ABSTRACT
The end of the 1990s saw an explosion in the use of the Internet (360 million users worldwide by the end of the year 2000) (Table 6.1). In this period the Internet was increasingly being used for direct communication, although it was still too slow for true interactivity. What is more, companies were not yet ready for direct contact whenever it was convenient for the customer. The first phase in the application of the Internet was only what was called a ‘presence', with companies being on the Internet with a limited website. It was particularly important to make information about your company or product available online. A limited mail function was possible but by no means yet always part of a website. In truth these websites were, in fact, just digital brochures suitable for a mass medium.
