Well, you have heard it a lot – build a better mouse trap will get you success.
In my opinion – that is not always the case.
You see, many big businesses today were born from simple ideas. This also applies to Internet business, with amplified effects.
Internet business key success factor – simple, unique, user generated
There are three basic keys to be a successful Internet business.
- Simple – you often offer answer to needs and trends.
- Unique – if yours is one-of-a-kind, or at least try different things out of the ordinaries out there, yours will likely to succeed.
- User generated – you start the business, your visitors and members build the business
How to be a successful Internet business startup: A case study
Consider this site that I’ve been recommended to visit – MyGreatWorld.com. If you are into travel or photography, you’ll love this site.
MyGreatWorld.com is the alternative new Photo-Community site that is simple and powerful, that basically allows you to upload and share photos, and allows you to comment on the photos other uploads.
Fast and ad-free, without pop-ups and other unnecessary gadgets – heaven to people like me who don’t really care what gadgets a site put in it, as long as it is useful and functional.
To test the features it has, I registered myself in, and found out that the whole process is easy and simple.
Since I am having keen interest in England, I go to share pictures of England. I went to upload a picture of a cathedral in Greater Birmingham, Central England, and I think it is simple and straightforward. Commenting is, too, as easy as uploading pictures. I can actually add a description on the region, but I’m not sure what to write, yet – perhaps later? :)
Lessons from the case study
This great new business ventures really intrigues me, because it answers easily the three basic keys to be a successful Internet business – simple, unique and user generated.
To be successful business ventures like the sites in the case study, you have to offer what people are actually want – To share travel stories in the form of photos and comments. People don’t really care flashy graphics and fully-widgetised sites – they really want a simple place to share things.
If you plan to start an Internet business, consider learning from those who has walked the path before you :)
Ivan Widjaya
On great startups