The information age really does move at the speed of light. Technology is advancing faster than we ever conceived possible.
I've been online for 26 years now.
In 1980, I bought my first computer, a TRS-80. This machine had 4K of RAM (not 4MB... 4K) and a cassette player that was used as a storage device. There wasn't even a floppy disc drive!
I owned a 300 baud modem that I used to dial into local bulletin board services and remember when Compuserve launched.
I was a subscriber to Prodigy, GEnie, Delphi, Compuserve and AOL v1.0.
Before the web, I frequently dialed into these services and enjoyed the most primitive forms of online communication and interaction.
Fast-forward to 1995. I launched my first web site, WorldVillage.com.
In 1996, I partnered with a programmer from UCSD and launched ClassicGames.com... which would soon become Yahoo! Games.
There was no Google. Ebay and Amazon were young upstarts. Pets.com and PlanetRX.com were supposed to be the future of ecommerce.
Now all that is left of Pets.com is the sock puppet. Go figure.
From 1998-1999, the Internet bubble grew and grew. Venture capitalists were throwing millions of dollars behind any company with a dotcom at the end. You could have registered a domain called "WorstBusinessEver.com" and raised a nice sum!
Merchants were paying out huge bounties for the acquisition of new customers and advertising dollars were flying about like confetti at a Mardi Gras celebration.
And then it happened.
The bubble burst. And it hurt... bad.
Businesses without a true business model were no longer in business.
People lost entire investments as the Nasdaq plummeted.
And thousands of people lost their jobs.
Ouch.
As for me, I had to lay off everyone that was working for me and go it alone. It wasn't fun.
But I KNEW that the Internet was far from dead. It was just a matter of time before it would come back and we'd see the money flowing like milk and honey once more.
Fast forward to 2006.
The Internet business atmostphere is back with a fiery vengeance...
... and opportunity is everywhere!
So why tell this tale?
Because I want you to see that the opportunity that now exists is different than the one that hit the web the first time around.
That was just monopoly money. Poor business models with no real future.
Now, we've got real business models that are really succeeding and earning real money.
And it's still very early in the game.
The generation that is growing up with the Internet will never know what it is like to NOT have the world wide web. They are as attached to video online as we were to Saturday morning television.
To this generation, email is as natural as breathing.
With millions of people getting online each year, there is a growing need for quality content and services. Someone is going to fill that need.
Will it be you?
Catch the vision. Seize the opportunity.
Remember, there is more to building a business online than making a quick buck. This is a long-term play. So play it well.
It's Del.icio.us!
Furl It!
November 28, 2006 08:15 AM
Dear Joel,
I'am strongly agree that internet business without the real land is only a game of imagination. I am very respect with your VRE and it's AdSense but now still untouchable for me. It's too expensive for a beginner like me, but I am always follow your advices.
Thank you Joel.
Muhammad Nasrum
November 28, 2006 08:58 AM
HEY JOEL:
EVERY TIME I ATTEMPT TO START
I HIT ANOTHER ROAD BLOCK.
YOU NEED TONS OF INFO TO PUBLISH A BLOG. THAT IS TO GET ANY RESULT. IM A RETIRED FIREFIGHTER (DISABLED CANCER)AND NOT REAL SAVY WHEN IT COME TO THE INTERNET.
November 28, 2006 10:05 AM
Hi Joel,
I agree with what you have said regarding the internet and I appreciate its potential. The problem that I have is that I simply don't understand a lot of the language. I have tried to build websites using several different programs from various companies, all of which say it can be done in a very short time, that it's as easy as pie etc. However, I always seem to get to an insummountable hurdle when the instructions are that you must now do x, y, or z without either showing you how or even telling you what x, y or z are. Frequently I have left my computer feeling totally weary and defeated. I would love to get a website together, I know exactly what I want to sell, I know it's in demand, I even have my links to various affiliate programs ready, but I have no website to put them on and this is the most frustrating thing I have ever encountered.
November 28, 2006 10:08 AM
I agree with you wholeheartedly, Joel. One must have a sound business plan if one is to succeed in Internet Marketing, or any other business for that matter. If you want to sustain that business, then you need to have well
thought out goals and plans for the long-term success of your business.
It is interesting that you pointed out in your post that, "The generation that is growing up with the Internet will never know what it is like to NOT have the world wide web. They are as attached to video online as we were to Saturday morning television.
To this generation, email is as natural as breathing."
With that in mind, is is interesting to see how different marketers target market the different generations in order to make a sale. For example, some Web 2.0 methods seem to work well with the younger generation, but, it seems to be working with people in there 30,s as well.
November 28, 2006 12:43 PM
Joel, I too was an early user of computers. I ran a small chain of retail stores and moved to computers for bookkeeping and records in 1985. I purchased a micro system called Basic 4 and later into the first PCs from IBM. I too was intrigued by
by the possibilities of the
Internet. Unfortunately I
was too busy with running the business to get involved and had my controller trained to be my
IT person. Now that I am retired I have a chance to go back to my original thoughts and explore them.
I wished I had learned more in the early days so I
would be up to speed. It is in some ways more complicated today than then, at the same time easier. Well I guess its never too late to teach an old dog new tricks! Jack
November 28, 2006 02:55 PM
It's funny, it says I can use "HTML tags for style," but I have no idea what that means. I too have no idea how to put a site together. I have sort of an idea for a topic that may attract a list as long as I can provide good content. But how does one get started without any knowledge?
November 28, 2006 05:07 PM
Hi Joel,
I'm starting a commercial web site in a niche that I can write endlessly about. Even so, it can get exhausting at times. Inspirational emails like yours are much appreciated. Thanks.
November 29, 2006 03:18 AM
hi
i want to do biz on the net but dont know how to start. can u link me to businesses i can do in the net as a newbie
March 1, 2007 09:00 AM
Pretty nice site, wants to see much more on it! :)d