Those high flyers, with their endless supply of venture capital, insane IPO's, and general 'good will', effectively subsidized the growth of the internet. Nauseating ads in all media depicted the internet as the-place-to-be-if-you-want-to stay-in-busines. I'll ignore the irony of the moment. There was persistent talk about the explosive growth of the New Economy and how billions or trillions of dollars will one day be spent online, and more ads telling us that we must get online now, or forever lose our place at the trough.
This surreal show did by its very nature make the internet an integral part of how most people, even those without computers or an interest in the 'new economy', think of the world around them. It made the internet mainstream.
On a more mundane level, the deep-pocket crowd also subsidized the growth of internet infrastructure, demanding huge improvements in equipment and software that will continue to provide a solid foundation for years to come.
Most of the rest of us could have a web site, pay a nominal fee for hosting, and essentially ride the wave FREE. Free search engine listing, free toys for your web site, and later, even free hosting, dialup access. Free, free, free.(q: Was I the only one who wondered who was paying for all this free stuff?)
Good riddance to free. It made it very difficult to cut through the hyperbole and talk about a web site with a small business owner as though it were a legitimate business investment.
If you want to be on the internet now, you have to bring your own money to the table, and for most of those with whom I am personally familiar at least, that will mean targetted advertising on the internet, newsletter advertising, paid search engine listings, and pay-per-click listings.
This does not mean thousands of dollars every month, or even every year, for most small businesses. But it does mean what is known in the stock market as cost-averaging, buying the same amount every month, to even out the peaks and valleys on returns.
I recommend $50-100 per month for new web sites, directed at pay-per-click search engines, and secondly, at traditional search engines. Traditional search engines charge $99 or $199 for a review and listing, with turn around times from 2 days to six weeks, or the same as what was offered last year at this time for nothing. One of the best listing services is at GOTO.com. There, your web site will be listed at such places as Lycos, Altavista, AOL, and others, as well as at GOTO. Go to http://www.goto.com and click on the 'Premium Listing' link.
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