Home
>
Small Business
>
Speed Kills on the Web!

Speed Kills on the Web!

I only have to point to the 555 plus failed .com companies (according to Web Mergers) as the poster children of the "speed at any cost" business mantra that clearly doesn't work. And these were companies who burnt through significant amounts of capital (in the millions, tens of millions or hundreds of millions in many cases) while they were rushing to get to market.

Do you wonder why every time you talk to someone he or she seems to be in such a hurry that they don't really have time to talk with you? But if you want to work with them, you have to try and converse on the phone as a first step, or even worse, setup some type of a face-to-face meeting. What's going on? Why aren't we all slowing the pace down so we can focus on business processes that are based upon viable models? Especially in these economic times where relationships and processes are critical to ongoing success and/or survival!

I think we are experiencing some type of a .com hangover effect. Everyone was in such a hurry during the heady GBF ("get big fast") .com days ... trying to do the "land grab" while "driving an "online brand" that would lead to a quick "exit strategy" ... that they forgot to really define a viable business model that included development of tangible goods and services for real customers.

I still come into contact with many people that act like they've been hard wired to a double espresso. They aren't sure what they are doing or where they are going, but they want to do everything in a hurry! It seems like many are still trying to build a business the same way they did during the last two years, when fundamentals and many niceties of business went out the window, while greed became the order of the day.

We are telling our clients speed can and does kill on the web. It's time to slow down and think strategically about what they want to do and then build marketing campaigns and processes that convey tangible value to their market demographics (read customers!).

Here are some fundamental marketing rules for living life in the slow (but safe) lane:

1. Ensure all marketing collateral (web and offline) are in synch. Invest sufficient time and resources to ensure there are no discrepancies between them to build a cohesive brand that effectively communicates what you do.

2. Take time to really evaluate business opportunities. Don't just blast through relationships, meetings or assessments. Many times you can build viable partnerships by sitting down and taking a hard look at how third parties complement your business and vice versa.

3. Use the web for what's it's really meant for - as a highway for communications and commerce. It's not the "saving grace" its been touted to be by many companies; 87% of Internet users today utilize the web to research goods and services.

4. Make time to look at your competitors, whether they are across the road or on the other side of the world. The web has created a commerce model where a competitor is just a click away. So carefully analyze what your competitors are doing.

5. Communicate with your customers and partners. It doesn't do much good to build a beautiful web site that does not make it easy for people to contact your company. I've seen hundreds of web sites the last year that don't have e-mail contacts or phone numbers listed prominently. Take/make time to build a site that lets people communicate with you.

6. Hire people with some gray hairs. They may not flash the latest PDA at you or wear the latest trendy clothes, but many of them have years of experience building companies slowly and carefully, by paying attention to business fundamentals. I've got nothing against youth, but it seems like many over 40-somethings got left by the wayside in the .com mania and to the detriment of many companies.

7. Think small when you're building a business. The billion dollar days are gone with last year's PR hyperbole. I get no royalties from E.F. Shumacher, but I really think his "Small is Beautiful As if People Mattered" is a wonderful book and the forward is done by Paul Hawken, a brilliant serial entrepreneur, well known for his landmark PBS (Public Broadcasting Service for global readers) series on "Growing a Business" that inspired many of us to take the entrepreneurial plunge.

About The Author

Lee Traupel has 20 plus years of business development and marketing experience - he is the founder of Intelective Communications, Inc., http://www.intelective.com a results-driven marketing services company providing proprietary services to clients encompassing startups to public companies. http://www.intelective.com

house refresh service Winnetka ...

In The News:

Americans average 10-plus hours online daily, according to recent survey, splitting time between streaming shows on TV and browsing websites on multiple devices.

Boost your smartphone privacy instantly with these security tweaks for iPhone and Android that limit ad tracking, hide notifications and prevent unauthorized access.

Platforms like Hoax Tech and JS Click Cloaker help cybercriminals bypass detection systems using machine learning to selectively display scam content to victims.

A new battery recycling technique transforms old lithium-ion batteries into high-performance components that retain 88% capacity after 500 cycles with minimal waste.

Google's Android operating system can warn users about earthquakes before the shaking even begins – and there are ways to do it on your iPhone, too.

Meta's new gesture control wristband might just be the most seamless way to control a computer yet. And no, it doesn't require surgery, a camera, or even a touchscreen. All it needs is your wrist.

Long-haul trucks are now being upgraded with a surprising twist, thanks to California-based startup Revoy. Their electric boost doesn't replace diesel but works alongside it to cut emissions and fuel costs without major disruption.

PayPal and Venmo just rolled out something big: AI-powered scam alerts for Friends and Family payments.

As data centers multiply across the United States, energy demand is increasing at a rapid pace. This has not escaped the notice of large investment firms from Wall Street.

The Unicode Consortium, the nonprofit organization that maintains the Unicode Standard to ensure emojis work across devices, has announced Unicode 17.0, which includes nine new emojis slated for release this fall, in September 2025.

OpenAI is one of the world's leading AI research labs. Founded in 2015, it's behind some of today's most talked-about tools, including GPT, DALL·E, and ChatGPT.

Ever catch your dog staring at the screen during movie night and wonder if they're actually watching? Turns out, they might be. A new scientific study from Auburn University found that many dogs really do engage with television, and not all pups react the same way.

Stop the scammers from making contact in the first place. They're getting your parents' contact information and much more personal data besides, from somewhere.

The Walker S2 robot from UBTech autonomously exchanges its batteries in just three minutes, allowing continuous operation in car factories operated by BYD, Nio and Zeekr.

The FX Super One electric MPV from Faraday Future offers flexible seating, zero-gravity recliners and an AI system that creates a personal connection between driver and vehicle.

Practical solutions for reducing unwanted charity mail, political texts and email spam by opting out of shared lists, replying "STOP" and using data removal services.

Delta's new AI pricing system eliminates static airfares for personalized rates based on individual data, raising questions about fairness while promising optimized revenue.

AI data centers are straining the power grid across 13 states, contributing to a $9 billion increase in electricity costs, and PJM customers face monthly bill increases of $25 or more.

Artificial intelligence is transforming the music industry as AI-generated bands like The Velvet Sundown earn substantial streaming revenue, prompting lawsuits from major record labels.

Microsoft phishing scams use fake security alerts and links that redirect to credential-stealing pages with warning signs, including urgent language and unusual senders.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Tesla vehicles manufactured since mid-2021 with AMD Ryzen processors can now access Grok 4, xAI's witty conversational assistant designed to make drives more engaging.

Understand how technology affects mental health through five concepts, including blue light exposure, screen time management and algorithmic bias.

Electric vehicle maker Lucid adds hands-free driving through an over-the-air update for Air sedan owners with the DreamDrive Pro package and Gravity SUV support coming later.

Protect your home network from hidden dangers, including router vulnerabilities, ISP tracking and smart device weaknesses with proper encryption, firmware updates and VPN technology.

Speed Kills on the Web!

Small Business