Now or Never: How Companies Must Change to Win the Battle for Internet Consumers

By Mary Modahl

Book Overview

The battle for the 21st century is now clear: inside, traditional brick and mortar companies are digging in for the fight of their lives; outside, a tightening circle of dot.com upstarts threaten to transform every feature of the economy. Is the war over already? Mary Modahl thinks not; instead, she anticipates that the coming five years will be decisive--which is why companies that want to stay alive and thrive must act Now or Never. The key to success in the brave new world of e-commerce is a deep and nuanced understanding of how consumers think about and use the Internet. Forrester Research--the world's most respected technology research firm--has developed that understanding in a groundbreaking model of consumer behavior called Technographics. For the firsttime ever, Now or Never shares the Technographics model with business people outside Forrester's exclusive client list. Built on interviews with more than 250,000 Americans, Technographics divides consumers into ten sharply identified segments based on differing attitudes toward the Internet. That means each segment will use e-commerce in a different way and dive into buying on-line at a different pace. Using Technographics, businesspeople--from companies that are small or large, established or brand new, traditional or dot.com--will be able to plot a well-reasoned, robust Internet strategy. Beyond Technographics, the book also identifies and explains the startling, counterintuitive new business models that drive competition on the web. Now or Never introduces the concept of Dynamic Trade, a term that Forrester coined to describe the disruptive new way business gets done on the web. With engaging prose that is chock-full of real stories, Modahl describes how Dynamic Trade changes the balance of supply and demand, requires companies to ramp up to scale faster ever, and zeroes out marginal cost. As the battle for Internet dominance reaches a crisis, Now or Never stands apart. Written by a straight-talking business practitioner who knows and understands the Internet as well as anyone working today, this groundbreaking book confronts the most pressing business issue of our time with reasoned answers to the questions on the mind of every informed executive: When will the Internet change the way I do business? Why is the Internet transforming everything about the economy and competition? How exactly will my industry and company change, in terms of customers, competitors, cash flow, and the bottom line? AND What should I do about it right now? This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0066620120
• ISBN13: 9780066620121
• Release Date: December 1999
• Publisher: Harper Business
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.1" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable, Readable, Accurate and Timely

This book is a rarity. It is a book that deals with and discusses technology, research and marketing in a very readable manner. I sat down and blasted thru 60-65 pages in no time. The content makes sense. For anyone interested in tapping into the untapped market of online cutomers Forrester are the pros. They have been THE Internet research company for years. I have met Mary Modahl and have seen her present. She knows what...

An excellent primer on the new economy

Now or Never offers an invaluable perspective on branding on the Net. While rich with statistics, I found the book highly readable. You come away with a clearer understanding that the web economy is more than a race for eyeballs - getting people to a site is just the first step. The kind of experience they have there and your ability to target your market correctly and effectively will determine the success of an e-business...

Great book for both the click and brick firms

When I first bought this book, I was skeptical of how valuable the information enclosed would turn out to be. However, I came away from the book with a better understanding of online, offline, and potential online consumers than I previously had. The books is easy to read and the concepts easy to grasp, but the information is of vital importance to any executive, marketer, or entrepreneur that wants to know the prospects...

Carpe Diem

In my opinion, the title does a disservice to the extraordinarily valuable content of the book that bears that name. Those with extensive experience in the so-called E-conomy have learned (with the scar tissue to prove it) that words like "always" and "never" are irresponsible. So much for the title. Modahl writes with great skill. She has assembled a wealth of material which is Consumers (everything starts there...without...

Full of Good Ideas and Key Concepts

Now Or Never is very aptly titled. The author makes the case for getting into the game now, before your competitor figures out how to win.This book is immediately useful for those trying to figure out their winning strategy on the net. The tour through Forrester's Technographic models on consumer types is worth the price alone. The discussion on Internet business models puts the reader in the driver's seat, trying to avoid...