The Pink Floyd classic album, Dark Side of the Moon, is though to be the greatest rock album of all time. I might support that assertion.
If you listen all the way to the end of the album, Roger Waters says, "There is no dark side of the moon. Actually, it's all dark."
I know, it's profound.
Still, the album is an absolute classic and one for every music-lover's collection.
And speaking of the moon, those of us in the Western hemisphere are in for a treat on Wednesday, February 20th. At approximately 10 pm EST, the earth will pass between the sun and the moon, creating a total lunar eclipse.
Essentially, the moon will be in the shadow of the earth and appear to disappear from the sky.
Eclipses don't happen every day, and it should be an awesome spectacle, so make sure you get outside to get a look.
For more info, go to the official NASA site.
So what does this have to do with Internet marketing?
Eclipses are the result of a set of circumstances that converge on an irregular basis. In some ways, it is like the "perfect storm". It's just not an every day occurance.
In the same way, online opportunity is a combination of several factors. Some of these factors can be controlled while others happen in spite of us.
For example, you may have a great idea for a web site. But a portion of your success will depend on a number of things, such as timing, relevancy and competition.
If you build a site on a local band and that band ends up becoming a national phenomenon, you have a combination of foresight and good luck!
If you create a financial site teaching people what to do with their disposable income and the economy comes to a screeching halt, your site is not going to be very popular.
I could go on about the number of things that are out of your control.
So what's an entrepreneur to do?
Plan for the future and adapt to circumstances as they come your way. All you can do is all you can do.
And like an eclipse, you can often see the signs and predict when one will be visible.
Unfortunately, the future of a web site is not as easily predictable!
Watch for the eclipse in your business, plan accordingly and be ready to adjust if needed.
And be sure to get outside Wednesday night and get a good look at this natural phenomenon!
I sish I could be as aware of the things happening on the internet as I am of moon phases...and there probably are patterns that are discernable if you know where ant how to look. Only a few years ago, I did not know how to know when the moon was full or how to see sundogs or other natural phenomena.
How does one learn to read the signs on the digital highway?
I wish I could read the Internet like I can read the moon. Of course, only a few years ago, I was completely unaware of moon phases that run like clockwork every 28 days, so maybe I can learn to read the signs on the digital highway and see the rainbow sundogs that tell me when it is going to rain.