Sponsor's Message

As I mentioned in an earlier column, written just after the launch of this decidedly lacklustre shopping site, I'm not surprised.

I noticed another e-commerce-related press release on the wires this week too. It's reported as an attempt by the guys behind NewsRoom to get into the mainstream news/shopping marketplace.

Unfortunately, I see nothing on the NewsWire site to convince me that it's going to fly either.

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The problem seems to be that those building these sites overlook the most important thing: people buy because they want or need something -- not just because it's thrust under their nose.

You can build the best-ever e-commerce site with all the bells, whistles, attractions and features anyone could want, and it would flop -- if it weren't stocked with the right products at the right prices.

Last night I watched the second episode of Dragon's Den and all the multi-millionaire venture capitalists on the programme seem to be also smart enough to realise that just "competing" in an already active market simply isn't enough.

Unless the people who come to these investors have something unique, distinctive, or new -- they don't seem to get much sympathy, or money.

Now I would suggest that folks who have already earned many millions of dollars are far more likely to know what's going to fly and what's not than are a few middle-management guys that simply say "well this formula works for others so why not for us?"

Quite frankly I'm a little disappointed at the lack of innovation, originality and lateral thinking I'm seeing in the e-commerce sector of the NZ market.

Why are people like Telecom pouring huge amounts of money into creating yet another Flying Pig -- with similarly low chances of success? Didn't Telecom learn anything from their experiences in Australia? It's very hard (almost impossible it would seem) to muscle-in on a market already dominated by other players unless you've got some real competitive advantage.

Why is NewsRoom trying to go head-to-head with major news publishers who have already got the market sewn up? Their subscription-based model appears to be working very well for them but "free" news is a significantly different market with some dramatically different challenges and insight required.

I wish Telecom and NewsWire all the very best but would not be putting any of my money into their latest ventures.

Is this really the best we Kiwis can do -- copy everyone else?

Lighten Up
Time for more light-hearted levity and laughs from the wierder side of the world wide web.

Did you know that Google-maps extends beyond humble old planet earth?

Did you also know that Google has published the closest ever view of the moon's surface? Check out moon.google.com and move the zoom slider to its maximum point. Prepare to be shocked!

If, after all that, you think you've got "the right stuff", then Google may well have a job for you. You can check the vacancy out here.

Tell us all and see what others have to say in The Aardvark Forums

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