12.0 Who needs and wants Internet Services? How can we reach them?

This is definitely an incomplete and imperfect section; additions are especially appreciated here.

12.1 Graduating College Students

Students graduating from college have already gotten addicted to the net and will pay reasonable money to gain it through a commercial provider.

Reach them through advertisements in alt.internet.access.wanted and similar newsgroups. Postings on free college bulletin boards are also likely targets.

12.2 Parents of College Students

Jason Goldberg has this fine suggestion. Mom and Dad can keep in better touch with their children while they're away by purchasing an Internet account. "CIS and AOL do a very healthy business among people who just need e-mail access. Consider offering an e-mail only account in order to beat the commercial services on price." Jason suggests that you contact high schools about running ads in graduation programs and yearbooks; emphasize the cheap lifeline this offers between parents and children. "E-mail has proven to be a very effective way for people to stay in touch who would never call or write via US mail."

12.3 Special Interest Groups

The Internet has many wonderful discussion groups on issues ranging from sex to Unix. Jason Goldberg suggests contacting local groups, from chess clubs to dog breeders, and showing them a pre-researched set of resources that can be obtained on the net. For example, chess enthusiasts would enjoy reading rec.games.chess and the ICS (an Internet chess server that lets you battle real-time opponents from around the globe).

12.4 People with Internet access at work

There are many people who would like to use the Internet outside of work. They will pay for an account that gives them privacy from their employers, allowing them to participate in the "forbbidden" sections of the net without fear of sanctions.

The internet access wanted newsgroups are probably the best ways to find these people.

12.5 Current callers to computer bulletin boards (BBSs)

Bulletin boards are getting hooked up to the Internet in massive numbers, but the culture clash between them and people with "real" Internet access is very strong. Most bulletin board systems don't offer newsreaders with killfile or threading capabilities, and as a result the quality of access tends to be very low. In addition, direct services like Gopher, FTP, etc, tends to be either non-existant or available at substantial extra cost. Although this situation is bound to change somewhat, my experience is that BBS software vendors are remarkably clueless in this regard.

BBS callers are used to paying fairly minimal amounts of money for access, but this seems to be changing; I know of several large systems that charge around $ 15/month, which would get you a shell account from a number of small providers.

The best way to compete with BBSs is to ask to be added to major BBS lists. A good guest account or new user routine is a must; BBS callers are used to getting a good taste of what they're getting before they have to pony up the cash.

12.6 The General Public

They are obviously intrigued, if you look at the sales figures of Internet books and information. Certainly there has been a massive flood of Internet stuff, such as the Time cover story, and that has no doubt piqued a significant amount of interest.

However, it may be quite difficult to reach them. Flyers posted around bookstores might be a good approach, since people who find Internet books are undeniably interested in access. I'd love a few more ideas to add to this section of the FAQ. :-)

12.7 Some low-cost marketing ideas (*)

The cheapest way to market your services is via the World Wide Web (WWW). With the commercial online services rapidly getting Web page access, more of your potential customers than ever can see your message. And, since people tend to seek out Internet providers in their area, the WWW is an ideal marketing medium.

B J Herbison advises that you do the following when designing a web site to promote your system. (I have added some of my own comments to his remarks, so you can consider the following jointly authored).

* Find (via Yahoo or B J's own list of ISP listings) all the ISP listing pages you can. See http://www.herbison.com/herbison/iap_meta_list.html.

* List the services you are willing to provide in clear, concise language.

* Keep your entry up to date. Nothing's duller than a stale Web page.

* Review your competition's entries and make sure you measure up. Don't forget any special services you provide that differentiate yourself from your competitors.

* Make your own Web page. Don't make it dependant on Netscape; people in need of an Internet provider will call you from AOL, Prodigy, or even text only sites.

* Remember that the most important thing about an Internet provider to your customers is whether it's local to you. You might be impressed by MCS in Chicago, IL, but if you're in San Diego, CA, you're not going to be able to use their service! Be sure it's easy for people to know that you're local to them. B J suggests you check out http://www.iii.net/iii-info/local-di.htmlfor a clear presentation of the cold, cruel phone company facts.

Draper Kauffman suggests that we contact our local public television station and donate 10-odd subscriptions for auction during pledge week. "They were auctioned off two per night for five nights, got a lot of comment because of the novelty, and went for good prices (i.e. more than we charge). They also generated 30 to 40 paid subscriptions and excellent name recognition in a good demographiccross-section of markets, including some groups we would normally have trouble reaching.

"On a guess, if you cound referrals from these new customers, we'll probably get 60 to 100 paid subscribers for the cost of supporting 10 customers for a year. Most important for a startup: there's no actual cash outlay! Compare that to thecost of producing a 60-second TV spot and having it aired 10 times during prime time."

He adds that this gambit may be effective exactly once, since his competitors are also going to be doing it next year, and the novelty value will be gone. But for the virtually zero cost, it's a phenomenal return. I might add that public radio might do nearly as well, and many markets have more than one public radio station. So even if this has been done already by another provider, you may want to see if there are stations or outlets they've forgotten.

Alicia Salomon recommends the Guerilla Marketing series of books (Guerilla Marketing, Guerilla Marketing Attack, Guerilla Marketing Weapons, etc), which include a number of great marketing tips and tricks. Many of them apply only to storefront businesses, but a healthy percentage of them will work just fine for providers. I have read the books and wholeheartedly endorse her recommendation.

Chris Hawkinson added two interesting ideas:

Offer "a low level of free access" to local libraries and schools.

"The publicity and good will alone can make it worthwhile. Further, since it isn't full access (let's say just to Gopher), users can quickly get hooked. Lastly, you can use the libraries as an 'information provider' to add more value at the local level.

Offer a reward for new users. Everyone who gets a new user to join

Chris' system gets $ 5 for each $ 55 (yearly) BBS account. Jason Goldberg has the following excellent suggestions:

* The Internet is one of the hottest things in the world right now, but few know how to use it. Offer and package your expertise by offering one-day Internet seminars to your local colleges, high schools or adult education centres. You'll get a few customers, and you'll also be paid as a teacher as well. Don't miss out on this negative cost marketing opportunity!

* Produce an Internet newsletter. Write articles about the latest trends in the net, and the latest hot sites and IRC channels. Include information about your service and a special offer (introductory rates, waived set-up fees, etc) to get people interested. This is, incidentally, also an excellent way to retain customers who might otherwise lose interest in the net; give them something interesting to check out every month, and your renewals should soar!

* Produce an Internet column for your local newspaper, free weekly or computer publication. This could have basically the same content as your newsletter. Be sure to include your company name and phone number in the author section. (Example: "David H Dennis is owner and CEO of David's Amazing Internet Services; modem (818) 997-7500").

* Bundle your service, including free setup or a free month, with the purchase of a new computer or modem from local computer stores, or membership in local computer clubs. Present your service at a local computer users' group meeting and raffle off a free year.

Here are some general suggestions, also from Jason:

Distinguish yourself from the competition; don't make the mistake of focusing solely on price. The more value-added services you can offer, such as an Internet newsletter or seminars, the more likely you are to prosper in this hotly competitive world. Offer monthly seminars, a newsletter, and/or value-added software. Include Internet books, videos or software with membership. Make sure people understand your unique advantages - T1 vs inferior competitors' options, faster computers, more disk space, etc. Focus on differentiating yourself, not on raw price!

Set specific goals for your service, and work towards them. "I would like to add 50 new accounts a month." Is it easier (and cheaper) to upgrade existing accounts to SLIP than to beat the bushes for new customers? If you have a lot of former customers, it might be very cost-effective to lure them back with a mailing of a special offer. This is especially true if you can show how you've improved during the time they've been gone. Offer special deals for customers with accounts on other services - CIS, AOL, Prodigy, Netcom, etc. Sell additional Internet products - books, videos, software, other services. Rent or trade your mailing list to local computer stores or other businesses. Consider a co-op ad, where you team up with other local businesses to buy a large ad instead of purchasing multiple small ones.

Encourage your customers to call or write mail when they have a problem. The "silent majority" of customers don't complain - they just move to another provider. Be sure you treat the people who do send you mail with genuine concern, and they will award you with loyalty, even if you don't manage to fix their problems. (I [the FAQ maintainer] know this one from personal experience!) Send them a holiday card, thanking them for their business. Give them rewards for referring business your way - i.e. a $ 10 discount on their next subscription per paying subscriber referred.

(Jason Goldberg is a sales and marketing consultant specializing in interactive, entertainment and technology businesses. Former Senior Director of Sales and Marketing for Blockbuster Entertainment, and General Manager for an IBM/Blockbuster Technology Joint Venture. He welcomes e-mail with your questions, comments and success stories. He sells a 90-minute video on the Internet for new users; contact him for details and pricing information.).

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