If you're a fan of Western movies I'm sure you've heard most of
the title line before; just replace "Web" with "town." That line
of dialog is offered right before the two cowboys go outside and
have a deadly gun duel. Wind blown tumbleweeds and shades of the OK Corral as a backdrop!

Nevertheless, can mean spirited politics help you corral a
little corner of the Web? Can you put up no trespassing signs on
what you've deemed to call your own?

Most progressive Net businesses grab market share by their good
business practices and excellent customer service. There's more
than a few of those that come to mind. There are others - less
enlightened - that use negative practices to maintain their
market foothold.

Creative ways to slow down or stop your perceived competitors or
opponents are many. They can take the form of misinformation,
gossip, poisonous tips, setting up dummy email accounts to
spread rumors, etc, etc

A few of them will work in the short term. Some will be more
effective than others. Most will stain your personal and
business name, when found out! All of them are foolhardy!

Yes, you can raise your hand to the sky and block the sun; yet
and still, it's not an accurate description of what's happening.
When the mighty Mississippi river wants to change course, how
can it be stopped? When the Net wants to grow, expand and
mutate, how are you going to tame it to your petty designs?

Entire countries have bent to the will of the Web! Here's an
example: Long-standing phone monopolies in Central American
countries used political pressure to stop their citizens from
making Internet phone calls, to no avail! Though "special
legislation" was passed, there was such a huge outcry from the
rest of the Net, they relented! Let the Net be the Net, is the
call of wisdom.

Historically speaking, the Web is an infant. It will continue to
grow and expand, networking even the most remote outpost or
village! Powerful and speedy microchips will give us the ability
to reach out to other people and cultures. Language barriers
will be eliminated with real-time, two way translation. Stone
Age villages are going to join the modern world in one fantastic
step!

The swift technological change and the accelerated rate of
deployment promise a bumpy ride, to say the least! All we can do
is grab the beast by the tail and hang on; uncertain as to where
it leads and what it will look like!

Those are just a few of the things awaiting us, in the
not-too-distant future. I'm sure there are many more in store;
not imagined, unseen and unexpected. The only two constant
factors are: growth and change! In its tender years, the Net has
grown and mutated in ways barely imagined a decade ago.

If I've waxed too fantastically in the preceding paragraphs, I
do apologize! The point is to explain the utter futility of
arresting or trapping a corner of the Web! By its very nature
it's the agent of revolutionary change and growth; never to be
proclaimed as your self-appointed kingdom! It won't work!

All Internet Marketers should consider the preceding when making
policy decisions that deal with perceived competitors. Notice my
usage of the word "perceived." Just because an upstart business
want's some of the turf you formerly called your own, is no
reason to engage in attrition and trench warfare.

These are much better options:

(a) Find weak areas in your competitor's business. Not so much
for the purpose of exploiting them, but to see if you can supply
some of their needs. No matter what the copywriters say, all
businesses have strong and weak areas.

(b) Look for product lines that are complementary and form
linking relationships. The nature and placement of the link will
insure mutual benefit from the agreement.

(c) When provoked by some of the negative practices of other -
less progressive - competitors, do what you must to uphold your
reputation. If it's something trivial and small, turn the other
cheek and seek the high road; not from altruism but to save your
time, energy and attention for more productive endeavors. Pick
your battles on principle and only when all other avenues are
exhausted.

When all things are considered, the best use of your time in
maintaining market share should be spent in finding new
resources and partners. Likewise, implementing new content
delivery technology will prove very effective. By all means,
every possible effort should be made to convert competitors into
friends and partners.

The alternative is so unsavory:

While the Web continues its relentless gallop, leaving both you
and your sparring partner in the dust; will you even recognize
why you went into battle, in the first place?


 by Francisco Aloy

(C)2004 Francisco Aloy