Forum Moderators: not2easy
We finally understand that Bernie Ebbers wasn't a financial genius, Pets.com wasn't a brilliant business model and that Napster never had a prayer.
The free ride is over --thank goodness [zdnet.com.com]
The main way I see it is if the information provided is one or a mixture of:-
1. Informed - from a trusted authority with interesting opinions.
2. Is unique.
3. If not unique, is presented in a way that would take a long time to research across the web and therefore is actually cheaper from this single source.
4. The site add value to the information in the public domain.
5. Provides a true experience for the site visitor.
Anyone have any others?
While more and more people will continue to pay for online-content, there is a limit. The more times people are forced to pay for content, the more they will seek free content.
There are only certain things people are willing to pay money for. And, people are not willing to be nickle-and-dimed for all their informational needs. For example, no one is going to pay a little here for online maps, and a little there for investment advice, and little more for local news, and a little there to look up old school chums. That adds up to too much money for one person to spend.
The average consumer will only pay for what they want the most, perhaps one or two websites. For all their other needs, they are going to rely on free-content websites.
As long as there is a demand for free-content, someone is going to find a way to deliver it, and still make money from it.
