by Terry Brock

It really is quite easy. You can blow it on the Internet by having the wrong assumptions. But, we can learn what to do by looking at what not to do. Here are some ideas that will help a company to go out of business on the Internet fast.

Don't leave any contact information on your Web site. Avoid the remote possibility that customers could contact a live human being with a real question. You get to avoid all the calls and inquiries from customers if you carefully hide any reference to where you are and your phone number. This is a really neat strategy that lots of software companies followed just before they went out of business.

It is also really aggravating to customers. If any of them every happen to get through to you on the phone, just remember the classic, customer-endearing acronym used by support personnel "Read the Freakin' Manual." Customers will really remember that!

After all, if they have a question, they should be the one to answer it.

Realize that the Internet changes everything so the only thing that matters is the Internet. Live in your own world and ignore everything else. Don't listen to their feedback. Instead, go ahead and make your plans regardless of what others say or do. After all, you already know everything that needs to be done, right?

You don't have to blow it online. By rethinking some of the hype that occurred in recent years and focusing on sound business principles you can succeed online today and in the future.

In his book, Capturing Customers.com, George Colombo wrote the Internet should be part of the solution. The old ways of reaching customers is still valid.

We have to look at the Internet as another channel by which we reach customers. It is another technology like phones, fax, radio or TV.

Actually, the Internet has lots of features from each of those communication tools. Remember that the Internet doesn't change the way people want human care and interaction. The Internet is simply another way to reach customers. It is a very important tool and should be used properly.

You can use the technology of your Web site to get feedback from people. Use forms. Call them on the phone. I remember Scott Cook, formerly with Intuit, which makes Quicken, told me that he would make it a regular practice to get on the phone personally and talk to customers every week.

He'd ask them what they like and don't like about the product. The power of Quicken and its place in the market came about as a result of this and other sound business principles.

No matter what your business, don't forget the importance of that personal contact via phone or in person with real, live customers.

This is the time to grow in today's economy. Economic cycles have been with us throughout history. Think of them like the change of seasons. We are entering a Winter time now but Spring is just around the corner.

Prepare now for the great opportunities. Think back long ago when things were going strong. We heard about the dramatic growth in companies and how their stock prices had done so well.

We wished we invested in those companies years ago. Well, today is the "years ago" time to invest for the future. Look for value and sound principles.

Here's a dose of reality: Just as the dot-coms learned you can't build a business on stock price and hype alone, the market should learn now that doom and gloom won't build a business either.

Wisdom from the ages has often said to now keep all your eggs in one basket.

Andrew Carnegie modified that, saying: "Keep all your eggs in one basket. Then watch that basket very closely."

I think what the great industrialist meant was to focus. He did have many "baskets" going during his life. He focused on one thing at a time and made it enormously successful.

There are enormous opportunities now. It is a time for rethinking the strategic role that technology will play in your business future.

You don't have to blow it online or offline. Instead, now is the time to marshal your forces and move forward.

Terry Brock is an internationally recognized professional speaker, consultant and author in the fields of business productivity, technology and marketing. He is a syndicated columnist for Biz Journals across America and can be reached at (407) 363-0505 or by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com.

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