Top 10 excuses for ignoring the Internet.

• Author: Lousig-Nont, Gregory M.

There are two types of people in the world - those who readily embrace new technologies and those who are intimidated by them. Held back by extreme apprehension, "technophobics" tend to put off implementing new technology as long as possible. Nevertheless, no matter how hard one tries to ignore the Internet, there is no denying that it is becoming one of today's most important communications mediums, revolutionizing the way business is done.

The Internet's potential is enormous. As one economist has stated, "If you are not marketing on-line currently, you will be out of business by the year 2000." If you continue to be a holdout, here is a list of handy excuses you can use to arm ourself against the inevitable onslaught of the Information Superhighway.

I'm going to wait for better technology. It is true that technology is moving at a staggering pace. The day after you buy your hardware and software, it probably will be on the way to being out of date., the price will have gone down; and a faster replacement will come along. How long can you wait, though? Twenty years ago, did you put off buying a car because it didn't have air bags or anti-lock brakes? Since many companies are not realizing its possibilities yet, a unique ground-floor opportunity exists for those who create an early market presence on the Internet. Another benefit of not waiting is that companies can enjoy the leeway of experimenting with different marketing strategies, testing new approaches, and adapting them to attract users.

It's all hype. Very few people actually are using the internet, and those who do are just a bunch of computer nerds. If you have something to sell, would you rather market it in an out-of-the-way strip center or a large, publicized, high-traffic mall? The Internet has more than 5,000,000 users and is adding an estimated 2,000,000 new ones a month. The Internet Society reports that usage is growing faster than any communications medium in history, including fax, personal computers, and copiers. Moreover, it is not just techies on the Internet. Statistics show that the demographics of the average Internet user is young (age 18-44), educated, and professional, with an estimated average income of more than $63,000 annually.

There is too much potential for consumer fraud. Not only does Internet fraud make for interesting news stories, it feeds the public's technophobia. Around the clock, software manufacturers are focusing on creating new security...