news, articles, ip phone calls, quotes, real time quotes, stock analysis, games- some charge- but others give it away. So far, it has been hard to get many people to pay for anything on the web.
HDL, I don't think it would be hard to get people to pay for things on the web if they simply had to. The problem with the web is that to many are willing to give it away. This attitude is slowly shifting as seen in the demise of the whole dot com industry. Companies are learning that the accumulation of eyes is not enough to generate real $$$. Why do I pay $20 a month for HBO when I can get all the movies I want for free over network programmed channels? HBO allows me to see newer movies, uninterrupted and uncut that I can't get elsewhere. The same reasoning is applied to why I choose to spend $30 per month on my @home broadband service.
I feel the web is going to evolve into something that people cannot or will not want to do without, at that point they will be willing to pay. Take Napster for instance. Don't you think when Napster is forced to charge a monthly fee for their service that people will eagerly decide to pay it? I know people who spend 20 hours a week on this site alone. What would they do without it? Where else can they go? The only way they would not pay for it is if something else came along that was comparable and free. How about our beloved Silicon Investor. How many would be lost if the site closed down for good? Think people would just say oh well and move onto Raging Bull or the Yazoo message forums? If a company like SI had to guts to really step up to the plate, take the site to the next level using better design, better resources, more powerful research tools, etc. and charge EVERYONE with no exceptions they would make more money than ever. The problem is that the current attitude across the net appears to be that of "be afraid of competition thus lower quality and price of services" rather than “welcome competition and better quality as to make people pay for it”. Think about it, would you rather go out to eat for free and have a lousy meal that gives you heartburn later that evening or would you rather eat a delicious meal and have to pay for it?
Broadband allows us to enjoy the delicious food but with it comes a price. It is a price most are willing to pay because it is something they feel they need to have. It is great to get things for free but with what concession? If @home can offer some true premium services then that is a whole other ball game....
Ron Dior |
