Webonomics Book

The World Wide Web has become the most important new communications mediumsince television, with tens of millions of people now on-line and Web sitesspringing up at the rate of one per minute. It has also created a digitalmarketplace where consumers can search for the best deals and services in aninstant. While almost everyone agrees that the Web provides excellentmarketing opportunities, many businesses don't know how to use it effectivelyand have been losing millions of dollars because of it. In "Webonomics," Evan I. Schwartz shows how the new Web economy mirrorsthe traditional economy in some ways but also exhibits entirely uniqueproperties of its own. Using numerous case studies of corporations such asIBM, Volvo, Playboy Enterprises, and Wells Fargo bank, as well as smallercompanies and web-based start-ups, Schwartz documents both the tremendousfailures and successes on the Web in a multitude of industries. Defining nine essential principles for growing your business on the Web, Schwartz challenges the conventional wisdom and shows how using traditionalbusiness approaches on the Web can backfire. Why are some products bettersuited to being sold on the Web than others? Why are certain brand namesgaining status and how do you create and then reinforce yours? What are thenew patterns of consumer behavior? Webonomics answers these questions andshows how to capture the only scarce commodity on this information-basedterrain: the attention of the busy people who are spending time there. Puttingthe frenetic activity in a context, Schwartz delves into the new economicrules, new forms of currency, new ways to do business globally, and shows howto add value to existing productsand build customer loyalty. In addition to offering practical wisdom, "Webonomics" tells a largerstory about life in the Information Age. It's about rising new communities, the next phase of capitalism, a shift in the role of government, and survivingamidst accelerating change, where only the most agile and adaptable businesseswill thrive. "Bravo! I enjoyed reading "Webonomics" and learned a great deal aboutthe new Web economy. Even when I disagreed with an argument or two, I found "Webonomics" entertaining and provocative." --Nicholas Negroponte, Director of the MIT Media Laboratory and author of "Being Digital" "The World Wide Web offers a huge opportunity for marketers to createexponentially better customer value propositions. Mr. Schwartz's nineessential principles and the many examples of Web mistakes and successes in "Webonomics" are an excellent primer!" --Michael W. Janes, Vice President, Electronic Commerce, Federal ExpressCorporation " "Webonomics" shatters the conventional wisdom about why the Web isimportant. These are strategies for capturing attention, adding enormous valueto existing businesses, and building all-important customer loyalty. You'llend up hoping your competitors don't read this book." --Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO, Amazon.com Books "Evan Schwartz has done something unique: He's focused on the practicalbusiness building aspects of the Internet while cutting through most of thehype. This is a practical guide for doing business on the Web. Schwartz hascreated a series of lessons that others have invested millions of dollars todiscover." --Martin Nisenholtz, President, The New York Times Electronic Media Company