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On Tue, 11 Apr 1995, Paul Jones wrote:

> I have been asking the most unasked question about Internet marketing to 
> my students and collegues lately. Interestingly enough, I always get the 
> same answer.
Students and academics are a very small market segment with a reputation 
for not buying much of anything.  It's a challenge to get them to buy a 
grilled cheeze sandwich (I used to sell them at college :-).

For an interesting survey, talk to stock brokers, retail buyers, or fund 
managers.
> The question: Have you ever bought anything as a direct result of having 
> seen it advertised on the WWW? (This includes ordering from the WWW itself).
> The answer: No.
Three separate questions:
	1. Have you made a purchasing decision as a result of information 
		received through an on-line source?
	2. Have you made a purchasing desision as a result of information
		received through on-line advertizing?
	3. Have you ordered or transacted through a voice-response system?
	   (Yes is potential, no is technophobe)

> Follow-up: How if at all would you say the WWW has influenced your buying 
> habits or any purchasing decisions?
> The answers: Not at all. (or less frequently). I decided to buy a faster 
> modem.
Again, the answer will vary.  At the moment, there are only a hand-full 
of "internet stores", and all require special "Accounts" which draw from 
your credit card.  Even Prodigy is this type of "Account".

> Given that we've been talking about all the various issues relating to 
> the on-line world, I'm surprised that no one has found themselves or 
> their organizations asking this question more formally. Or have they?
It's more like the burning question.

> Reactions? Experiences? True confessions of actual purchases?
Several Corporations purchased pkzip, netscape, linux, mosaic, TCP/IP 
packages, unix systems, and internet accounts as a result of information 
received on-line.  Sun, IBM, Hewlett Packard, DEC, and Apple all generate 
sales-leads through on-line sources.  This does include newsgroups, Web 
Pages, E-Mail daemons, mailing lists (like this one), and direct e-mail.
In many cases, these contacts have led to multimillion dollar contracts.

I have personally placed over 40 contractors and laid-off staff through
the internet (misc.jobs.offered).  I have been brokered 3 times for
commissions worth over $30,000 through brokers who contacted me through
the internet.  I also hire through this resource (looking for an X.25 and 
VMS guru right now).  I've even gone on dates arranged through the 
internet.  I also find stores, clubs, and restaurants through internet 
resources.

Every story that comes out of the Dow Jones news feed triggers about $30 
million (avarage) in trading volume.  They put out about 10,000 stories/day.

I know of several banks, insurance companies, and mutual fund managers 
who would go bankrupt in minutes if it weren't for on-line information.
When news arrives that raises a stock's price by 10% or more, a 60 second 
delay in receiving the news can cost 2% of that rise.

Web servers make this type of resource easier to use.  When I first 
started using the internet, the Version 7 UNIX system we used for UUCP 
mail and NNTP NetNews had to be administered by an MSEE and 2 BSEEs.  
The connection ran about $2.00/minute using 2400 baud modems.  Today, I 
can get Pipeline Unlimited Usage for $20/month.  The install consists of 
inserting the floppy and typing "run setup" from the file menu.

> A good question for Tom (or others) to ask at Internet World.

Let's ask the question another way.  If you could save 5% of your income 
buy doing so, what would you buy as a result of consulting on-line 
resources (including newsgroups, mailing lists, web pages, "universal 
search", WAIS, or other sources?"

By the way, the 5% is the low end of the scale.

	Rex Ballard


From rballard@cnj.digex.net Wed Apr 12 19:40:54 1995
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