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If you're a fan of Western
movies I'm sure you've heard most of the title line
before; just replace "Web" with
"town." That line of dialog is offered right
before the two cowboys go outside and have a deadly gun
duel. Wind blown tumbleweeds and shades of the OK Corral
as a backdrop!
Nevertheless, can mean
spirited politics help you corral a little corner of the
Web? Can you put up no trespassing signs on what you've
deemed to call your own?
Most progressive Net
businesses grab market share by their good business
practices and excellent customer service. There's more
than a few of those that come to mind. There are others -
less enlightened - that use negative practices to maintain
their market foothold.
Creative ways to slow down
or stop your perceived competitors or opponents are many.
They can take the form of misinformation, gossip,
poisonous tips, setting up dummy email accounts to spread
rumors, etc, etc
A few of them will work in
the short term. Some will be more effective than others.
Most will stain your personal and business name, when
found out! All of them are foolhardy!
Yes, you can raise your
hand to the sky and block the sun; yet and still, it's not
an accurate description of what's happening. When the
mighty Mississippi river wants to change course, how can
it be stopped? When the Net wants to grow, expand and
mutate, how are you going to tame it to your petty
designs?
Entire countries have bent
to the will of the Web! Here's an example: Long-standing
phone monopolies in Central American countries used
political pressure to stop their citizens from making
Internet phone calls, to no avail! Though "special
legislation" was passed, there was such a huge outcry
from the rest of the Net, they relented! Let the Net be
the Net, is the call of wisdom.
Historically speaking, the
Web is an infant. It will continue to grow and expand,
networking even the most remote outpost or village!
Powerful and speedy microchips will give us the ability to
reach out to other people and cultures. Language barriers
will be eliminated with real-time, two way translation.
Stone Age villages are going to join the modern world in
one fantastic step!
The swift technological
change and the accelerated rate of deployment promise a
bumpy ride, to say the least! All we can do is grab the
beast by the tail and hang on; uncertain as to where it
leads and what it will look like!
Those are just a few of the
things awaiting us, in the not-too-distant future. I'm
sure there are many more in store; not imagined, unseen
and unexpected. The only two constant factors are: growth
and change! In its tender years, the Net has grown and
mutated in ways barely imagined a decade ago.
If I've waxed too
fantastically in the preceding paragraphs, I do apologize!
The point is to explain the utter futility of arresting or
trapping a corner of the Web! By its very nature it's the
agent of revolutionary change and growth; never to be
proclaimed as your self-appointed kingdom! It won't work!
All Internet Marketers
should consider the preceding when making policy decisions
that deal with perceived competitors. Notice my usage of
the word "perceived." Just because an upstart
business wants some of the turf you formerly called your
own, is no reason to engage in attrition and trench
warfare.
These are much better
options:
(a) Find weak areas in your
competitor's business. Not so much for the purpose of
exploiting them, but to see if you can supply some of
their needs. No matter what the copywriters say, all
businesses have strong and weak areas.
(b) Look for product lines
that are complementary and form linking relationships. The
nature and placement of the link will insure mutual
benefit from the agreement.
(c) When provoked by some
of the negative practices of other - less progressive -
competitors, do what you must to uphold your reputation.
If it's something trivial and small, turn the other cheek
and seek the high road; not from altruism but to save your
time, energy and attention for more productive endeavors.
Pick your battles on principle and only when all other
avenues are exhausted.
When all things are
considered, the best use of your time in maintaining
market share should be spent in finding new resources and
partners. Likewise, implementing new content delivery
technology will prove very effective. By all means, every
possible effort should be made to convert competitors into
friends and partners.
The alternative is so
unsavory:
While the Web continues its
relentless gallop, leaving both you and your sparring
partner in the dust; will you even recognize why you went
into battle, in the first place?
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