Book Review: Biznets: The "Webopoly" Future of Business--Winning Strategies from the Online Big Six

This book review is part of a series that covers the topic of Future Trends. Through careful analysis of contemporary trends and phenomena, futurists attempt to predict what the future may hold. Frank Feather is the Official Guide to Future Trends. Biznets: The "Webopoly" Future of Business--Winning Strategies from the Online Big Six, by Frank Feather, is a valuable resource for people interested in Future Trends and it is available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Book Description

* WHY DO SOME WEBSITES WIN BIG, while others come in a distant second?

* WHAT DOES IT TAKE to win online?

* WHAT DIFFERENTIATES the winners from the also-rans?

BIZNETS examines the e-commerce strategies behind the success of the "Big Six" online retailers — Amazon, Dell, eBay, Quixtar, Sears, Tesco – to uncover what accounts for their continued popularity and profitability.

BIZNETS shows what all businesses can learn from the "Big Six" as the Internet revolution continues.

From the Publisher
Best-selling author and business futurist Frank Feather shares his expert findings on why and how the leadership position of these companies demonstrate the key marks of excellence that account not only for their current online retailing achievements but also for their survival of the dot-com shake-down of 2000-2001.

In fact, the "Big Six" all emerged unscathed — and even stronger — from the dot-com carnage, not only because many of their rivals were weakened by it, but also because they all had superior e-commerce plans in place.

From the Author
The winners in the online retail race remain those who entered the game early and evolved rapidly by exploiting everything the Web had to offer.

In doing so, their businesses took-off through widespread "word of modem" among satisfied customers.

While other companies may discplace the "Big Six" over time, these companies nevertheless provide us with a first-class sample of what online superiority is all about.

Not only that, they provide valuable lessons that every business — online or offline — must learn from, if it is to succeed in the Internet era.

How many business owners, small and large, have scratched their heads and asked themselves how to make money online? The answer seems simple enough-you need loyal online shoppers. But, as many have learned, these are not always easy to attract and maintain.

In Biznets, author Frank Feather has selected what he calls "The Big 6": online retailers who are making a success of their business. The six case studies are Amazon.com; Dell Computers; eBay; Quixtar; Sears ; and Tesco. The leadership position of these "Biznets" accounts not only for their current online success, but also explains how they survived, even prospered, after the dot-com shake-out of 2000-2001.

Frank Feather is a renowned global business futurist, best-selling author, and public speaker. In 1979, he coined the now well-known phrase "Thinking Globally, Acting Locally" which he conflated into the "global" concept. He is ranked by Macmillan's Encyclopedia of the Future (1996) as one of the "Top 100 Futurists of All Time," a list that begins with Leonardo da Vinci.

***** THIRD PARTY REVIEW *****

Beyond E-Commerce to Biznets Success!, October 23, 2006
By Donald Mitchell "a Practical Optimist" (Boston)

Frank Feather, that amazing futurist who brought us G-Forces, The Future Consumer, and The Future Consumer.Com, is back with his most thoughtful work to date, Biznets. While many authors and business people focus on "selling" on-line, this book looks further into how to make money selling on-line. It's a small, seemingly unimportant distinction, but it makes all the difference.

Consider Tesco. While many have assumed that on-line groceries featuring home delivery can't make money (since so many have failed in this endeavor), Tesco has shown that there's a perfectly valid strategy that leads to good profits and high growth.

Chances are that you are familiar with Amazon.com, Dell and EBay as successful on-line enterprises. Those are three of the six case histories. I found that the material on Quixtar, Sears in Canada and Tesco expanded my knowledge how to create an on-line business that coordinates the needs of many people.

Mr. Feather uses his six case histories well to establish the key elements of strategic choices that can make you a huge winner on-line. The book culminates in an extremely valuable appendix that outlines strategic questions to use for brainstorming what your on-line strategy should be. I cannot imagine a better set of questions! It's like having a top consultant quizzing you for days on important issues you should be focused on.

While many are aware of some aspects of each company's success in the book, it's very helpful to have all six cases developed side-by-side. That permits additional insights to sink in.

There are few who are pursuing on-line selling in such strategically effective ways. Millions of companies (of all sizes) could learn much from this brief and easy-to-follow book.

Like many futurists, Mr. Feather is good at coining terms that encapsulate complex ideas. He carefully defines each of those terms, and you'll soon feel your thinking moving along at a new level of conceptualization as you absorb those new terms. You'll like the feeling.