As we wait for the dot-com dust to settle before seeing who s left, it s fair to project that only individuals and companies who have applied solid offline marketing principles to the online world will survive.
Some important lessons are worth repeating.
In this chapter, the authors point out that you build a brand with publicity and then maintain it with advertising. For a dot-com startup, there is no brand to maintain and no amount of advertising can substitute for a bad customer experience or failure to deliver on your promise. Consider the cost of customer acquisition as measured by Boston Consulting Group in their Shop.org study conducted last spring. Focus on the customer, deliver on your product or service promise, and encourage unbiased, third party evaluation of your offering. Your product may not hit the mark the first time out, so be prepared for negative site reviews from scrutinizing media types or irate mail from unhappy customers.