LAWS OF THE INTERNET

The Internet is chaotic and viral by nature, but it remains subject to certain laws that can be defined and understood. Incredible successes and desperate failures mark the short history of the Internet. The successes can be traced to an appreciation of these laws. The failures can be traced to ignoring one or more of them.

Each of these laws holds a key to success for the entrepreneur. You must employ all of them to create a successful venture.

LAW 1. The Internet is GLOBAL

Accessing the Internet from a computer in Afghanistan, you can be chatting to someone from Japan within minutes. An activist in Europe can find comprehensive data on Neo-Maoist on AltaVista or have his website built and ready for global publicity to his members within hours.

This power was unthinkable ten years ago and it has large governments and corporations very scared. This power is now available to you.

Individuals and organizations who ignore this law will be sidelined as a true global market falls into the hands of those who are ready to seize it. It once required millions of dollars and hundreds of staff to build an international market - today, the same is being done by teenagers from their homes.

The international reach of the Internet enables simultaneous communication between multiple points of presence. This is true for international organisations but equally valuable for any network of people whether trans-national or in a single town.

STRATEGY POINTS: Leverage the power of global presence with a multi-language website. Exploit email. Form Inter-country Alliances. Think global. Distance is no longer a barrier.

LAW 2. The Internet is FREE

Netscape ignored this law when they expected to maintain market dominance with their shareware 'Navigator' browser while Microsoft was giving theirs away as freeware. Netscape will probably never regain that opportunity again.

This law was ignored by The New York Times and Slate Magazine who both aborted attempts to charge users to read their Magazines online.

The key to the long-term popularity of web surfing is that once you are online you can go anywhere and do almost anything free. While there are massive amounts of money to be made online, the great promise of the Internet is "getting something for nothing". Whether it is free newswire access, email, chat, or web pages, or searching for secret information. The businesses that succeed online are those who are perceived as delivering the greatest value free.

This law is crucial for creating a viable online strategy. Every website visitor must receive something of value free or he will not return. This may come in the form of exclusive information, a special offer or a free service. Those who ignore this law will see their strategy fail.

Website visitors provide value free in the form of advertising revenue, loyalty, personal information, a vote, and a barter swap. The company that can extract the most value from each visitor whilst maintaining the illusion of offering their service free will profit the most.

Learn by the blunders of others - obey this Law.

STRATEGY POINTS: Offer something free on your site: downloads, advice, newsletter, etc. Stay informed - subscribe to free e-zines, exploit free services available, use the power of barter. Exploit free promotion avenues. Remember, the customer is looking for something for nothing

LAW 3. The Internet is NOW

Within a few clicks, you can see live video of some of the world's wonders, you can make purchases at the click of a virtual button, and you can email a friend in Zimbabwe several times a day.

The immediacy and speed of information transfer over the internet is the one of the wonders of modern technology.

It consistently amazes new users how information can get to them so fast from the other side of the world. Newcomers to email have difficulty understanding how it works because of the speed and simplicity of each transmission. The critical challenge for web designers and internet businesses is to maintain a sense of wonder with fast loading sites, and exploit the power and potential of instantaneous global communication.

The pace of the Internet means things change fast. An Internet "year" lasts just a few months. The cyberspace is changing and evolving - slow companies and organizations are becoming extinct. Standards are changing, tools are changing.

As the pace increases, netizens expect immediate gratification. When websites fail to indulge this need, they lose visitors.

Somewhere right now there is someone doing a search for a product you sell; will they find you?

KEY STRATEGIES: Keep your company evolving. Stay informed. Be ready to change. Make your website fast and keep it updated regularly. Invest in your website. It will give you return faster than any other forms of advertisement. Offer 24-hour, email responses. Be ready.

CONCLUSION

We are privileged to be part of the greatest revolution in commerce and communications in modern times. The great companies of the next century will trace their origins to this decade. Unfortunately, these times bring great challenges to established ways of doing business - the old laws do not apply. Adapt to the new paradigm and get ready for a gold rush that is only just beginning.