July 31, 1998

Godin: Web Thinking Needs to Change

SEATTLE--Addressing a large crowd at the opening day of the National Center for Database Marketing's 21st National Conference & Exhibition here this week, Seth Godin, president and CEO of Yoyodyne, said many businesses need to change the way they think about the Web. First of all, Godin said, the Web is the "greatest, biggest zero-billion-dollar industry there is." Then he debunked many myths that surround the Web, such as the number of hits and eyeballs are the way to measure success on Web sites or that you must build great content to get people to come to your Web site. "People are confusing activity with success," he said. "Even if every day 35 million people looked at [your] Web site, it doesn't mean you're making any money." The people attending his presentation -- direct marketers -- are going to be the masters of the Web over the next 10 years, he said, not the ones attending technology conventions. "The Net is the greatest direct marketing medium in history," Godin said. "Free stamps, free frequency, no postage, no printing. That's a really exciting place to be, especially since as a direct marketer, you understand that everything you do in your life stems from the fact that print costs money and stamps cost money."