|| Return to On The Road... ||
May 18, 1996
Newark, New Jersey
Dear Friends:
It's 8:30 p.m. and I'm stuck in L.A. I was supposed to be in Newark, New Jersey by now, settling into my hotel to give a workshop at 7 in the morning. But here I am, typing away, reading Jay Abrahams amazing words, remembering old workshops, thinking about building my business....
Wait? Stuck in L.A.? I have an opportunity in L.A.!
Everything on the Web is opportunity; I have the chance to open up a unique avenue. I've talked so much about making unique Web sites. Let me share some views of how my site isn't unique and needs to be.
What I'm looking for again is that voice. And what I do for my clients is work on the design phase, on creating the ideas that drive a Web site. They have content and a way of approaching a Web site as they do print, radio, or television. I've found by experience that I can either spend my time teachig them wha t I know, which is a burden to them and to me, or I can take charge and have them pay me for what I do; provide the quickest, most cost-effective way to create a Web site.
Think of it; they want to get online quickly and get their business going. If you were building a storefront in the real world, you would have an empty space; they have an empty Web site. If I set up a storefront, the last thing I want to do is become the electrician, the carpenter, the plumber, and the painter. I want to hire people to do the job and get the store open so I can run my business and begin to make money, plain and simple.
So why don't they get this on the Web? One of the reasons is that they want to spend time on becoming the expert. And often they don't become the expert like me, because I do this for a living. They really want a store. But I also have to help them generate traffic for the store. I'm creating a monthly tips sheet for creating business online. This sheet will involved the selling of Web sites, the brainstorming of ideas, and also the ways to get it online quickly. But my clients overwhelmingly want me to do the job.
Then there are the ones who call me and are looking for a free ride. They want to brag to their friends that they saved money, got on for free or for cheap. Funny thing is, three months later they're not bragging, their stuck with a lousy Web site. Any visitors who came think they are a joke and won't come back. They'll never get back that three months, which on the Web is an eternity. By choosing the fast-food McDonald's route, they got what they paid for...from nothing nothing comes. A Web site should be an investment, those who go in free will still pay. I've seen it again and again.
I am the plumber, electrician, painter, and carpenter of the Web site. But what I really am is an architect, putting together the pieces, providing balance of design and content, and making sure the whole thing works as a unit. When it does, it is magic when the audience participates.
So when you're building your online empire, remember to get the store going. You can't make money until you do. If you don't, the learning curve and down time will hurt you worst than the initial cost. Each business comes with its risk; on the Web, we don't have to physically build a store, but it should be operating quickly. If you don't do it, your competition will.