Reply to: Kerching! - New dot com boom

[Board Game Geek]

I definitely pay attention to the user-generated reviews on various websites, and these form a major factor in any buying decisions I make.

I'm currently in the market for an HP Multifunction Device, and the reviews on the product I had chosen were less than favourable.

One review in particular had in-depth technical information that was just not available for public knowledge on the HP site.

However, this chap had bought the model, and this function did not work in the way he envisaged it would.

That was a gold nugget of information for me, since I was going to buy the MFD for the same feature.

Hence, his pain has saved me a lot of hassle.

So yes, reviews are critical and I can well believe that this will become more important in time.

[Jog On]

Please go on, I'm interested in what you think and ideas you have.

Really? I know you're selling a plan B that looks very good from what I can see.

I've spent 2 years on Internet marketing now and still on a bit of a crash course but getting there. My new site converts leads at 15-20% but I'm split testing it up and aim to get it as high as 40%.

I am fascinated by learning what elements of a site make people act and what keywords convert better etc- I absolutely love it

Sounds like it's an online version of the marketing initiative where companies are aiming to sell stuff through the public by getting them to make recommendations to their friends for a reward.

Much like we've seen with various network marketing schemes in the past, that ultimately cause the people involved to become somewhat lacking in friends!

Not quite - it's about how people are relying more on sites like Amazon for Web 2.0 user generated content and reviews to make purchasing decisions rather than big budget advertising campaigns.

Also how the abundance of choice is changing the emphasis on how industries work. An example being the music industry.

Before the long tail people tended to just buy 'hits' and there wasn't that much choice but now anyone can produce and promote themselves through myspace etc. and make it big - or cater to their 'microniche'

It's a good book.

[PAH]

I read an interesting book about the future of search and how people will (apparently) buy things based on reviews and user recommendations.

Sounds like it's an online version of the marketing initiative where companies are aiming to sell stuff through the public by getting them to make recommendations to their friends for a reward.

Much like we've seen with various network marketing schemes in the past, that ultimately cause the people involved to become somewhat lacking in friends!

[DimPrawn]

I read an interesting book about the future of search and how people will (apparently) buy things based on reviews and user recommendations. Like I said before it’s still really hard for anyone to predict how the web will develop or what will happen in the future but I think this guy has a good idea:

http://www.amazon.com/Long-Tail-Futu.../dp/1401302378

I found it an interesting and eye-opening read, read the reviews and see what you think

Please go on, I'm interested in what you think and ideas you have.

[Jog On]

I'm looking forward to the day when something more reliable that search engines exist to find good websites.

Google and co are ok for finding info from different sources, but crap at giving me a list of websites I can trust and have the products or services that I want. Too much relies on what the user enters as a search term.

So what is going to replace search engines? Properly vetted directories or those built from users recommendations or ratings or actual use?

I read an interesting book about the future of search and how people will (apparently) buy things based on reviews and user recommendations. Like I said before it’s still really hard for anyone to predict how the web will develop or what will happen in the future but I think this guy has a good idea:

http://www.amazon.com/Long-Tail-Futu.../dp/1401302378

I found it an interesting and eye-opening read, read the reviews and see what you think

[PAH]

Whilst you and everyone else is thinking beyond simple search engines, AtW has been spending the last 3 years trying to replicate what Yahoo and Google did 5 years ago.

I'm sure there's madness in his method.

[DimPrawn]

I'm looking forward to the day when something more reliable that search engines exist to find good websites.

Google and co are ok for finding info from different sources, but crap at giving me a list of websites I can trust and have the products or services that I want. Too much relies on what the user enters as a search term.

So what is going to replace search engines? Properly vetted directories or those built from users recommendations or ratings or actual use?

Whilst you and everyone else is thinking beyond simple search engines, AtW has been spending the last 3 years trying to replicate what Yahoo and Google did 5 years ago.

[PAH]

I'm looking forward to the day when something more reliable that search engines exist to find good websites.

Google and co are ok for finding info from different sources, but crap at giving me a list of websites I can trust and have the products or services that I want. Too much relies on what the user enters as a search term.

So what is going to replace search engines? Properly vetted directories or those built from users recommendations or ratings or actual use?

[Jog On]

Yeah the first boom/crash was due to everyone thinking this new fangled technology would transform and revolutionise the way we all live – which it has but not in a way anyone could predict – and it will still be very hard to predict how it will continue to develop.

The web is still very young but at least we know more now than we did then. At least now people are doing some more due diligence as to whether a business has a chance of making any money or not.

Back in the initial boom people were going all ga-ga over ‘cool looking’ impressive (expensive, clunky) websites with no focus on how to get traffic.

Now people are all climbing over each other trying to get to the top of the search engines and ‘exploit’ web 2.0 etc. Out of interest I did a search for the term ‘SEO London’ just to see what whoever was winning the rankings for that term was up to. The company at position #1 in Google were all about getting traffic and optimising sites for people.

But when it came to converting visitors into customers they said that a conversion rate of 0.5% (1 in every 200) visitors was acceptable to good. A 0.5% conversion rate in my book is appalling – but who am I to argue with the people who rank #1 in Google for ‘SEO London’

People will soon wake up to the fact that designers and even SEO experts are not sales/marketers and should not have so much of a say on the elements that affect your sales conversions. But right now they’re more concerned with “Get my [professional looking and SEO optimised – but very poorly converting] website to #1 in Google so I can get 1000 visitors a day and make 5 sales…

[Pondlife]

That would be perfect! One flash in the pan, £1m and I'm out!

Try not to get any on Wilmslow's shoes.

[Platypus]

a flash in the pan success.

That would be perfect! One flash in the pan, £1m and I'm out!

[Jog On]

I’m in with both feet

[Clippy]

A family members internet start has just got another round of VC cash-£350million.....


nice work if you can get it.

<cough> BULLS**T.

[MrRobin]

£7.4m valued for a company that sends out some text messages to people in pub quizes?! Do they hold any assets that even come close to this figure? I doubt it... Jeezus.. this is why the dotcom crash happened in the first place wasn't it? Massive overvaluations on companies with no tangable assets and only vague and very optimistic forecasts on future growth that actually turn out to be unsustainable because the market would be saturated if it really was that profitable.

[BrilloPad]

Like many internet start-ups, the real money is in squirreling away the cash from the VC mugs, or managing to somehow convince a buyer that your online business is worth 200 million, when any real profit is still projected to be 5 years away.

I'm still convinced there's opportunities for us web developers to knock up a successful site, working from home, and with little resource or investment. Just waiting for AtW's eBook to help me finalise the small details.

just as long as you are not waiting on an economic forecast.