One of the best threads I've seen this year as evidenced by those posting here
Many times I tend to oversimplify things but in this particular case it seems that the best way to approach this is not to try and teach someone that has experience working on the internet in our industry how to be a surfer/customer but use the a simple focus group approach.
Rather than set up a controlled focus group you can easily identify people you know and can reach through your extended personal network that fit the profile of a potential surfer/customer. Any time you are talking with one of these surfer/customers you can ask specific questions to get that valuable data you so dearly desire.
This is not rocket science as most of you have figured out but it is only when you have learned how to tap into a sufer/customer's basic human emotions, wants and needs will you be able to tap into their credit cards.
My mind of the surfer tells me that moving forward specialized niches with a fair quality to quantity to price ratio that allow customer interaction with the content will have the best chance for success. Those that run the larger all access type of programs trying to sell the S.O.S. in mass quantity will soon learn that the magic number is $9.95
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