Five web watch words

To succeed on the Internet, it is important to realize that what works well in the real world may not work online, and vice versa.

The Internet is not just a new form of media – it brings with is a whole set of ground rules. These rules are centered on five web watch words: speed, intimacy, communication, information and interactivity.


Speed: the Internet is said to move at seven times the speed of normal time. Its expected that email messaged are responded to on the same day, web sites are continually being updated and online markets evolve within a matter of weeks.

Intimacy: Although the Internet is often viewed as cold and inhuman, it actually allows business to get closer to their customers then ever before. As Kevin Roberts, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide, says, ‘people open up and share how they feel on the Net- something they just don’t do in more classical research formats such as focus groups’.

Communication: The Internet aids communication both between a business and its customers, and within the business. The convenience of email and the accessibility of web sites mean that employers and customers are less likely to be kept in the dark.

Information: The Web is the world’s largest and most up-to-date research library. You can find out more information about your competitors, your customers and your industry then ever before. At the same time, people will also be able to find out more about you. On the Internet – as in the X Files – the truth is always out there.

Interactivity: unlike traditional media, the Internet is highly interactive. One of the consequences of this is that people pull information towards them. This means that on the Net more effort is sometimes needed to differentiate your business from its competition. The Net’s interactivity makes it possible for users to tailor information according to their own particular requirements. It therefore allows a business to communicate on a one-to-one level with all its customers simultaneously. Instead of broadcasting your message to the world in general, the Net enables you to narrow cast and communicate with individuals on their own terms.