Appendices
APPENDIX J: Establishing a Navigational Web Portal
(brand building, solidifying fan base and service, generating revenues through a future IPO and via ,corporate sponsors/co-sponsors, With TWO sides: public/free and membership/subscription
What follows is taken from the draft of a 27 page piece on both the what and why of building a web portal, and how to achieve the goals set above. See also III.B.
The previous Appendix, I addresses the bottom line, and illustrates how
to use the Internet to save billions in operations expenses.
This appendix, Appendix J, addresses the top line: how to develop
a web portal to increase revenues while also contributing to brand building,
solidifying the fan base, and being one of the vehicles for generating
good, positive PR.
Addressing both the top and bottom line can also be achieved by structuring
it as a separate company, launching it with an IPO and/or a tracking stock
(note: the airlines have made more profit from their IPOs for their online
reservation systems than they have running their airlines).
The site must be user-friendly and interactive, and satisfy everything
a sports/team lover might want, which is mostly information, links, chat
rooms, and buying tickets and souvenirs. The site must provide experiences
the fan dreams of; satisfy their curiosity, and compel them to return
frequently. To be specific, the site must be more fun than TV, engage
the fan at an emotional level, be updated daily (perpetual publishing),
it must so magnetic that it compels the fan to frequently return, because
it makes the fan feel empowered, energized, inspired, and motivated, and
yet still be cool. It must always be there for the fan,
providing access via a single point log in from anywhere, anytime, with
little to no plug ins. It must have variable bandwidths to cover
all access modes (56K dial up phone line, satellite, and cable, wireless,
satisfy privacy and access concerns, especially those of parents, provide
lots of links to the best of the web, and be genuinely
helpful.
The graphic and organizational theme could be built around the enjoyment
of the game, on being healthy and enjoying the journey of life, and achieving
ones personal best just as they want to see the personal best of
each team member.
Design suggestions: graphics presented like fraboom.com, dashboard
desktop presentation like travel-its.com (AMPP technology is not yet set
up; but soon), with resources presented like ceoexpress.com, and overall
management/design by netintrust.com
Key organizational principles: simplify the price structure, incorporate
third party products, integrate the application platform. The future
web winners: NAVIGATIONAL PORTALS, helping people cut through the
clutter to achieve the experience they want, and provide reach, richness,
and affiliation in an old world being blown to bits
by the Internet.
Community fan base: key terms from the industry: unite
collaborative community; use
the Internet to build not just relationship, but communities;
the advantages business can gain from creating o supporting online
communities; how to use content, chat,
and bulletin boards to promote selected products;
using targeted mail media marketing (as both Bush and Gore
did).
Appendices