current customer base in limited usage e-mails; word-of-mouth; and extranet capabilities (providing customers with software and screen savers).

When the costs were analyzed, Middleton found placing banner ads on other companies’ sites wasn’t cost effective and the cost per lead was prohibitive.

Even though services provided through the Web site make it more convenient for the customer, some are still hesitant to embrace the new technology. “We have about 40,000 customers, but we have only 5,000 e-mail addresses. It’s not easy to gather e-mail addresses and some of the ways we’re doing it are by having the consultants ask for the e-mail address during every new sell; we put a line for the e-mail address on our service agreement now; and we’ve sent out postcards asking for e-mail addresses,” Clendenin said.

Middleton maintains a strict confidentiality policy regarding e-mail information; it limits the amount of e-mail sent to the customer and Middleton does not sell its e-mail list. The customers are made aware of this policy, which helps lend trust to the company.

When the customers are included on the Middleton e-mail list, they are eligible for a referral system program, which Middleton is in the process of introducing. Customers receive an e-mail that will allow them to refer friends or family. If someone they refer signs up for service, they receive a check for $25.

Middleton has also used contests to attract more referrals and found they needed to set up systems for tracking, including establishing customer numbers, setting cookies for unique visits and following up with e-mails. The other lesson learned with this process was to limit the number of e-mails sent in a batch to 500. Sending e-mails to the entire list was time consuming and limited Middleton’s ability to respond quickly.  n

The author is a freelance writer from Cleveland, Ohio. She can be reached at dtaylor@pctonline.com.

Making Call Centers Work

Inevitably, it happens every night. You sit down to dinner and the phone rings. Some people answer the phone only to hear about the latest product being pitched. Others let the phone ring. You may wonder how any company makes any money via telemarketing. Here’s one service company that not only makes sales – but makes thousands.

According to Mike Cox of TruGreen/ChemLawn, his company has 300+ sales representatives and 300 telephone workers who generated 500,000 lawn care leads via telemarketing throughout Florida in 2001.

TIPS TO SUCCESS. The “highway to success” for tele-marketers includes answering six questions, which are listed below. “This is how we train our people. Using this method, out of every 10 calls we make telemarketing, we will close 30 percent of them as a lead,” Cox said. “And once we get out there on the lawn, we know we can close 15 percent of those.” Here’s the six-step process to help you increase your leads when telemarketing to homeowners.

1. Who is it? “You have to be energetic, confident, enthusiastic and direct,” Cox says. “We teach our people how to read off the scripts but we want the person’s personality (to shine through as well). You’re hiring that individual to sell that personality.”

2. Do I want to be interrupted? Steps one and two are taken care of in the opening pitch, Cox says.  “When I hire people on at the beginning of the year, we train the first week on the opening pitch. They have to get through actually pronouncing ‘TruGreen/Chemlawn.’ You’ll want that opening 20 seconds to be involuntary, fluid and you want them to be comfortable with the homeowner. You have a very short attention span, so you better grab hold. Stick to the purpose of your call...we hired these people to sell.”

3. What do you want? Get to the point quickly, Cox says. “Say ‘We’re going to have a truck in your area and we would like to come by and give you a free lawn estimate.’” You need to make sure that the person is a homeowner and has a lawn, Cox adds. “You’re informative, direct, courteous and most of all you are professional. If they interrupt you and say, ‘Now is not a good time,’ then say, ‘I apologize. When would be a good time when I can give you a call back, I’d be happy to?’ You’ve got to be a good listener on the other end.”

4. Why should I listen? You have to call with a benefit, Cox says. “You’ve got a short attention span so you’ve got to be direct and you’ve got to be brief. Talk about your uniqueness. What are you going to do that others are not? Don’t talk about what others don’t do...talk about your strengths. When nine out of 10 people hear the word ‘free’ you’re going to get their attention for five seconds.”

5. What’s in it for me? Satisfy the need, offer a solution. And explain how you’re going to do it. Offer the homeowner free advice, Cox says. “You don’t need to be home,” the solicitor can say. “Mr. Jones, we’re going to come by and give you a free lawn evaluation. You may not know what type of weeds are out there, you may not know what type of turf you have, but we’ll be happy to come out there and evaluate that for you and make some recommendations. Does that sound good?”

6. Close. One of the biggest mistakes people make, whether it’s in telemarketing or sales, Cox says, is that they get  through steps one through five but are afraid to ask for the business. Always recap your actions. “OK, Mr. Jones, we’re going to be out there within the next seven to 10 days, we’ll leave that information on the door and you’ll be hearing from one of our service representatives to answer any questions that you have. Do you have any questions for me before I let you go? Thank you for the opportunity, sir.”

ONLINE ONLY: Additional Call Center Tips Here are some additional tips that Cox has implemented in his company’s call centers: • Have people “work the phones” for four hours per day (with a ten minute break every hour) and use automated machines (called predictive dialers) that make the calls. Such machines make outgoing calls about 100 an hour. • Have callers “role play” calls with one another and record those sessions as a learning tool. If you do record calls with customers, let them know. • Cox pays his callers hourly and it’s on a commission. In the beginning, they pay hourly with no any additional commission. Cox says his company filters down to the reduction of staff, finds its core of individuals then adds additional incentives, which are tied into leads that are closed. “As a solicitor, if I generate 300 leads last week and out of those leads the sales team made 80 sales, then I will get $80 additional dollars. Because when you look at the incentives, where you are starting out at $7 or $8 per hour, you get one in there and they can average $12 or $13 per hour.” • Cox has found that between 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. is the best time to make calls to homeowners.

The Road to Telecommuting

One company’s technicians were spending hours each day in the car traveling back and forth to the office. Here’s their solution to this lost time — and money.

By Darlene Taylor

Although Willie Nelson made being “on the road again” sound like a good thing, many in the pest control industry may disagree. Pest management professionals, who must make daily trips to their office, can sometimes drive 50 miles or so one way to pick up work schedules and drop off reports, all before they hit the road again. Is there a way to make up for some of this “wasted” time?

CASE STUDY OF PRO-TECH. Greg Baumann, president of Pro-Tech Pest Management, Raleigh, N.C., realized this travel time was costing his workers — as well as his company — money. “This turned out to be a real battle, because the technicians are trying to make money, because they’re on a percentage basis,” Baumann said. “And if they’re driving up through Raleigh, from Pittsboro, N.C., to pick up information and drop it off, you’re looking at a good amount of time that’s taken away. So they’re fighting trying to make a living and, of course, we’re fighting trying to make a living for the business as well.”

An analysis revealed that on average, Pro-Tech’s technicians and inspectors spent one to two hours each day driving to the office. Even allowing workers to report to the office weekly wouldn’t rectify the situation, due to the time-sensitive issues of reports and inspections that needed to be filed. In addition to performing pest control, Pro-Tech also offers residential and commercial inspections. Some of these inspections are performed on a rush basis to maintain closing appointments for the real estate professionals with whom they partner.

The fact that its business extended over a 2,000 square mile area and some clients requested a certain technician regardless of the distance convinced Baumann to look for alternatives. “What we wanted to do was try to capture the most efficient way to send these people along,” he said. So the company began to look into allowing its service technicians and inspectors to telecommute, which is to allow employees to do work outside of the office that was traditionally done in the office.

In addition, Pro-Tech company officials realized the company had outgrown its current computer system — two personal computers that were plugged together with a preliminary database of customers. Baumann realized that the new system would need to address these immediate needs, but also contain elements that the company could grow into.

WHAT KIND OF SYSTEM? The big question that first needed to be answered was whether the system would be Web-based or internal. “We had taken a look at some of the options of the internal system,” Baumann stated, “and we even looked at some of the security issues that we had concerns about on the Web-based system. We found that people can actually almost do as much hacking into an internal system as they can a Web server. So did we have adequate security? We needed to engineer that in there. Security was a big issue to us.” He also realized that sending reports via e-mail compromised security, because a hacker could alter that information as it moved from server to server.

Of course, security wasn’t the only consideration. What degree of “down” time would be needed to initially install the system and perform any subsequent maintenance? Would the supplier chosen have customer-friendly technical  support? Could a solution be found off-the-shelf, or would Pro-Tech need to customize a system?

Those questions all dealt with hardware/software or technology issues. But what about personnel issues? Employees in the field were accustomed to working on laptops, but would they acclimate to a high-tech system? And would they encounter more stress without the traditional office setting each day?

TELECOMMUTER CONCERNS. Jean Seawright, president of Seawright & Associates, a management consulting firm in Winter Park, Fla., said that surveys have shown that telecom-muters may suffer more stress than their “in-the-office” counterparts due to their working situation. Instead of helping employees better manage their work and family obligations, many are reporting they are less likely to get the same pay increases as traditional employees; they might have worse relationships with co-workers and their bosses; they may be less likely to get good performance reviews and promotions; some may be less committed to their jobs; and more are likely to work during vacations and in the evenings.

Seawright also said that the trend toward telecommuting was static or even declining in the period prior to Sept. 11. Since then, based on workplace safety concerns, telecommuting has again increased in popularity.

Baumann acknowledged that the success of the system and the remote management of his employees hinged on the acceptance by the employees. “Enlist the support of all the employees,” he urged. “This makes a huge difference. If they become the head cheerleaders, it makes it easy to implement. Take the time and spend the money to train the employees. Train them up front and they’ll be very comfortable. We were shocked. These people loved the system and these were not computer people. It’s very easy, as long as you start the training early. Empower them to make suggestions.”

But Baumann noticed a change in the employees following the implementation. “Here’s one of the interesting things: We have periodic in-office gatherings. One of the problems we had was that people weren’t coming into the office anymore and so they didn’t feel like we ‘loved’ them anymore. They weren’t all together once in a while,” Baumann said. “So what we do is every other week have a training session of some sort and we take about half a day for training and we talk and it becomes a bit of a social event as well. But do not underestimate the stress employees are going to go through when they no longer have to go in to check in the office every day. We thought it would be easier. But they’d all come wandering in the office once in a while with their heads down and say ‘Gee, I don’t feel like you love me anymore.’”

Seawright agreed. She explained that the ways to enhance communication and reduce some stress with telecom-muters, involves regular meetings with the employees; phone calls; daily reports, e-mails or memos; luncheons; teleconferencing; and group events/team projects. Successful telecom-muting depends on the right match of the following four components — the employee, the job itself, the company culture and management, she said.

A WEB-BASED SYSTEM. Ultimately, and following intense research, Pro-Tech decided to customize a Web-based computer system. In their situation, company officials found leasing a server and computers to be a better choice than buying, since hardware typically has a shelf life of three years and they did not want to own obsolete equipment. High-speed access was guaranteed with SDSL (symmetric digital subscriber line) service (which is more reliable than DSL [digital subscriber line], Baumann said) and all employees could access the server concurrently, rather than one at a time.

Customers could request service 24 hours a day via the Web and employees could access the site to check their schedules, print work orders, post reports and issue payment information. Additionally, the software was programmed to automatically schedule standing monthly, quarterly or annual inspections, bypassing the need for someone to manually enter that information.

The database also expanded, including pertinent information, such as the age of the building, if the building is vacant or occupied, and real estate contact information. If the building is vacant, there are more scheduling options. Also, past history can be viewed to aid in the inspection process. The ability to have two printable screens — one for the customer and the other for technicians in the field — allowed the workers to post detailed reports that could also be filed electronically.

Finally, the company had to ask what kind of access levels could be developed? Would all employees have access to all records, even HR, management or financials? Pro-Tech decided to include three levels of access: The first was all files for the owners in a readable and alterable format; the second was for select employees to be able to see and alter limited files; and the third level was for employees in the field who could access their schedules and certain files in a read-only format.

Some of the more tangible benefits Baumann realized with the new telecommuting system were additional billable hours in the day — about eight hours per day. Technicians could service more appointments, which increased their average income. This led to higher morale (with the inclusion of the twice-monthly meetings). Less office space was needed and there was less wear and tear on the vehicles.

WORDS OF ADVICE. Baumann offered the following advice to any business owner contemplating this change: Retain a good computer consultant, one who not only knows the computer business thoroughly, but who can communicate with you in English and not just “computerese.” Choose a supplier who has been in business at least five years and offers convenient technical support. Be sure to ask the right questions of your supplier, regarding both hardware and software and invest in a back-up system that’s separate from your server. Be sure you can keep back-up files at the office and at home. Make sure that your company is ready to make this change and that you can manage a work force remotely. And be ready to fine-tune your programming and make any necessary changes.

Legal implications related to telecommuting also need to be addressed, according to Seawright. It is important to have a written agreement between management and workers that addresses such issues as defined time periods for this relationship, performance standards, security issues, and pay and benefits and insurance concerns, including workers’ compensation. And much like the hardware and software issues, be prepared to evaluate the situation and make changes accordingly.

The author is a freelance writer from Cleveland, Ohio. She can be reached at dtaylor@pctonline.com.

ULTIMATE CUSTOMER SERVICE

A Web-based subscription service developed specifically for the pest control industry could change the way you interact with customers forever. 

Electronic pest management (ePM), a Web-based subscription service from Eye On Solutions, allows your customers to go online to check the status of their account, read detailed service information regarding their pest management program and communicate directly with your company. No matter what data collection system or software you are using, ePM will work in conjunction with your business, company officials say.

“By using the latest Internet technology to enhance the lines of communication between customers and pest management professionals we’ve been able to provide PCOs who subscribe to our service with a competitive advantage – round-the-clock access to account information by their customers,” said Josh Roberts, director of operations for Eye On Solutions, Rockville, Md. “Used effectively, it’s a very powerful tool.”

Roberts said ePM offers a number of advantages to progressive PCOs. “First, it builds smarter customers because they’re actively involved in the pest management process. Second, it increases a company’s customer retention rate, which enhances a company’s bottom line. By providing your customer with detailed information regarding potential service issues they become better informed and can play an active role in preventing future problems, problems that can be very costly for a PCO to cure.”         

A BRIEF HISTORY. More than two years in development, ePM was designed to meet the specific needs of the pest control industry. That’s because Roberts grew up in the pest control business. His uncle, Tom Witt, is president of Witt Pest Management in Pittsburgh, Pa. “Before designing the system, I spent two weeks traveling with technicians and observing how the company communicated with its customers,” Roberts said. “After spending time in the field I was sure the company could communicate more effectively with its customers, so I began creating a prototype of the ePM system. I figured if we could improve customer communications and let customers understand how our business worked, it would be beneficial to both parties.”

Roberts was right. The system has been used successfully at Witt Pest Management for more than 18 months, enhancing customer communication throughout the organization, while improving overall customer retention. “We did it right,” Roberts said. “We didn’t bring the product to market before it was ready. We developed the concept in-house, rolled out a prototype, introduced it to Witt’s customers, solicited their comments and made final improvements to the system before introducing it last year at the NPMA Convention.”

“Electronic pest management is particularly well-suited for small- to medium-sized pest control companies,” according to Tom Witt, who was instrumental in the development of the system. “It’s affordable and easy to use. There are no up-front fees, no costly upgrades and no sophisticated computer equipment to buy.” PCOs simply pay a monthly fee for the service, around $300 to $400 for an average-sized pest control business. 

“Companies thought they could communicate effectively with their customers through their Web page, but they can’t,” Witt observed. “It’s much more complicated than that and it’s something most companies don’t have the time or money to do in house, so ePM can do it for them.”

Key features of the ePM system include:

• Fully searchable service history.

• Automatic e-mail customer notification.

• Online property layouts.

• Monitoring of termite and rodent baiting programs.

In addition, Eye On Solutions has gone to great lengths to ensure that customer data is safe and secure, a concern expressed by Witt’s customers during the development phase of the project. “We’ve done everything possible to make sure all of the data is secure 24/7,” Roberts said. The system features a multi-user interface that provides varying levels of security for staff, depending on their individual responsibilities. “Customers only have access to their individual account information,” Roberts said. “In addition, for your multi-location accounts, if you want a regional manager to only have access to the service locations in his region, we can limit his access to only that data. System security was a very high priority for us.”

MEETS ANY NEEDS. The ePM system is well suited for a wide range of pest control services, including commercial pest control, termite work and residential pest control, Roberts says. The system is flexible enough to work with all of the various software programs that are on the market or any in-house software that you use to manage your business. “Through the system your customer can track the status of individual monitoring stations online, in real-time, including the precise locations of individual bait stations,” Roberts said. “They can assess the status of their account any time they like, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That’s a powerful selling advantage.”

To learn more about the ePM system, contact Josh Roberts of Eye on Solutions at 866/253-9366, ext. 200. PCOs also can visit the company’s Web site at www.eyeonsolutions.com.

 A Web Site Action Plan

Wondering where to start when creating an Internet presence for your company? Here are some ideas about taking those first steps.

 By Jason Clendenin

 he Internet is here to stay. Now, the next question on the mind of business owners is how to use the Internet in daily operations. This is the most difficult and the easiest question that I have been asked. The answer is as simple or complex as the project at hand, but if you follow these guidelines your company can establish and maintain a Web site that creates new life in your sales and brings your company into the online world. The first step in the devel-opment of a site is to understand what your initiative needs to accomplish. Regardless of the level of design and technology involved, unclear goals create sites with poor results.

First in the development process is the establishment of an online budget. The initial investment in a Web site should be considered an investment. This should be an investment in the company’s future. Any company would take the creation and training of an additional sales force very seriously and the addition of a corporate Web site is quite similar in most regards.

SETTING GOALS. The goals and focus of your company Web site directly follows establishing your budget. What do you expect from your Web site? Who is your target audience? Your expectations may be modest and include merely having an online version of the company brochure or more aggressively leaning to allow your customers access to scheduling and payment services. In either case these should be established and approved before the design process begins.

The next and most critical step in developing a company Web site is creating a team. Build a small group of people that represent a cross section of your business. They can give you invaluable information about your customers’ needs and the Web site expectations. This group should include a representative from the executive department, sales, marketing, IT, a “front-line” employee and at least one current customer. Too often, companies that embark on creating a Web site fail to acknowledge the wealth of information that a group like this can bring to the table. By using such collective resources, the Web site is presented to the customer as a seamless extension of current advertising and sales techniques and presents the customer with a unified message. By unifying the message across all mediums, the company Web site becomes a validation of your claims. And in the end, a customer that feels comfortable is more likely to give you their business and trust.

Now that planning is complete, the time comes for the creation. This is a time period where trust in your vendor will be critical. The location of the design company is not as important as the work they can produce because e-mail and Internet collaboration have reduced the need to always use a local company. The company that designs your site should be thoroughly screened for excellence and ability. Browse through the Web sites of their past clients and make notes of elements that you like for your Web site. Ask for references and work history, just as if they were a prospective employee.

THE THREE CLICK RULE. Of course, your site should meet the needs of your customers. With this in mind, a user-friendly format is best. Information should be presented in a format that allows for easy access to the content of your Web site. A method that is widely known, but rarely used correctly, is the “three click rule.” The rule is that the customer should reach any Web page or piece of information on your site within three clicks of the mouse. This reduces the visitors who become frustrated and leave your site.

Web site objectives should follow these four guidelines:

•  Attract: Acquire new customers to sample or use the company’s product/services.

• Engage: Inform customers about products/services.

• Convert: Encourage consumers to act, whether it is to purchase the product/service or inquire about it through a sales representative.

• Retain: Keep current customers and encourage repeat use or purchase.

A common theme throughout the Web site should be ease of use, a consistent corporate image, short loading times and a contact link on every page. Always make it easy for the customer to contact you. This may be a phone number or an e-mail address, but it should be on each and every page the visitor sees.

After the Web site has been created, a computer (called a server) is needed to store the Web pages and send them to Internet visitors. There are two choices for hosting your Web site — an in-house server or outsourcing the hosting duties.

The benefits of using your own computer for hosting and updates are fast access to your data at all times and the controlled environment that you can provide. Most computers purchased in the last six months are capable of hosting a Web site. A computer with at least a 900 MHz processor, 256 megabytes of Ram and a 20-gigabyte hard drive is sufficient, but a dedicated Internet connection, firewall and good ventilation are also required. Outsourcing your Web site hosting is the most common approach since there is no equipment to purchase or maintain. Other benefits of outsourcing are lower initial costs, your IT department can focus on other important issues and the connection speeds are usually much faster.

Your site is the online face of your company and presenting the customer with a unified message ensures that they are receiving the correct information from your organization. There is no doubt that the energy invested in a company Web site can translate into satisfied visitors and happy customers. n

 The author is president of exciteFX.com, an Internet development company in Orlando, Fla. He can be reached at jclendenin@pctonline.com.