Engine on a Horse

In Larry Kramer's new book C-Scape , Larry relates how he was once asked "If you put an engine on a horse do you have a car.

This is his analogy for taking your existing business model and trying to do exactly the same thing on the Internet.

The point is having a web site that doesn't provide the interaction or services that your customers expect will not work. You need to create a strategy before you deploy technology.

I couldn't agree more.

I think the best way to figure out your strategy is to ask yourself "What business am I really in?"

You may think this is obvious, but there is a very long history of businesses that thought their answer was obvious but were absolutely wrong.

Railroads thought they were providing railroads but their customers were buying transportation. Landline phone companies thought they were providing phones but their customers were buying voice communications.

So what business are your really in? Maybe you should ask your customers what they are actually buying.

iPad Growth - Fastest Adoption Ever

ReadWriteWeb has an very interesting post on the speed at which the iPad is being adopted.

I have taught two Insurance Agency Internet BootCamp's with the brillant Steve Anderson in the past two weeks, and I was stunned to see multiple iPads used instead of laptops at each event.

Here is the killer quote from the report for me...

"At this rate, the iPad is poised to become the fourth largest consumer electronics category, passing up gaming hardware and the cellphone. Televisions, smart phones, and notebook PCs are currently the largest categories"

I will actually be surprised if most business folks have not made this switch - not to the iPad, but to tablets in general - by this time next year.

Just got back from the Verizon store. What a thrill - not.

But here is what is thrilling. We bought a Droid 2 for our newly formed mobile app team.


Here is a picture of our new baby...

I hope we will be the first mobile app for ACORD forms.

The clock has started ticking.

U.S. Adults Use Mobile Apps

An interesting post on Mashable today - 1 in 4 U S Adults Now Use Mobile Apps .

So how are we using our cell phones?

Here is more detail on how we are using apps...

This is all pointing to the move to working with your customers beyond your website but still through the Internet.

I think this will be the biggest thing going in tech next year.

Kindle or iPad?

You may recall I got my iPad at 10:00 AM the day it was released.

Two weeks ago I bought my first Kindle. I learned to like e-books using the Kindle app on the iPad, then on my iPhone, then my PC, then my MacBook.


Here is exactly why I got a IKindle...





I wish I could make ads that were this good at making the point.

SehWhat for Insurance Agents

Have you ever felt like you needed some help to compete online against the direcet writers?

Well, now we have created a tool that your trade associations, carriers and user groups can use to help with exactly that problem.

Take a look at this slide show, or further down, watch the same slide show as a narrated YouTube video.




Here is the narrated video...




Let us hear from you on your thoughts.

Local Search

This demo is the best explanation of the reason local search is growing in use and power I have yet seen.

And a Microsoft service no less.