Where's the opportunity for consultants?

Mobile, eCommerce, Internet marketing

[cabbagehead909]

As a young consulting company, we've decided we need to focus our efforts around a single 'program of business' to build a name for ourselves. We're evaluating three areas. In your opinion, which area would be the best place to focus, that would (a) provide good prospects for early clients and (b) allow us to mazimize revenue in the mid term?

Three areas we're looking at:

1. Mobile App Dev - IOS dev is white hot right now. UX design and development. Seems it may be hard to retain good talen right now though. Also, I wonder how much markup room I'll have left if they're truly earning the hourly rates I hear about. Its definitely got the momentum right now though.

2. Internet Marketing - I see many companies focusing on SEO and social who are adding new headcount on a weekly basis! As companies go, these seems to be tearing it up! Maybe this focusing on small/mid-size businesses? Not sure.

2. eCommere - Provides a good platform for long-term relationships but not as hot as the other two any more. Magento has a some momentum though, and there's a lot of work potential for each client over time (systems integration, conv optimization, etc). Mobile commerce may also be a good new way to penetrate that market.

[lorax]

Mobile App Dev - hands down. Stay with this line of thinking: people want cross-platform, cross-media, and on-demand access to information and communications. It's growing fast and as the technologies advance so too will the demand for newer and more creative uses. If you want new and exciting and longevity, this is the field for you. IMHO of course.

[cabbagehead909]

Interesting point. Yes I agree that field is the growth field at the moment (not ecommerce). Though I do think ecommerce too can benefit from the recent interest in "mobile commerce". I also worry that most mobile opportunities I see currently are mostly production/build oriented, not strategy oriented. Would be really easy to fall into the same ole trap as web development where in a few years, you're just a production shop, being regarded as a tool and being squeezed on price. this is why long term you want to focus on strategy and relationship consulting, not just production. Wonder if there is much strategy opportunity in mobile? I get the impression it is mostly (a) a guy with an idea who just wants a project done, or (b) a company looking at mobile as an ad channel and thus again, spending as a project. With ecommerce though, its their whole business - and there's a ton of partnership and strategy opportunity, albeit already a bit commoditized knowledge perhaps.

[lorax]

>> being squeezed on price

Yes - if you allow yourself to be. IMHO you can position yourself where you wish to. If you want to sell yourself as a development house - then you may very well fall into the same old trap. If you want to sell yourself as a combination of strategist and developer, then let potential clients know this is what you bring to the table and then a higher price has some justification. This is how I do it. If the client is looking for bottom dollar, I let them walk. I'm not a mill and I won't sell my services that way.