[isp-marketing] RE: ISP Solutions

[Alan Davis <adavis@...>]

Enough is enough....for many years now I have quietly sat back and observed
the goings on on this and other lists...I am officially a lurker....but
there comes the time when you step off the bench and insert yourself into
the game.......welcome to that time......

Ed, with all due respect, I have been playing this game long enough to get
it...and there are a few simple rules to this game.......

1. Email rules...end of story. It's the killer app...always has been and
will likely remain that way for some time to come. It's what makes e-
business work (in the perception of the SME business owner) and it's what
the guy running the retail store in downtown, small town USA (or Canada)
feels the Internet was made to do for his business. He doesn't yet grasp
hosting (or any other application for that matter)to its full potential and
is willing to let his wife's sister-in law's second cousin design his
website using FrontPage 98....i.e. he doesn't yet understand the power his
website can hold. 

As for other applications, it is wishful thinking to believe that a
penetration rate of above 5 % of your customer base is sustainable. Lots
will try my application of the month, but most will drop off due to a lack
of knowledge and commitment.

Bottom line...offer solid, stable email service and your customers will
respect you enough to buy you breakfast in the morning and look at whatever
else you want to show them. 

 2. The end user doesn't care about this stuff anywhere near as much as we
want them to (or think they do).  
It's a small percentage that actually pay attention to the technology and
the applications that are available to them...Why? Simple. They are too busy
trying to keep their business afloat to concern themselves with the latest
and greatest, despite the marketing dollars we spend telling them that their
business is much better off purchasing the latest tool/toy we have to offer.
To SME's ,the Internet is just another opportunity they have yet to
capitalize on.

 

 We offer value added services because we hope that we can increase ARPU for
enough of our existing base to make a dent on the bottom line and to
hopefully bring a little bit of differentiation (sp?) between us and the
local Telco/Cableco. 

Bottom Line...the next vendor that promises me anything above a 5% take rate
on their " killer app" will get the same treatment as the last vendor
did.... "I Call BS".


The Telco's own the "Last Mile"....nothing I can do there.....other than
offer my customers the best support and service possible.....every now and
then I get to compete on price (i.e. hosting, cause its not likely the
Bell's of the world are actually going to do a comprehensive competitive
analysis anytime soon and realize they are overpriced in the market and
offer the same as you and me). 


3. For all the time I have spent lurking, I have yet to see you put your
cards on the table.......(he says as he pushes his chips to the center of
the table) from where I am sitting, it looks like its time to show the
cards....enough cryptic rhetoric...show the cards and school us all ..... 

 

Apparently, I just went all in...

 

 

Al Davis

Director of Hosting Services

Look Communications Inc

adavis@team.look.ca



-----Original Message-----
From: Ed Arditti [mailto:arditti@...] 
Sent: Friday, July 30, 2004 9:03 PM
To: isp-marketing@isp-marketing.com
Subject: [isp-marketing] RE: ISP Solutions

I have explained enough. Stop thinking like a traditional ISP in order to
"get it."

Ed Arditti

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Frank Muto" <info@...works.org>
To: <isp-marketing@isp-marketing.com>
Sent: Friday, July 30, 2004 8:50 PM
Subject: [isp-marketing] RE: ISP Solutions


> Now let's see...
>
> > Ed Arditti wrote: <quote>
> > > 1)  Broadband  is the  killer app of broadand since it provides the
> network
> > > to do many things that could  never be done before. <end quote>


___________ 

 ___________




To unsubscribe via postal mail, please contact us at:
Jupitermedia Corp.
Attn: Discussion List Management
475 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016

Please include the email address which you have been contacted with.






To unsubscribe via postal mail, please contact us at:
Jupitermedia Corp.
Attn: Discussion List Management
475 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016

Please include the email address which you have been contacted with.