Summary: How to Make a Fortune on the Information Superhighway

Review and Analysis of Canter and Siegel's Book

BusinessNews Publishing

• Publisher: Must Read Summaries
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9782806246868
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Digital Marketing
• Index: Business

The must-read summary of Laurence Canter and Martha Siegel's book: `How to Make a Fortune on the Information Superhighway: Everyone’s Guerrilla Guide to Marketing on the Internet`. 

This complete summary of the ideas from Laurence Canter and Martha Siegel's book `How to Make a Fortune on the Information Superhighway` shows that internet marketing is now essential, as most successful businesses understand that the internet is where people spend time, therefore companies must integrate themselves into the community. However, it’s remarkable how some businesses still fall into traps that are easily avoidable. The authors point out that interactive marketing is far more effective online than simply advertising, because companies can set up an efficient feedback loop whereby they not only sell products but improve products at the same time. This summary takes the reader through some very simple techniques – such as the best way to set up a mailing list – for creating multimedia advertising strategies.

Added-value of this summary: 
• Save time 
• Understand the key concepts
• Increase your business knowledge

To learn more, read `How to Make a Fortune on the Information Superhighway` and discover the road towards a coherent, profitable online marketing strategy.

Summary of How To Make A Fortune On The Information Superhighway (Laurence Canter and Martha Siegel)

1. INTERNET BASICS

Main Idea

Success in generating personal wealth is usually based on one simple principle: the ability to do something better, faster or cheaper. The Internet provides access to a large pool of potential customers through better, faster and cheaper advertising than has ever before been achievable.

In short, the Internet has the potential to become the most successful salesperson you’ve ever employed.

Supporting Ideas

The term “Information Superhighway” was first coined by U.S. Vice-President Albert Gore in a speech to the National Press Club in December 1993. Since that time, the mass media have taken the term to heart and used it repeatedly.

Most people assume the Information Superhighway and the Internet are one and the same. However, in reality, the Internet is simply the most well known branch of the Superhighway. The Gore concept embraces all recently developed electronic resources for the exchange of information of all types. In addition to the Internet, commercial computer networks such as Compuserve, America Online, Delphi, Genie and Prodigy are all part of the Information Superhighway. So too are interactive television, video telephones and other new telecommunication options.

Another term that is widely publicized is “Cyberspace”. Coined by William Gibson in his book Newromancer, Cyberspace is a convenient shorthand description of the vast number of electronic paths and messages flowing between people and computers on the Information Superhighway.

The Internet itself was first established in the 1970s when an arm of the U.S. Defense Department, called the Defense Advanced Research program Agency (DARPA), wanted a computer network developed. DARPA developed a computer protocol (set of standards) by which computers of different brands, sizes and types could electronically talk to each other.

Five university locations were chosen to have their computers linked together using the DARPA sponsored protocol in order to allow researchers to swap information. In the 1980s, the Internet was actively promoted by the U.S. National Science Foundation and existed solely for research purposes. Commercialism was totally banned and only universities, the U.S. Government or the research departments of technical companies could use the Internet.

This situation lasted until the early 1990s when the National Science Foundation decided to open Internet to commercial use and to allow anyone to gain access. This decision caused huge controversy with existing Internet users who had become firmly entrenched in the non-commercial qualities of the original Internet. A strong anti-commercial bias still exists on the Internet today among the academic and research communities.

The most common questions about the Internet are:

1. What equipment is needed to get on the Internet?
   The basic tools required are:
   - Personal computer - any brand, any speed, any type. The faster the better, but in reality any computer will do.
   - A modem - again, any modem will do but in practice the quicker the better.
   - A telephone line.
   - A printer for making hard copies of electronic messages you receive.
   - A communications program - which allows the computer to talk to the modem. (Most Internet service providers will also provide this software free of charge).
2. How do you gain access to the Internet?
   You open an account with a company which provides commercial Internet access. They currently advertise regularly in major newspapers, and are easy to contact. There are a number of account charging options and you should be prepared to experiment with a few service providers and different charge structures until you find the optimum set-up for your own particular business operation.
3. What can you do on the Internet?
   The four primary functions of the Internet are:
   - Electronic mail (e-mail). Everyone on the Internet has ...