I’ve been reading an Internet business book by Chris Anderson called “The Long Tail”. It’s about how the availability of free tools and distribution on the Internet has changed the way people behave. Most of the book is about entertainment and digital media (music, movies), but it also applies to real goods in production. But how about engineering?
The argument goes something like this. When products have a physical manifestation (think music on CDs), the manufacturing and distribution costs mandate that products must appeal to a large enough audience to be economically viable. But when those costs of manufacturing and distribution are reduced or eliminated through the magic of connectivity and free tools, people’s true preferences appear. As a result, the blockbuster movie or album, or the mass produced product becomes only one way to deliver value. Just as often, in terms of total transactions, the niche products are the right match.
So Anderson contends that there is just as much value in the less well-promoted products for most of the market, but that this market will be divided up into endless niches. The trick is in identifying ways for consumers to find the products that they might like without having to wade through endless trial and error. Popular websites do just that.
Undoubtedly this type of thinking also applies to engineering web sites, for everything from software to job searches, from contract service providers to finding specific components for a mechanical device. Take a look at how Globalspec solved this problem, for example.
In reviewing how best to serve our engineering audience, we are always on the lookout for ideas that have a way to satisfy the unique needs of our members, sometimes only one at a time.
As always, your comments are welcome. Or you can email me directly at jhayes@engineering.com if you don’t want to post publicly.
John