Newsletter

Editor's Note - 1/8/2002

Hello and Happy New Year.
I hope you are all rested from the holidays and ready to tackle the year 2002 with gusto.

We had a tremendous response from our article two issues ago on “Paid Inclusion” search engines. Thank you to everyone who took a few moments to share your thoughts. As we promised, we will present some of the ideas you have shared with us in this issue so everyone can benefit.

Also, since our readership seems to be very vocal on issues, I would like to solicit your opinions as to “Internet Marketing Myths”. I will get the ball rolling with some and then ask for your ideas. We will collect them and publish them in a future issue with credit to you.

Enjoy.

Dr. Jerry R. Perrich
Editor
editor@websitemanagementtools.com

Feedback

Paid Inclusion Search Engines

David Hooks agrees that many business owners will not pay the search engine fees and predicts that engines will split into “B2B” related databases in which businesses pay to be listed and “personal” databases for everyone else. Stan White and others shared that view and stated that the “free” search engines may benefit because they will have a larger database and searchers will prefer to use them.

Brian Cox offered a global perspective in that the fees for inclusion are based on US dollars and are quite high for most of the rest of the world. US businesses may be able to afford the fees, but many small and medium businesses outside the US may not. This will accentuate the “US-centricness” of these search engines.

Graham Page and others pointed out that a major benefit of the Internet is as a reference, information, and research tool. Many (maybe most) of the pages online are not commercial in nature. He suggested that national libraries and other information agencies may fund “free” search engines that are focused on information rather than advertising.

Russ Garech and James Rossdale both have small businesses and said they use their websites as information for people who already know of their businesses from offline advertising. Their listings with search engines are immaterial to them and occur only by accident.

Thank you to the responders identified above (space limits us from acknowledging all the responses.)

BREAKING NEWS – Yahoo announced yesterday that they are altering their fees to be $299 annually – not one time – for commercial sites. So the Paid Inclusion issue continues.

Major Internet Marketing Myths

Due to the unceasing efforts of some unscrupulous advertisers, the ongoing development and growth of the Internet, and human ingenuity, there are many misconceptions about Internet marketing. These misconceptions, or myths as I prefer, hinder the general understanding and use of the Internet as a marketing medium.

For example:

Myth # 1
Build a Website, Get Rich, Retire Tomorrow.
Early in the Internet experience, it seemed many businesses and individuals believed that simply having a website was adequate to be successful.

I think this was particularly promulgated by the numerous “quick build” website developers. By using templates etc they offered “high-quality” websites for ridiculously low prices (I remember being solicited by one such firm offering a “professionally designed” website for only $300.)

Myth # 2
Build It And They Will Come.
This myth is a corollary to Myth #1 and takes its name from a wonderful baseball movie – all you have to do is build a website and traffic will flock to it. Who needs promotions? Simply get online with a website and the traffic find you. Again you can retire tomorrow with all the money you make.

Need we say that this isn’t real world, but it is amazing that many website owners seem to believe it. They may not say it, but when they spend a lot of money on their website, and very little on promoting their website, they clearly are living it.

Myth # 3
Buy A Database Of Email Names, A Cheap Email Broadcast Program, And You Can Market Your Product Successfully Online.
I am not sure if this ever worked, but it certainly doesn’t work now. Yet I constantly see advertisements for products like this (usually via spam, which at least shows that these promoters believe in their own product.)

I do wonder though how many unsuspecting website owners have lost their ISP or hosting companies from believing this Myth.

More Myths Needed!
I invite you to send me your ideas about Internet marketing Myths. What are common misconceptions? What are they based on? What is the reality? Just jot your ideas into an email and send to me at editor@websitemanagementtools.com. I will collect them into a Top Ten Myths and publish them in a future issue.

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