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Electronic Commerce; Net Marketing; CyberMoney; E-business. No matter what the term, this new wave of doing business is already creating enormous wealth and holds the opportunity of a bountiful future for those who use and embrace it correctly.

The Internet and the World Wide Web are transforming the way we do business and live our lives. I've been online since 1990 and had a web site up since 1994. That means I've done a lot of learning from mistakes along the way, learning what works and what doesn't!

As a business futurist, technology speaker, writer and consultant on marketing trends, I've been able to learn from a variety of arenas: my research of people who've been successful, from my clients and the projects we've done together, and from my own original research.

One thing we know for sure, the Internet and the Web are not going away. All of the major forecasting firms who look at Net commerce have found themselves needing to increase their estimates as the true growth in Net commerce outstripped the best guesses. Jupiter communications predicted in 1996 that electronic commerce would generate $7.3 billion worth of revenue in the year 2000. Their estimate now is for $15.6 billion.

Jupiter is not alone. According to a recent survey by IDC Research, E-Commerce will boom from $2.6 billion in 1996 to $220 billion by 2001. Forrester Research projects sales of computer products on the Net of $3.7 billion by 2001. We're talking about responsible estimates by qualified analysts and responsible firms.

Throughout history, exporers and settlers were constantly discovering something that was bigger, or more meaningful than what they already had. The same thing is happening here. On the net, the first people showed up on ARPANET, exchanging email over what would become the Internet. They were mostly researchers, engineers and academics. Then other explorers showed up. They can remember green screens, command lines, and 300 baud modems that crawled. But they learned and enjoyed.

CompuServe forums were an early form of online community, as was the WELL (The Whole Earth Lectronic Link). Settlements and routes were happening online. CompuServe, Prodigy and others opened Internet connections. Companies like Netscape brought people ways to make the experience easier. AOL exploded. The landscape is continuing to change.

There are still basically only three main strategies for increasing revenue: get new customers; increase sales to current customers; increase the value of your average sale. To prosper from E-Commerce and what it holds for you and your company you’ll want to consider the following:

1. Find a niche you have expertise in and cultivate it. Don't simply put your brochure up on your web site. Surfers scan Web pages so they must be designed to appeal quickly and efficiently. Figure out how you can profitably sell your goods and services over the Net.

2. Look for ways to increase your sales to current customers using the Net and Web. Look for ways to reach more customers who have a profile like your current customers.

3. Understand E-tailing. It's a different kind of animal from retailing. 21st Century business on the Net will provide people with a place to come and hang out. If you doubt this, look at the success of bookstore cafes. How can you bind a group of similar people together in your Cyberspace Store for an industry-related gathering, or to discuss a situation you're dealing with.

4. Give people a reason to come to your site. Give them something of value that will benefit them. And give them a reason to bookmark your site and come back often.

5. Keep your site updated. People aren't interested in information that is outdated and worthless. Keep it fresh and alive. Offer new insights and show them ways you can become a partner with them.

6. Don't spam with email. While it's true that there are great benefits of E-Mail because of its low cost, always give recipients an easy way to unsubscribe from you email list (as well as how to subscribe).

7. Offer more than one way for interested visitors to buy. Make sure your Website lists your office number so buyers can talk to a live person if they choose. Also offer fax, e-mail as other forms of connecting.

8. Reassure customers of the safety in e-commerce. Doing business on the Net is more secure than using a credit card in a restaurant or store. Let buyers know you use the best technologies and are around for the long haul.

9. Concentrate on embracing E-Business and use the Web for more than just commerce. Use the Net for as much of your business as possible, i.e. listing products, sending messages to buyers, suppliers, employees.

10. Never forget the importance of relationships. Cultivate relationships with people through technology. Use databases to track what people like. Provide security by promising to not disclose their name or other data.

E-Commerce is here to stay. International Data Corporation surveyed 50 companies who either have, or are in the process of developing a Web-based sales strategy. Seventy percent said that they were developing their electronic commerce initiatives as an way to extend their current business.

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Should shopping forays be forgot,
We'll never stand in line!
Should shopping forays be forgot,
This year we'll shop online

We will shop online, my friend
Oh, we will shop online!
We will buy whatever we want
We will shop online.

We'll surely shop the malls we like
And surely we'll be buying
We'll pay securely on the Net
This year we'll shop online.

So come and join us, if you will
Save time and sanity!
Join the throngs of those who say
Oh, we will shop online!