business models | Internet Marketing Blog

The problem with unlimited

In the physical world, practically nothing is unlimited. From food to energy to freshwater, there's a limit to just about everything.

But in the world of technology, where the cost of a megabyte of storage or a minute of computer processing has effectively dropped off a cliff, things are different.

by Patricio Robles 02 February 2011 16:22pm 1 comment

Mobile app sales to explode in 2011: report

Mobile applications have taken off in the past several years. Thanks in large part to the rise of the iPhone, millions upon millions of consumers treat their mobiles like computing devices. It's a trend that nobody expects to slow anytime soon.

But despite the rapid growth of mobile apps, when it comes to app sales, there's good news for everyone in the mobile ecosystem: the best is yet to come.

by Patricio Robles 27 January 2011 10:03am 3 comments

Traditional publishers just don't get consumers: report

Most traditional publishing executives have bought into the idea that digital is crucial to the success of their publications in the 21st century. But despite the fact that most of them are increasingly embracing and investing in digital, few are seeing the kind of results that would indicate good times are back again.

A new survey of 476 publishing industry professionals and 1,800 consumers conducted by Harrison Group sponsored by Zinio might just hint at why: publishers are simply blind to what consumers really want.

by Patricio Robles 07 January 2011 13:01pm 5 comments

Ads, not internet, to blame for newspaper woes: study

It's common wisdom that the long, painful decline of newspaper business models began as the internet blossomed.

The internet is blamed for just about everything, from declining print subscription revenue to freefalling classified ad revenue. But is the common wisdom about the internet and newspapers wrong?

by Patricio Robles 23 November 2010 09:13am 1 comment

With freemium, MailChimp thrives where many others fail

For many internet startups, a freemium business model is an enticing solution to the problem of revenue generation: let the world taste what you provide at no cost, and once your most avid users are hooked, let them pay for what they've come to love.

It's simple in theory, but for many startups, building a viable business on the freemium model never becomes a reality.

by Patricio Robles 28 September 2010 15:43pm 9 comments

Five tips for raising prices successfully

One of the most difficult things for a company to pull off successfully is a price increase. And for good reason: most people don't like paying more for something they're currently purchasing for less.

The difficulty you might face in raising your prices and retaining satisfied customers, however, is not justification for not raising prices. Sometimes it's necessary, and sometimes it's more than deserved.

Raising prices and surviving to tell about it requires tact. Pricing may largely be a function of supply and demand, but purchasing decisions are often based on subjective factors that a price increase can negatively affect.

by Patricio Robles 27 September 2010 09:54am 10 comments

The worst, and best thing since sliced bread: Intel's $50 processor upgrade

When it comes to desktop software and web-based applications, consumers are used to shelling out money for additional features. There are multiple versions of software packages, for instance, and many paid web services offer different features at different prices.

It's a model that might soon be coming to the hardware market. Over the weekend, news broke that Intel has begun selling computers equipped with its Pentium G6951 processor with a $50 "processor performance upgrade" card. As the name implies, the card enables the owner of a computer with a Pentium G6951 processor to "upgrade" the capabilities of the processor, for a price.

by Patricio Robles 20 September 2010 12:22pm 5 comments

Web analytics: newspaper savior?

The newspaper business may be old and stodgy, but it's quite evident that its future depends on embracing the internet. And internet technologies.

One of those technologies: web analytics. Yesterday, The New York Times detailed how newspapers, once leery of web analytics, is increasingly taking a second look, recognizing that the real-time consumption data web analytics can provide is too valuable to ignore.

by Patricio Robles 07 September 2010 15:51pm 1 comment

Can an API replace business development?

If you list some of the most popular and important companies on the internet today, you'll notice that most have one thing in common: they offer an API. And, in most cases, for good reason. APIs can be a valuable asset for an internet business.

But is an API a business development asset, and over time, should it cannibalize business development?

by Patricio Robles 31 August 2010 13:52pm 2 comments

Ten dangerous ideas for startup entrepreneurs

Starting a new business is a positive action, and in my experience most entrepreneurs are positive people. But sometimes that positivity can mask harsh realities that many entrepreneurs would rather ignore, and can lead them to buy into ideas that are detrimental to success.