Becoming The Online 'Go-To Place'
From the beginning the Internet has been a powerful tool for connecting people. Even before the World Wide Web, electronic bulletin boards (BBS) and E-mail connected people.
Such humble roots have developed into an intricate network of countless E-mail accounts, hundreds of thousands of Weblogs and online forums, and over 65 million Web sites. Did you know that:
- 44% of US young adults visit a Web portal daily (Carnegie Corporation)
- As many as 40% of small businesses have Web sites (Kelsey Group)
- 29% of US adults used the Internet to get political news in 2004 (Pew Internet and American Life Project)
- 53 million Americans use instant messaging (IDC)
- 40% of Americans participate in online communities (ACNielsen)
Clearly, the Internet has become an important element in how we connect with the world around us.
This represents tremendous opportunities to establish rapport, to help people, to reach potential customers and clients, and to establish yourself and your business as an authority in your field.
Many companies build Web sites. With over 5 million new domain names registered in the third quarter of 2004 alone, this should come as no surprise. What you may not know is that the vast majority of these have either not been developed or if they have, are no more than that, a Web site.
A select few have gone beyond those simple beginnings and become superstars of the Web, with tens of thousands of visitors to their Web sites every day. Some accomplish this through extensive brand recognition or expensive ad campaigns, but others pull off such a Herculean feat with a small budget and simple word of mouth.
Your Web site can also become a place where thousands of people gather. One way to accomplish this is to create an online community and resource center. You can lay the groundwork for this by having dynamic information, offering a range of resources, and providing a means for people to share and learn.
Building an online community is not something that you can force. People will go where they see value, so in order to attract and build your community, you will need to provide value. Here are some of the main reasons that people participate in an online community, according to a report by ACNielsen:
- Shared personal interest (87%)
- Hobbies (62%)
- Health (55%)
- Public Issues (49%)
- Commerce (47%)
- Business Networking (42%)
- Sports (42%)
- Alumni (39%)
- Dating (23%)
Building a community is also an involved process, requiring commitment and time, but it is an investment that can be very successful. You could perhaps become the place to go to for cell phone resources, or the Minnesota go-to for retiree help, or the go-to source for organizing tips and resources.
The rewards can be tremendous. For that, you only need look at sites such as www.flightsim.com, www.craigslist.com, or www.angieslist.com.
You too can go beyond your beginnings and become a superstar of the Web.
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