Books, Developers
and Websites
Books, Developers and Websites
The SiteCoach Solution
Moving Forward
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SITECOACH SALES PITCH (2/4) Books, Developers and Websites |
Introduction
Books, Developers and Websites The SiteCoach Solution Moving Forward |
BooksA quick search on Amazon.com for "internet business" or "internet commerce" brings up literally hundreds of titles. Here is a list of just a few titles dedicated to helping small businesses get started on the web (prices are list prices):
| Small Business Solutions for E-Commerce | Brenda Kienan | 2000 | $23.99 |
| Starting and Running a Business on the Internet | Alex Kiam, Tim Ireland | 2000 | $9.56 |
| The Best Internet Businesses You Can Start | Marian Betancourt | 1999 | $11.96 |
| Clicking Through: A Survival Guide for Bringing Your Company Online | Jonathan I. Ezor | 1999 | $14.99 |
| The Unofficial Guide to Starting a Business Online | Jason R. Rich | 1999 | $12.96 |
| Digital Darwinism : 7 Breakthrough Business Strategies for Surviving in the Cutthroat Web Economy | Evan I. Schwartz | 1999 | $17.50 |
Books have a few key advantages. They are generally inexpensive, convenient to carry, and always available as a resource.
One of the biggest drawbacks of books covering the Internet, however, comes from the simple fact that they are books, and therefore static. By many accounts, it would be a complete waste of time to read a how-to book on Internet business that is more than 12 months old. Books give a good foundation on the basics of the web and e-commerce, but the techniques are changing so rapidly that many of the strategies in these books become outdated quickly.
Web Developers
Another popular place to look for business website advice is from a web developer. Website developers, the thinking goes, are the most experienced at developing websites and therefore should have some good advice.
Web developers are indeed experienced at building websites, but many do not have the business background or experience needed to give a small business guidance on building a successful Internet business strategy. Asking a web developer for business advice is like a car manufacturer asking a car mechanic for business advice. The mechanic knows a lot about cars (especially which ones last and which ones break down a lot) but doesn't have the perspective necessary to provide useful business advice to a car manufacturer other than improving the cars they have already developed.
As the Internet matures and more businesses move online, it is likely that more developers will specialize in particular business areas. When this happens, developers may be in a better position to offer sound advice based on experience in a particular industry.
Websites
It makes sense to many that the best place to look for business knowledge about the Internet is on the Internet itself. It is true that Internet industry experts are more likely to publish on the Internet than experts in other industries, but traditional media (print, radio, TV) are still important distributors of Internet advice.
The biggest drawback of finding good information on the Internet is the time required to search through all the muck. A fair amount of business advice is published in electronic newsletter or e-magazine formats. While these formats are great for Internet industry professionals who must spend time every day catching up on new developments, they are much less useful to a small business person who is focused on the business at hand.
There is no question that free, valuable advice is available all over the Internet. There is also a fair amount of free, not-so-valuable advice online. Consider carefully how much of your valuable time you want to spend on building your business website.
If you would like to learn more about the SiteCoach alternative to books, developers, and typical websites, read the next section.
