CyberGuide

Dr. Tim Rhodus
Department of Horticulture and Crop Science
The Ohio State University
e-mail: Rhodus.1@osu.edu

Getting on the World Wide Web What do the following businesses have in common? Burt Associates Bamboo Fuller System, Inc Gardener's Supply Company Gourmet Gardener Greenhouse Business Magazine InfoVID Outlet - Gardening & Flowers Jan's Country Garden Klehm Nursery Kurt Weiss Florist, Inc. Penn State Seed, Co. Pinetree Garden Seeds Shields Daylily Gardens Southern Perennials and Herbs Sunshine Farm & Gardens Vengers Orchids They are all innovators. Each of these firms, and I apologize to others not listed, are breaking new ground by advertising their products and services through the Internet's World Wide Web. While the content and layout of each firm's "page" varies, they are able to communicate, educate, and interact with existing and potential customers 24 hours a day. But, who are they reaching? A recent study by Neilson Media Research, the same organization that surveys television viewing habits provides some very interesting statistics for business considering this new technology. (An executive summary of the full report is available for free at Commerce Net's Web site - http://www.commerce.net) Some of the key findings of the ComerceNet/Nielsen Internet Demographics Survey are: 17% (37 million) of total persons aged 16 and above in the US and Canada have access to the Internet. 11% (24 million) of total persons aged 16 and above in the US and Canada have used the Internet in the past three months. Approximately 8% (18 million) of total persons aged 16 and above in the US and Canada have used the WWW in the past three months. Internet users average 5 hours and 28 minutes per week on the Internet. Total Internet usage in the US and Canada is equivalent to the total playback of rented video tapes. Males represent 66% of Internet users and account for 77% of Internet usage. On average, WWW users are upscale (25% have income over $80K), professional (50% are professional or managerial), and educated (64% have at least college degrees). Approximately 14% (2.5 million) of WWW users have purchased products or services over the Internet. The CommerceNet/Nielsen Internet Demographics Survey addressed three types of users in the US and Canada: Internet users, on-line service users and non-users. The baseline questionnaire was made up of more than 40 multiple-part questions, and the actual survey involved a gross sample of approximately 280,000 telephone calls and yielded more than 4,200 completed telephone-based interviews.

Considering these results, now is the time for anyone selling retail or interacting directly with consumers to seriously consider the Internet as the latest development in customer service. An interesting observation within horticulture, is that many retail florists have already adopted this technology. Given that 75% or more of a typical florist's sales are through the telephone, this technology provides many exciting opportunities to increase the customer's satisfaction. For instance, seeing a picture of the intended product, knowing what types of flowers or container options are available, and learning how to properly care for the arrangement upon arrival are being provided at the customer's convenience. Within the green industry, this technology enables a homeowner to access the local garden center or landscape design firm's web site, and learn about available products and services, seasonal maintenance requirements, a history of the firm, its philosophies on landscape design, origins of different plants, and just about anything that the firm wants to communicate. Given that there are no technological limitations to including: color photos, digitized audio and video segments, and any number of text pages; the only thing limiting a firm's web site is the creativity of the web page developer. This raises an interesting point. While there are many firms selling internet services (how you gain access to the internet) and many firms selling space on their server (how you distribute information on the internet), many of these vendors must have been trained by used-car salesmen. If you don't ask the right questions, you might not hear everything that you need to know before making a final decision. To minimize costly mistakes, I encourage any firm interested in this technology to ask lots of questions, shop several vendors, and involve several members of your firm in the decision. As a first step, you can obtain additional information on selecting an internet access provider by writing to me and requesting a copy of my article on this topic. Secondly, stopping by a bookstore will quickly reveal that this topic is incredibly popular and there are many different magazines and books available for reading. Third, cooperative extension agents and specialists are aware of this technology and can indicate what efforts are underway at your local landgrant university to provide nursery and landscape information in electronic format. Fourth, many of the upcoming educational programs, Ohio State University Nursery Short Course, for example, will have presentations on these topics. Finally, if you already have email services, subscribe to the GreenNet mailing list and share your questions and experiences with other firms in the industry. For subscription information, send a message to me at: Rhodus.1@osu.edu Dr. Tim Rhodus is an associate professor in The Ohio State University Department of Horticulture and Crop Science in Columbus. E-mail rhodus.1@osu.edu

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