Vertical,Portals,amp,#58,The,H marketing Vertical Portals: The Hottest New Trend on the Net&a
Automation technologies represent a fundamental aspect of any modern industry. The major types of industrial automation solutions, such as DCS, PLC, SCADA, and MES, are used on a large-scale in process and discrete industries.DCS technologie Awhile ago, I got an email from one of the "gurus" I follow and it shocked me. The gist of it was this person wanted to trade services for a household item.To say it floored me would be an understatement.What was worse was a few days later t
The Internet continues it's explosive growth in all directions, so you would think thatidentifying a hot opportunity would be a simple matter. The reality, however, is thatmost netrepreneurs still struggle to make a living on the Net, while a relative few hitthe big time.In an environment where technology and markets swirl around each other like acyclone, getting caught up in a virtuous spiral is a matter of following natural forces.Some ideas, no matter how obvious, simply won't fly until their time has come.Take vertical portals, for example. Lately, they are being touted as one of the hottestnew trends for commerce on the Web. Vertical portals aren't really a newconcept-just an idea that's time has come.For those who aren't familiar with the term, "vertical portals" are web sites that serveas guides or directories for specific topics on the Web. Sites like Yahoo! are called"portals" because they provide an entry point to the wide open world of the Web.The major portals provide much needed structure to the Web. However, a websurfer who is interested in a specific subject -pro tennis, for example- would soonfind that there are extensive resources and communities just around that subject. (SeeAbsolute Authority on ProTennis. The "horizontal" or general portals like Yahoo! can't possibly keep upwith every possible topic.That's where vertical portals come in. Vertical portals are typically run by peoplewith an interest in a particular subject. These people proactively seek out the contentand community around that subject, and organize it with a level of care and skill thatgeneral portals simply can't match. They are a natural element of the Web. Andguess what- they aren't new.Vertical portals have been around from the start. So why are they suddenly so hot?Two words-Economic Viability. Whereas vertical portals used to be nothing but atime- sink for those who operated them, they are now being turned into incomegenerating machines. Their time has come. Here are some of the dynamics combining to make vertical portals a greatopportunity now.1. Increased traffic - It was just a matter of time before enough people came on tothe Web to reach a critical mass. We're there.2. Consumer Confidence - Not only are multitudes now surfing, but they areincreasingly feeling confident about purchasing online. Concerns about credit cardscams and security are fading, and digital commerce is starting to flow freely.3. Easy Ecommerce - Setting up a system to make sales on the Internet used to be amajor technological hurdle. But with standardized and very affordable ecommerceprograms now available, virtually anyone can set up a shop within their verticalportal.4. Affiliate Programs - Even if the site owner doesn't have products of their own tosell, they can get set up with affiliate programs and sell a wide range of productsspecifically targeted to their audience. One program, href="http://www.absoluteauthority.com/frame.cfm?sponsor=rbenvin">AbsoluteAuthority actually provides a system for people to easily create their ownvertical portals and plug in affiliate programs through a user-friendly interface. Bybuilding a vast network of vertical portals under a common umbrella, AbsoluteAuthority plans to capture mind share in this key area of the Web. They are currentlyaccepting applications for specific topics.In the dynamic world of the Web, timing is everything. Fortunes will be made in theyears to come, but only by those who keep pace and move when the time is right. Article Tags: Vertical Portals, Affiliate Programs
Vertical,Portals,amp,#58,The,H