Ideavirus: Can Small B2C Sites Succeed?

Fri 6th Oct '00 In this issue: 1. INTRODUCTION ==>Ideaviruses, Changes 2. PLACES TO VISIT ==>Web sites for you to visit. 3. TIDBITS ==>Business news and other interesting snippets. 4. TOOLS AT NOWSELL.COM ==>Useful tools to make your life easier. 5. MARKETPLACE ==>Check out special offers and deals here. 6. FEATURE ARTICLE ==>"Can Small B2C Sites Succeed?" by Rob Spiegel. Scroll to the end for subscription details. o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o "PC AND INTERNET NEWBIES: END YOUR PC RAGE FOREVER!" The Newbie Club has been described as the best PC and Internet Newbie Site ever to hit the Web. Our revolutionary Learning System will absolutely amaze you with its simplicity and Jargon-Free language. Free Tutorials, Free eBook, Free Magazine, and Free 2 Tier Affiliate Program ... it's all there! Get over there NOW to http://www.newbieclub.com?details Wow!!! X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X X INTRODUCTION X X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X Hello, For weeks now I've been meaning to mention 'Unleashing the Ideavirus' by Seth Godin, former marketing VP for Yahoo and author of the best-selling book 'Permission Marketing'. 'Unleashing the Ideavirus' is a book about viral marketing (what we used to call 'word of mouth') and creating "ideaviruses." The author contends that the best ideas become viruses, which are broadcast by influential "sneezers" to their "hives," from where they spread. Says Seth, "We live in a world where consumers actively resist marketing. So it's imperative to stop marketing 'at' people. The idea is to create an environment where consumers will market to each other. "The future belongs to the people who unleash ideaviruses. What's an ideavirus? It's a big idea that runs amok across the target audience. It's a fashionable idea that propagates through a section of the population, teaching and changing and influencing everyone it touches. And in our rapidly/instantly changing world, the art and science of building, launching and profiting from ideaviruses is the next frontier." Seth has positioned 'Unleashing the Ideavirus' as an ideavirus itself, by giving the entire book away free in PDF format, and exhorting readers to pass it on. A print edition is now available from bookstores. Whether or not you agree with all of Seth's arguments, I'm sure you'll find this an interesting, thought-provoking read (as I did). Download 'Unleashing the Ideavirus' for free from http://www.ideavirus.com BB You may have noticed that VIEWPOINT doesn't appear in this week's table of contents. That's because it no longer exists. Although many readers have written to say they enjoyed the feature, it appears few were interested in contributing. A shame, but there you have it. I hate carrying dead wood, so it's gone. And with it the opportunity for free promotion worth $25 a shot. :-) I've changed something else this week as well. Can you tell? There's a free ad to the first person to email me, saying what I've done, and why. BB Tell me what YOU think! Send your feedback, comments, what you like, what you hate, etc., to me at: mailto:azam-nowsell.com TTFN Azam PS - Have you downloaded Mike Enlow's "Stealth Marketing" ebook yet? It's 14-chapters on the best and most overlooked ways to profit on the Internet. Valued at $49, you can get it FREE from: ----------------------------------------------------------------- Your Privacy: I greatly value your trust in me. I will never, ever, under any circumstances give or sell your email address to anyone. Period! ----------------------------------------------------------------- "POWERFUL ADS AND SALES COPY MAKE MORE SALES!" "Make Your Words Sell!" The definitive guide to writing copy for the web. From the essentials before you write a single word to the polishing of your final draught, "Make Your Words Sell!" covers it all. In DETAIL and in language you understand. Learn how to think like your visitor, with your visitor, and ahead of your visitor. Read it NOW ... BEFORE your competition does! Click Here! X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X X PLACES TO VISIT X X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X

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TAKE CREDIT CARDS ONLINE, HANDS FREE! Confused on how to accept credit cards at your website? Click here to learn about e-commerce and a company that can set up EVERYTHING for you. Increase YOUR sales by as much as 317% or more! http://www.marketingtips.com/creditcards/ X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X X TIDBITS X X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X ONLINE AUCTION CRAZE MAY NOT HAVE STAYING POWER Despite reports that auction sites may be the e-commerce wave of the future, cPulse suggests that the auction fad may not have staying power. According to a new study from cPulse, auction sites are racking up impressive numbers of hits, but an increasing share of auction visits are from first-time users who are just checking out the craze and don't plan on returning. http://www1.internetwire.com/iwire/iwpr?id=17249&cat=te IBM: MANY COMPANIES LACK A GLOBAL E-COMMERCE STRATEGY Many companies have not yet taken the steps required to reap the benefits of having a worldwide presence on the Web, according to a leading consultant from IBM Global Services. In fact, US e-businesses turn down more than half of their international orders because they have failed to address such basic issues as currency, customs and shipping, according to recent studies. http://www1.internetwire.com/iwire/iwpr?id=17329&cat=te VARIETY OF USES PROPELS SMS MESSAGING The utility of short messaging service (SMS) text messages has fuelled explosive growth at rates higher than Internet usage, and there's no end in sight, according to Logica and the GSM Association. http://cyberatlas.com/markets/ wireless/article/0,,10094_477641,00.html Q4 STILL THE BIG PAYOFF FOR E-COMMERCE Gone are the days of more than 100 percent growth rates for holiday e-commerce, according to eMarketer, but the fourth quarter is still a do-or-die time for online merchants. http://cyberatlas.com/markets/retailing/ article/0,,6061_478001,00.html THE DMA: WHAT IS THE MAIN REASON AMERICANS SHOP ONLINE? Eighty-two percent of consumers cite convenience as the reason they shop from home for holiday gifts, according to the Direct Marketing Association (The DMA). http://www1.internetwire.com/iwire/iwpr?id=17421&cat=te IBM OUTPERFORMS ORACLE AT ONE-THIRD THE COST According to recent industry-standard performance benchmarks and a survey issued by META Group, IBM DB2 Universal Database is outpacing Oracle in all areas of the business on a range of platforms. Highlights of IBM's database leadership: http://www1.internetwire.com/iwire/iwpr?id=17437&cat=te ORACLE ISSUES $1,000,000 GUARANTEE Oracle Corp. issued a $1,000,000 (US) guarantee that companies using Microsoft SQL Server or IBM DB2 to power their production Web sites will be able to run their sites three times faster by converting to the Oracle9i Application Server and Oracle8i database. http://www1.internetwire.com/iwire/iwpr?id=17400&cat=te EUROPEAN AD EXPENDITURES UP IN AUGUST July's total, according to data collected by AdZone Interactive. Forrester Research found the UK has the largest online advertising market in Europe. http://cyberatlas.com/ big_picture/geographics/article/0,,5911_468181,00.html ONLINE AUTO SHOPPING KEEPS RISING More people are using the Internet to aid in new-vehicle shopping, according to a study by J.D. Power and Associates, but the auto shoppers seem to be a well-informed, aggressive group who likely don't really need it. http://cyberatlas.com/ markets/retailing/article/0,,6061_469861,00.html NATIONAL ISPS STILL KINGS OF THE ISP HILL Despite reports that smaller ISPs are using high-speed access to steal some market share from the big names, Cahners In-Stat found that national ISPs generate 80 percent of total ISP revenues. http://cyberatlas.com/ big_picture/hardware/article/0,,5921_471621,00.html ***************************************************************** Do Your Bit! If you haven't already done so, please forward this issue to one or two of your friends or colleagues. Thanks so much! ***************************************************************** E-BILL ME Forty percent of U.S. banks will allow customers to pay their bills online by 2004, according to IDC. Although electronic bills currently represent a meager 1 percent of all U.S. bills, IDC estimates that will grow to 14 percent in the next four years. http://www.thestandard.com AD SPENDING TO DOUBLE FROM 1999 Internet ad revenue this year is on track to nearly double 1999 ad spending of $4.6 billion, said the Internet Advertising Bureau Online ad revenue reached $2.1 billion in the second quarter, up almost 9 percent from the first quarter, according to the IAB report conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers. The report comes as several online ad companies and media firms have warned that they may see softer earnings and revenues in the third quarter. http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,19074,00.html AD GIANT ACQUIRES NETCREATIONS DoubleClick announces that it has agreed to buy the opt-in list broker NetCreations in an all-stock deal valued at $191 million. The deal gives DoubleClick's clients access to 15 million new e-mail addresses. http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,19055,00.html WARNER, EMI CALL IT OFF http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,39276,00.html The rigorous objections by the European Commission to the planned merger of EMI and Warner Music finally did the deal in. It's been called off for now, but both parties will keep talking INCHING TOWARD DOT-WHATEVER http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,39246,00.html As the ICANN deadline for proposing new top-level domains closes, Network Solutions and other domain big-wigs pitch their ideas for new Internet name endings. E-PUBLISHERS FEAR TRADEMARK http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,39232,00.html The company's filing a trademark application for the word 'EBOOK' has small-time e-publishers fretting. But trademark attorneys and big-time publishers say it's not going to happen. By M.J. Rose. AOL WANTS TO 'OPT OUT' http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,39240,00.html America Online tells a Senate panel discussing privacy bills that it's a better world if laws that allow consumers to decide whether data can be collected about them online don't exist. KIBU QUITS BEFORE ALL IS LOST http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,39215,00.html The teen-oriented site breaks dot-com tradition by shutting down before spending all its cash. The company, with backers that included Netscape co-founder Jim Clark, say it will give back unspent funds. U.S. PICKS NEW CRYPTO STANDARD http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,39194,00.html It's spelled Rijndael, it's pronounced 'Rhine-dahl,' and it's the new encryption standard as selected by the U.S. government. It only took 23 years. CHINA'S IRON-FISTED INTERNET REGS http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,39192,00.html The Chinese government's new regulations on Internet firms call for strict surveillance on 'subversive' content, force companies to get licenses and limit foreign involvement. IPOS BACK IN SEASON http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,39164,00.html Even though Nasdaq may be tanking, the public offering slowdown appears to be over. Twenty companies debuted this week, and next week will feature noteworthy arrivals in fiber optics, satellite communications and energy. YOU CAN WRITE A PROFITABLE EBOOK! Yes - *even if* you've never written before! Turn everyday knowledge into a product in demand ... and Sell It! Comprehensive hands-on guide to Writing, Publishing & Marketing ebooks. Detailed, step-by-Step instructions. Surprise yourself! NO RISK 1 YEAR GUARANTEE PAYS 10 TIMES YOUR MONEY BACK! Click Here! X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X X TOOLS AT NOWSELL.COM X X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X Promotion Tools * Keyword Research Tool * Meta Tag Maker * Free Automatic Search Engine Submit * Rapid Manual Search Engine Submit Tool * Position Analyzer to check site rank in the SEs * Link Generators * Multi Search Tool HTML Tools * Multiple Pop-up window code generator * Multiple MouseOver image generator * Frames code generator * Simple CSS template * 216 Web color palette and codes * HTML Special character codes * Useful cut & paste Javascript, and more X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X X MARKETPLACE X X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X ----------------------------------------------------------------- Marketplace Available In Email Version Only. ----------------------------------------------------------------- X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X X FEATURE ARTICLE X X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X=X ------------------------------ "Can Small B2C Sites Succeed?" ------------------------------ by Rob Spiegel Do you have to be the size of Amazon.com, America Online or Yahoo! to succeed on the Internet? After a few years of watching the evolution of Internet retailing, the answer comes to a big no. You don't have to be the biggest on your block to succeed. In fact, the next couple of years may show that the really big sites may have less chance for success than the tiny niche sites. How do you succeed online? What does it take to do business on the Internet? That used to be a valid question. There was a time when Internet consumers were an odd breed of early adopters whose consumer behavior was far different from their offline counterparts. There also was a time when running an enterprise based on Internet connectivity required sophisticated skills that required deep online experience. Not so anymore. Over the last year, the nature of Internet business has changed. For one thing, the Internet consumer is much the same as the mall shopper. For another, running an Internet business is not strikingly different from running a catalog business. And at this point, it's easier to learn how to run a Web site than it is to shop for catalog printing or learn the ultra-specialized rules of mailing list selection, not to mention obtaining the skills of effective catalog design and copy. Business is just business now The great revelation coming down the Internet pike this year is that it doesn't take a dot com wizard to create a winning e-business. In fact, the skills that will ultimately serve Internet start-ups are not the esoteric knowledge of virtual enterprise. Instead, the basics of business 101 are winning the day online. Get a pinpoint target on who your customers are. Adjust your product line to reflect your customers' needs. Serve your customers well. Work hard to get your customers to return again and again. Let them know when add new products and services. Even when you use the tricks of online connectivity such as making your site "sticky" to keep customers from leaving or "viral" so they'll tell their friends, you're employing the concepts of a good offline retailer. You can learn more by visiting a Disney store in your local mall than you will by spending your time at the AOL mall. After all, the Disney store is wise enough to sell a porcelain Snow White to Mom as the same time they sell a Pooh beanie baby to her daughter. This trick is simply a matter of knowing who walks in the store. At first, consumer Web sites were Internet retailers. Then they became e-tailers. Now they're called B2C (business-to-consumer) sites, but it all comes down to serving consumers. Wall Street has kept a skeptical eye on Amazon.com, Yahoo's mall and AOL's collection of online stores, but what about the shoestring entrepreneurs on the Internet? You probably wonder whether it's even possible to make a niche site work. If the Web's largest retailers can't figure out how to get profitable, how on earth can a tiny special-interest site every hope to create earnings? Well, just as your neighborhood children's shoe store gets to know what product lines their local parents want for their kids, a Web store can get to know it customers. At this point in consumer ecommerce, I'd place my bets on a fly-fishing site that gives its customers expert advice on techniques and locations. That site will go profitable long before Amazon.com. You don't hear much about it, but there are thousands of very profitable e-tailers on the Internet. Go look at YouCanSave.com, PrairieFrontier.com or ParaPub.com. None of these are public and don't expect them to go IPO with billion-dollar valuations. But they all have one thing in common. They live by traditional business values. They stake out manageable ground in a niche subject and serve their customers needs with a passion. Most of all, they're profitable. Rob Spiegel is the author of The Shoestring Entrepreneur's Guide to the Best Home-Based Franchises (St. Martin's Press) and upcoming Net Strategy (Dearborn Publishing). You can reach Rob at spiegelrob@aol.com. o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o "Submit URLs Fast and Safely from your PC!" Unlike other auto-submitters, our revolutionary "smart" software submits and monitors daily like a person, following search engine rules to assure safe, accurate control. It even scans HTML pages on your PC, saving you from typing in all those URLs! Click to Auto-Submit! o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-x-o To subscribe to Biz Bits, send a blank email to: mailto:bizbits@nowsell.com Should you ever wish to unsubscribe (hopefully not!): mailto:BizBits-unsubscribe@topica.com To subscribe on the Web please go to: http://www.nowsell.com Archives: Biz Bits Internet Marketing eZine Posts to Biz Bits FFA [mailto:FFA@topica.com]: This is where you can send all of your ads, sales letters, promotions, offers, etc. You may post once every day. Subscribe with a blank email to mailto:FFA-subscribe@topica.com ================================================================= Information on sponsoring Biz Bits: mailto:bbads-nowsell.com ================================================================= Biz Bits is Copyright © 1999-2000 Azam Corry. All Rights Reserved. No part of Biz Bits may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission, though it may be freely redistributed in its unedited form. 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