Before the Internet Bubble burst intelligent people actually believed that if they built a website focused on selling used Slinkies, consumers would beat a path to their door… err, home page.
Are there things about the Internet that are fundamentally different than the bricks & mortar world? Of course.
Primarily, the Internet is nearly miraculous when used as a tool for precise Return on Investment direct marketing. Theoretically, you could start a new campaign for your product or service on Google in the next 15 minutes. Try getting into the Yellow Pages or the local paper in 15 minutes. By the end of the day you would have ACTIONABLE DATA telling you whether to keep running the marketing campaign, work on improvements or just shut it off.
That is what is different about the Internet and that is why Google has $11 billion in cash when it was founded less than 10 years ago. (What is your ambitious 10 year plan?)
But here is what isn’t different about the Internet – it is a real business and the fundamental rules of business haven’t changed.
Remember when you started your business? You developed a plan. If you are an overachiever, that plan had graphs and charts showing your product or service, the competitive landscape, financial forecasts and marketing strategies. You left nothing to chance.
Your online business and website are exactly the same! The results in the online world can be very real in your bank account. But the chances of your business realizing those fantastic results simply because you have a website, even if it is a really nice looking website, are minimal.
When you hire someone to design your website in hopes of superior returns from your new online sales channel, the only person guaranteed to make money is the web designer – unless you have developed a real plan.
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