Jim’s bold Internet Marketing predictions for the next decade (updated 2012 version)

Posted by in Creative Ideas, Great Business Ideas, inspiration, Leadership & Influence, reputation and influence | 67 comments

1. Real world “traditional” (also called brick-n-mortar) business will continue to be confounded by the fast paced marketing changes that the Internet and mobile web have brought.  As evidence of this, most businesses still have no success to report with their online or mobile marketing efforts. (NOTE: having a website built is typically an entirely futile exercise for many businesses, so I’m not suggesting that’s the next step!) Online marketers like us will race to fill the void AS WILL GOOGLE.  Google isn’t our competitor though! They make the tools that make our job easier, and if you are willing to talk to biz owners you could build a thriving business. One way to take advantage of this trend is by joining OfflineBiz.com.  Members of that site stay up to date on what works online without having to be a technical nerd to make it all happen.

2. The car you drive, the house you live in, the ‘toys’ you have etc. will mean less and less compared to your “influence” as measured by your online audience. Strange things will happen in the world of business as the “little guy” destroys the big guy. An extreme example;  for the first time in history it’s quite possible that a 13 year old in a small town in nowhere Nebraska could bring a company like Pepsi Co. to its knees because of the loyalty and size of his audience on Youtube. Influence is the new gold standard. Grow your audience and give them reasons to be loyal. (Update for 2012 – use tools like Klout.com to find influential partners and measure your own online influence.)

3. Good ideas, great ideas, bad ideas, wrong ideas and all sorts of other ideas will continue to pound and distract the masses. To get big things done you need a clear mission, you must position yourself on a platform of expertise, and you’ll need supportive peers and partners along side. That’s what MySilentTeam.com and OfflineBiz.com are all about. Find a community, grow with it, and support it.  Start your own community, or belong to one. For goodness sakes BE PART OF A GROWING COMMUNITY ONLINE.

4. Relationship will rule.  It’s not the slickest websites, the best “traffic generation” tactics, or even necessarily the best content that will rise to the top. It will be the businesses that establish real and trusting relationships with their audiences that will thrive. Make the price of “divorce” so high that it hurts. That’s how you win online now.

5. It’s going to get harder and harder to be a long term successful “scammer” online. The honest and worthy will rise even more quickly and the bad guys will fall faster than ever. Honesty will be very self serving to the point that even the dishonest at heart will start to catch on and use these strange new tactics called “honesty and extraordinary customer service” as a self preservation tool.  Customers are already demanding the twitter feed of CEO’s before they’ll buy a widget…it’s going to get worse (or better depending on your perspective). Update 2012: It finally pays to be irrationally generous in all you do…because it’s so easy for your customers to share this fact with their large and growing circles of influence.

6. Bad content online will become increasingly invisible and consumers learn to trust the trustworthy. It will get harder and harder for junk to rise to the top. The good will get better and the bad will disappear. Google is only going to get BETTER and finding and punishing anything they deem to be “spam” on websites or in email. Update 2012: There’s a lot of “junk” out there to be sure, but it’s easier than ever to avoid it. Junk slingers are going broke because the “crowd” is now voting and being heard. It takes more effort than ever to waste time on junk websites.  Real RELATIONSHIPS are being formed.

7. Those reading this article will be followed by TENS OF THOUSANDS who are newly eager to learn the secrets of this online business world that they’ve always scoffed at. Suddenly WE are the smart ones who have job security while they are getting laid off from big companies (like Pepsi that was forced into layoffs when it got nearly shut down by a 13 year old a few paragraphs ago). Soon not even taxpayer funded jobs will be as secure as once assumed. I’ve got the best job I can imagine ever having.

8. Thousands of new ways to profit from all of the changes will continue to FALL INTO THE LAPS of those paying attention. Change = opportunity. This is going to be a decade of massive rapid changes on and offline. Pay attention and enjoy the ride! All of this “change” is stirring up a lot of business possibilities – no formal education and no tech skills needed.

9. Amazon and eBay will continue to DOMINATE online commerce. If you sell any physical product at all they ARE your competition.  Ignoring them is a foolish plan if you have any type of physical product to sell. There are also big opportunities to participate because of all the traffic these two sites get.

10. Google+ will struggle to take hold, Twitter won’t be taken as seriously as a business tool, and Facebook won’t be “cool” much longer for several reasons. The “social media” wars are just getting started and there’s room for big new players.  Don’t get too vested in any of them though – it’s still the wild west. (And for goodness sakes…stop wasting time on Facebook. It won’t matter in 5 years!)

11. Affiliate marketing is a fools game and more “experts” will agree with me than disagree with me very soon.  Unless you really know what you are doing it’s a time waster (hint: Building websites and putting content on them does not qualify as “knowing what you are doing”).  This will become even clearer over the coming months and years. Read more about my thoughts on this topic in this article showing why “Affiliate marketing is not a business”, or this article explaining why “I DO still love (and hate) affiliate marketing”,  or for more info visit the “affiliate marketing” tab on my blog.

12. The most successful businesses will be run by small teams of creative thinkers leveraging the web in creative ways. That’s where I’ll be playing.

What is your favorite prediction? Any questions? Did I forget something? Leave a comment – click the comment button at the top of this article to read comments left or to leave your own.

Newer Comments →
  • http://online-consult.biz Eva Szentmiklossy

    Hello Jim,

    First
    I wish You and Yours’ Blessed, Successful Happy New Year !

    My favorite of all above you wrote: 4. being in mission to help others to be successful through our mission we can get more attention and so we can help more hopeless, helpless and idealess people to get their own deals be true in this year.

    I think it will be good to get into your 2010 ideas
    Consulting People – offering possibilities getting solutions together for their better ‘life’ finding them solutions and help them to start – teaching them how-to-s.
    This is a mission and will bring more personal leads for the future.

    I hope we can co-operate in this year.

    Eva Szentmiklossy
    CEO and Founder of
    Quality Online Consultant Service
    http://online-consult.biz

  • http://www.voicesofallerdale.co.uk Andrew J Titcombe

    Be a leader – let others follow YOU
    Small businesses CAN easily rise to the top using the flexibility that their size (& simple management scheme) allows. Small companies can respond instantly to sudden changes whilst the big companies await approval “from the top or the committee”. Small companies can respond to customer demand instantly and should learn to embrace the internet especially those who have no internet presence as we enter 2010. They should not delay any longer.
    SO be a leader – let others follow YOU. Offlinebiz.com & MySilentTeam.com should be your only leaders!

  • J.B. Malik

    Home office explosion! The costs of running a business out of one’s home will continue to plummet and the tools will become more productive. Thus we’ll see gazillions more folks ‘hanging up shingles’ and we won’t be able to tell they’re different than a ‘regular-sized’ business! We’ve seen it already with Stamps.com (print your own postage) and cheap/free international calls (e.g. Skype), but hang on for more! Now we have:
    - Free Microsoft Office-compatible programs to use for free from any computer (e.g. Google docs)
    - Your own free, dedicated phone number (Google Voice)
    - Free web-based applications for real-time communicating and collaborating with anyone with a web browser (e.g., Campfire, Writeboard)
    -Smartphones turning into ‘mini-computers’ that let you answer all your email, edit .xls and .ppt docs, etc.

  • http://www.hiddencashcow.co.uk steve

    I would love to agree that small companies will respond etc etc…. but from my own experience something like 98% of small companies will stay small because business owners ie 98% of them are not only rubbish at marketing, they are also scared of their own shadow.

    This does of course create an opportunity though and one which can now be capitalised on by intuitive marketing people with a strong vision.

    I see a situation where bricks and mortar businesses do what they are comfortable with ie doing their thing (delivering services). There is a massive opportunity to provide a full service front end (selling and marketing). This is not about providing leads but going a stage or two further.

    I’m on the lookout for people who are good with building websites that get traffic and convert from a looker into a lead. This will be a type of joint venture.

    All the best

    Steve

  • J.B. Malik

    Dynamic Pricing – an older (i.e. 1999) phenomena that was ballyhoodw way before its time: Pricing of items that is more in tune with true market demand vs. a manufacturer/retailer’s margins and whims. In other words, your local toy store can price that new Talking Baby Doll at $89, but with the fluidity of the marketplace (thanks to the Internet), he/she will be competing against online sellers that (for instance) may price the Doll at $59, forcing him to lower his price, especially if the Doll is not in high demand. In another scenario, if that doll becomes a scarcity (higher demand and lower availability anywhere), overall (brick and mortar and online), the price will rise. So, prices of goods will more closely follow *U.S.-wide or World-wide* supply and demand. Think of the ‘ultimate’ Dynamic Pricing scenario: Why do we pay the same price for a cold bottle of soda, regardless of the temperature (that fuels demand for that softdrink)? In a perfect dynamic pricing scenario, the price of a soft drink will automatically go up when it’s hotter outside (higher demand), and lower when it’s cold (lower demand).

  • scott

    I can share a story about #1. When LinkedIn began to get popular, I came up with some creative strategies to use it for business. I began offering webinars on how to use LinkedIn for business development and sales.

    The first webinar I did was free to get some feedback. It was well attended and all of the feedback was positive.

    So, I started charging for the webinars. It was great to spend 1.5 hrs in my office on a webinar and make several hundred dollars.

    It was a short-lived venture however as competitors jumped on the bandwagon and started offering free webinars (because they had some sort of backend product).

    Also, more people were writing blog articles about tips & tricks (similar to what I was sharing) as well as publishing videos.

    Additionally, I saw one author write a real book about LinkedIn and he seemed to become a superstar. He was invited to speak at conferences about social media & business.

    One of my lessons learned was to act faster. I thought of writing a book early on about LinkedIn, but didn’t act. I could have been the one who gained the credibility and would have been seen as the expert.

    I still believe that authors who act quickly can profit. However, I think it will be short-lived.

    I believe people have to look at ways of packaging information and/or combining it with other tools, etc.

    For example, your membership sites have the advantage of expanding content. Whether it’s produced by you or a member, you can offer more content this month than last.

  • http://www.household-budget-made-easy.com/envelope-budget.html David

    “Preselling” will become the norm. Meaning a trust is to be built up by giving away lots of free content in your niche to prove you can help them.

    Once this happens, the customer/client will look to you when they are ready to pay to get to the next level.

    I also believe successful entrepreneurs will be that way because they themselves hired a coach (in various capacities — live, book, mp3, etc.) to get them to their next level.

    David

  • Bob McDermot

    As the population ages, conventional information sources will whither and die and be gone forever. The younger members of the population will continue to embrace new,currently unforeseen methods of information sharing at a pace that will be difficult to fathom and most small businesses will struggle to keep up. They will need massive help. Many opportunists will jump on this bandwagon seeking profits, but the quality of the services they provide will vary wildly. What will these new information vehicles be? Who will be nimble enough to stay ahead of the curve and take advantage of these rapidly changing opportunities?

  • Terry B

    Number 3 almost rocks!? While I agree that car, house and location will matter less, particularly as wireless internet access becomes more and more widespread, it won’t be a 13 year old that brings Pepsi to its knees – it will be a ten year old! The ‘tweens are going to be taking over by then!

  • Steve Rechel

    Change is coming in the area of pricing products.As the number of people that are “using google”everyday goes up the pricing war of selling both on and offline heats up.I said it like that because just because lots of people have broadband doesn’t mean they use it to search for the best prices.This being said you have to realize that a certain percentage of people are still afraid to purchase online because of various reasons but this group is also changing gradually to making some purchases online.
    For the bigger sellers online this should be good news because they are already established but for the smaller sellers the profit margin might still hold them back a little from listing certain types of products.But this is where research can help the small sellers.They have to be ready for a niche season or product so that they can purchase a product in lots if necessary to compete with the big stores and stay on top of the pricing wars.
    And then as the small seller starts to gain repeat customers as a base they will still have to continue to work on the new customers that are simply using google to find the best prices in order to compete.

    Good luck to all this decade and beyond.

  • http://friendlywebworks.com/ Dmitry Vilchitsky

    Jim, thanks for the inspiring vision and predictions! I totally agree, and want to add that there gonna be more and more bandwagons coming to the Online Business station, like was eBay, e-books, BANS, Twitter, etc. But not everyone will be able to take real advantage of the ride, not unless they know how to ride properly.

    People new to online business shouldn’t be hesitant to start learning right now the BASICS of online entrepreneurship, which you are offering for an insanely low price and sometimes just giving away FREE! I often compare your education to many thousands I wasted on my college courses which taught me very little.

    There going to be literally a tsunami of opportunities and profitable niches to work with, but without the KNOWLEDGE OF BASICS, the REAL Strategies and Attitude, people will always be fooled by a shiny objects and carried away by a next “big wave” w/o getting the real results.

    Basic of Online Business Literacy will help to put deep roots in the ground of real opportunities and focus on growing multiple long term online ventures. Such learning takes some time, but is definitely goes much quicker, is more fun than any college courses and delivers 100% RESULTS.

    I wish everyone to take ownership over their personal and work life in 2010 and become really free as independent online entrepreneur with a great team of like minded friendly colleges!

    P.S. I can’t express enough my gratitude for you, Jim, for letting me in on FREE membership (as a contest winner) to MySilentTeam.com and OfflineBiz.com. It’s almost an impossible dream!

  • http://noneyet Mike Steeves

    Greetings Jim and folks. Well and to start with, I hope people learn to spell better in the next decade (hehe — Jim, it’s “retweek” and not “retween”! And, then it’s “choose” and not “chose a winner…”. You already got a winner? hehe — just trying to make you all smile a bit.*s

    Great predictions, though. I am a newbie marketer and have yet to make a dime online…HEY! that rhymes (dime, online, rhymes…*s). However, out of all the emails I get in a day, I ALWAYS read Jim’s newsletters, etc. Why? Because I feel he certainly is someone to pay attention to as his successes bear witness to that. For sure, I agree that businesses will certainly be overwhelmed at the power of the Internet and simply won’t be able to keep up.

    Actually, there is no better time than now to learn marketing or establish an audience or business online. With all the layoffs etc. due to this latest recession, this has resulted in many people seeking something else to do, and the Internet and all its resources is a perfect opportunity for them. No matter WHAT you are selling or offering, there will be those who are interested in your product, simply because of sheer population figures.

    I agree with most of Jim’s predictions but might question the “bad content” one — I believe that there will always be those who will post or blog or put ‘something’ online that will be misleading or erroneous. You have to remember that the online world was made by people, and we are far from perfect.

    Great predictions again and I recommend fastening your seatbelt for the next decade as it’s going to be quite a ride. Thanks all for the patience and ears.

  • http://myhealthandfitnesstoday.com Paul Hoff

    My prediction over the next decade is that i will commence an aggressive take-over of Microsoft employing Bill Gates as an apprentice cleaner to the tea-boys mate, where with a good work ethic he could move on up to the mail-room.

    I will then move swiftly onto Google and make all employees wear stuffy suits for a change, and lose the smug looks when making youtube videos for the company, while i walk around in Bermuda shorts an extremely smug (i told you so)grin, and little else, all my sites will be pagerank 10 and no matter what you search for my sites will be at no 1 on the fist page!

    The i might take a rest and watch as mobile phones become the dominant force in online commerce and business….still think i’m joking Jim….?

    Kind regards, Paul

  • http://www.crosscreations.me Carolan

    Given your predictions (which I agree to be accurate) I’d say this equation might be a fitting reminder (note FACE acronym):
    Focus + Action + Credibility + Embrace Change = SUCCESS!
    Focus: Avoid information overload (ie. Jim’s post about this last week says it all) by choosing ONE direction and staying there until it is well off the ground.
    Action: Plan and take some actions daily toward established goals. Don’t wait for perfection, DO something daily toward goals.
    Credibility: Stay active in respectable networks on and offline. Guard own reputation above all and be careful who you listen to and spend time with, since the effect on us of the people around us is immeasurable. TRUST is everything, so be careful who and what you promote, and maybe even more important HOW promotion is handled. One good example of this is Jim’s reluctance to jump on new launch bandwagons prior to testing a product, regardless of name behind it, then detailing the strengths of said product due to first hand experience by him and team members.
    Embrace Change: Fear of change is silly, since change itself is inevitable. Seek it out, note the trends and aspire to stay in front of the trends of these inevitable changes.

  • Peter

    #1 The future trend in advertising is direct to customer’s iphones & smartphones. Apple just bought mobile advertising firm QuattroWireless and Google just bought mobile ad firm AdMob.. This should tell you something. Learn everything you can about cell phone marketing! Be the first in your city to offer it to businesses!
    #2 Internet Marketing and Social Media consulting is only going to get more huge. Local businesses need our talent and knowledge in order to succeed. Be the expert in your city and make lot’s of money!
    #3 Big Internet seminars will decrease because local IM & Social Media consultants will be giving local seminars themselves to the local businesses. This is the next big wave and money maker! Get private lable right resell products on IM & Facebook, Youtube and Twitter – improve and modify them and there is your own guide to teach these seminars from and to give to each student!
    #4 Go LOCAL! Everthing is moving towards local marketing. Be the “Rainmaker” in your city by teaching & consulting on IM & Social Media and you will get wealth and true job security! As another stream of income use these methods for your own affiliate sites as well.
    #5 Embrace Social Media. It’s only going to get bigger and the one who has the followers is the one who has the influence! The restaurant who can “tweet out” to 1000 customers in real time that they have a special at noon for lunch, only for those who get the “tweet,” is going to be the winner!

    That’s my 2 cents from a member of Offline Biz and Mysilentteam!
    HumDog

  • http://www.mrshomeschool.com Susan, Homeschool WAHM

    I think that people who are relying on ONE income in the next decade will be hurting. Our family is diversifying our portfolios…and not the kind that have tanked in the past 2 years.

    The people that seem to do the best are those with multiple income streams, just like you’ve been saying forEVER! Little eBay side businesses will boom. More folks will start selling on Amazon. And so on…

    More “knock offs” and con artists will show up, too, to take advantage of people’s hopes of making internet millions. This will make it harder for the honest people to break through, but once that reputation gains momentum, watch out! We’ve seen it in our Offline Biz this past year and now word of mouth is doing wonders for us.

    But again, we’re not putting all our hope on ONE business. Just hired our first outsource partner today and can’t wait to let him do the junk I don’t like so I can focus on ideas. Ideas with good implementation will set us free! Woo hoo!

  • http://www.stores.ebay.com/bettertimes2?refid=store virginia

    Hey Jim! You make me want to be a 13 year old in nowhere Nebraska. Always love the great info you put out there about trying to live the business dream of ecommerce. Somedays when things aren’t going so well I read your blogs to cheer up and keep moving. Thanks for being that motivating force!!! AND Happy New Year! Virginia(bettertimes2)

  • Martin

    Your predictions seem spot on Jim though I forecast an even bigger leap of faith for thousands of people into the internet fold, with great mentors such as yourself leading the cutting edge. Speaking of my own small experiences (TRUST) is the keyword here couple a great mentor such as yourself with great ideas and add the incredible change that is taking place in peoples conceptions and consciousness, enabling everyone and anyone to live a life few could have dreamed of ten years ago. Goodbye to the grand old rip off days.

  • http://i-squidoo-do-you.com Susan52

    I love your predictions, Jim, and I can’t disagree with any of them. You erase any doubt at all that I have about my potential for earning a good living online.

    I do have to laugh at the idea of the elimination of junk, although again I don’t doubt you. My son had a water heater incident yesterday in the duplex he just moved into. The water had been turned off for the long weekend and when it was turned back on, the sediment in the water heater got stirred up and blew out the pressure valve on the tank, causing a gush of water from the tank to flood the garage floor. He turned the water off and quickly replaced the valve and all is well, but somehow I imagine that sediment being an influx of junk that someone tries to introduce online in the future. The honest, good-guy pressure valve majority will do their job post haste, get rid of the mess and move on, saving the day before the next website visitor has a chance to miss the comfy, warm reception that he was expecting when he clicked the URL. Ahh, happy customer, happy ending.

  • Alex Newell

    Jim, that’s a BIG challenge you laid down so I may come back later in the week!!

    HUGE opportunities for people like us who know their way around the Net to help offline biz who are totally clueless – not just at Marketing but at all the techno babble online. They really do need a large number of Sherpas to help them out.Somewhere honest to go!!

    My other predictions you have gone over!!

  • http://www.artreproservices.com Jim Davis

    I see the future going to the business that is willing to go way beyond normal with their customer service. I had two instances this week where great customer service will keep me coming back and telling others about it.

    The first was a company called TonerRefillKits.com. I purchased a new HP Color LaserJet several weeks ago and quickly went through the black toner. Having purchased toner from TRK in the past I bought toner for my HP.

    When I placed my order I expected it to arrive in servaral day and nothing else. First I got an email telling me my order had been filled and would arrive on Monday. This was last Wednesday. Thursday morning I get a phone call from one of their reps tanking me for my order and that it indeed was shipped and the tracking # was xxxxxxx. I thought that was nice. On Monday the toner arrived. I opened it and everything was there telling me how to refill my toner cart. They also included information telling me that my toner cart was probably not empty and if I did a toner override I could get approximately 25% more prints from the cart. I did the overrice but it did not work. Not their fault. When I went through the refilling process you had to dump the old toner, and they were right there was a considerable amount of toner left in the cart. They also included a small led light and a bag of M&Ms as a thank you. Early this morning I get another phone call thanking me for my order and asking if I had any trouble filling the tank. The rep also wanted to know if there was anything else they could do to make their service better. To me that is a business that has its ducks in a row and will prosper quite well.

    The second company is Canon USA. I print a lot of large pieces of art using one of their wide format printers. One of the print heads has started to give me some problems. Now my printer is 3 years out of warranty so I did not expect much. The rep walked me thorugh all the processes needed to fix the problem. No luck…. I saw the cash register starting to go KaChing! A new print head is over $600.00. He said it looks like I need a new print head and he would do an exchange, no charge. That was late Monday afternoon. He figured I would get the new print head probably Thursday. This morning at 9:00AM I found the new print head at my front door. All I had to do is return the old print head, at his expense. Again, Canon will sell me more wide format printers in the future and I will tell everyone who is looking for such a printer to check out Canon first.

    To me great customer service is more important than an outstanding product.

  • http://agoraphobia101.net Robert ODonell

    Hi Jim,
    Well as much as I would like to agree, I do not see big biz getting knocked off anytime soon? They control the big money. But we don’t make much in this country anymore and that is a scary scenario.
    Can we survive on all internet and Wall Street biz models? We still need farms, manufacturing, home industries, etc. all fading as I (we) all age.
    I do hope you are right about the scammers and the dishonest. I hope that they are transparent now but not until they get the last drop will they change and that is a shame. They give us all budding entrepreneurs a bad name.
    I wish I could be as optimistic as you Jim and years ago I was? I continue to tread with caution.

  • Caitlin Lorraine

    I’d say No.7 is my personal favorite, though they all seem spot on and already in the process. With this last year the economy being on a roller coaster and a lot of people crying out about it, I felt thankful to know just a tad about online sales. It was truly a lifesaver to our income, this in spite of the fact that I easily suffer from information overload & have trouble performing steady action in the face of the unknown. Going from a minor $600-$800 per month in online revenue, opening two more streams of income rose it to just over $4000 in a virtually untapped market niche. I know that’s not a lot for many, but it makes a huge difference in our family budget towards reaching our goals of being debt free, and giving more to those who are in need all over the world. It’s been through reading your newsletters, ebooks and courses purchased Jim that I’ve been able to learn to diversify from only knowing how to sell on ebay, to slowly but surely branching out. I love your optimism, I love your heart that shines clearly through, and I appreciate what you’ve done to help those walk in unknown waters. It’ll be great to see the upcoming swing of things in the coming years, and I’m grateful to be even just a small part of it–to know that there is more than just the 9 to 5 out there for options. :) I know you are blessed, but may you be even more so in 2010!

  • Clint Luce

    Tiger Woods will purchase a copy of “Silent Sales Machine”, become a member of MySilentTeam.com and quit his day job.

  • http://explosivelistsbuilding.com Rob

    The 13 year old from Nebraska is the one that I find to be the best. Youtube continus to be the best way generate traffic. The big companies know that which is why they all are using twitter, facebook and youtube.

    Just check out the front page of youtube some of those videos have been up just a few days and they 10,000+ views.

    This guy was just on Elen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbkNxYaULBw

    Rob “Mr. Animoto”

    RobertChic.com

  • Lynn

    Excellent predictions Jim. I think this decade is going to be an exciting one for all those who are willing to focus and take action.
    Prediction #1 is my favourite and I fully intend to be the proud author of a physical book by the end of 2010.
    However, my own prediction is that ebooks will become more mainstream. If you were to do a survey right now in your local mall, at a ball game or wherever Joe Public hangs out and ask have they ever read an ebook, my guess is that more than 90% of them would say no and many wouldn’t even know what an ebook is.
    But as readers such as Kindle and Sony become more popular more and more people will become aware of the ebook, and ebook writers/sellers will have a far larger and more diverse potential customer base.
    Having said that, I don’t believe ebooks will ever displace physical books, they’ll just find a place alongside them.
    I wish everyone a happy, healthy and successful new decade, and send a huge thank you to Jim for all the creative ideas he keeps throwing at us.

  • http://www.closeoutdirect.com Joe Richey

    Been online for 10 years.
    My view…..

    Pc Work stations will become dinosaurs
    Smart Phones are simply the future and
    more and more people use the smart phone
    for internet and daily needs.

    Also the hard drive will disappear and everything will be cloud computer based where you have to log in to access your hard drive…..

    Thanks for reading my input
    Joe
    http://www.closeoutdirect.com

  • http://www.sellfreeusa.com Craig Hull

    I have to agree with all of it. Just did a blurb on my blog about it today. Keep going man, help us all get in the right direction. And toss your stuff on my site for free (since you know me) Oops, its all free.

  • http://www.david-mackey.com David Mackey

    Jim, I trust that you have it right yet again. Your newsletters and recommendations have never let me down and I know this IM business works as you have gained MY trust in the years I have been a subscriber. I’ll listen to your predictions and raise you one. I predict that in the coming years there will be more and more people will start to work from home and outsource their services. This is not necessarily just like in the OffLineBiz scenario but in the Rentacoder.com and Odesk.com situation. I recently finished setting up my own home office to do the very same thing.

  • http://www.breezeworld.com/breeze/gdm Geoff

    Hi Jim
    Here is an honest comment for you. I want and need to join offlinebiz.com to further my business but can’t afford to.
    Geoff

  • Henry

    “Not failure, but low aim, is crime.”
    by Thoreau. And I’m the proof of it. For years I’ve played with “free” and “cheap”, getting almost nowhere. Then one day I read “Scars remind us where we’ve been – they don’t have to dictate where we are going.” by Joe Mantegna, Actor. So I took action, invested my money in training and programs, learned, applied and prospered. Anyone can do it. Thank you Jim for The Silent Sales Machine, it gave me the kick-start.
    Cheers, Henry

  • http://beginnersmakeownwebsite.com Ian McAllister

    Will the www slide into history books, as the mobile phone takes over?

    I hope not, because I would need a mobile phone to check my designs if I ever started writing pages for mobiles.

    Ian McAllister

  • http://www.EasyInternetMillionaire.com Eruwan Gerry

    Hi Jim,

    I truly believe that what you saying is true. We see it happening day by day and our personal influence over others will be a big thing in the future of the internet business.

  • Richard

    I have to disagree with #5, I don’t think it will get any harder to scam people online, but I don’t think it will get easier either. I think that as more and more people start using the internet to make purchases, there will always be crooks out there looking to rip people off and getting away with it. Whenever there is a new encription technology, the scammers always have a creative new way to scam people, and I dont think that will ever change. It’s just the normal risk of doing business, in any environment, online or offline.

  • http://www.comicbookgeeks.com Ron Cloer

    #5 -
    As the tools that are needed to build websites and online businesses become easier to use those with 3 things will rise to the top

    Trust – Business are built and destroyed on this concept. People mistaken think that they can hide online when nothing could be further from the truth. The internet holds everyone accountable.

    Creativity – When tools make things easier, the content, and I mean good quality creative content rises to the top.

    Focus – The ability to stay on task, to see your niche, to look at the world through your customer’s eyes and give them what they want.

    All of those things embody your ride on the internet Jim and that’s why you’ve been so successful.

    Since we are partners on several projects I’m sure that I’m not eligible for a prize. I just wanted to give my opinion.
    Ron

  • Carlos from Spain

    “In a world that is constantly changing, there is no one subject or set of subjects that will serve you for the forseeable future, let alone for the rest of your life. The most important skill to acquire now is learning how to learn”, by John Naisbitt.

    Internet has changed many lives, the way we interact and the way we earn money, but we really don’t know what will come…it changes too fast…just make sure you are ready to learn.

    Thank you Jim

  • http://www.hypnosiswillhelp.com Jim

    I like prediction #6 No more “junk” content. Google is getting better and the “slaps” do help all honest content providers

  • http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/grmoore Gary Moore

    I am afraid I have to disagree with you on future economic trends. I see a profit bubble that will be temporary, then the whole world economy will collapse, according to the Bible.

  • http://doni-numberonehomebiz.com Doni

    Hi Jim:I think you are spot on with your predictions.Just don’t think it will all happen in 2010. I believe they will happen but,on a longer time frame.And now for addin a little somethin to maybe think about.

    I am a 67 year old female trying to catch on to all the jargon and ways to make money from ebay. I looked at a lot of free sites that promised after I read them I would know everything I needed to know to make at least a kazillion dollars by next month. Guess what?……

    [reply from Jim]: Doni – these aren’t my one year predictions…they are 10 year trends! The EASIEST way to get started on eBay is to go to eBay.com and use the “help” button to find information on how to sell. That is a basic skill that you CAN acquire. From there it gets easier. Start simple and grow from there! If you want one on one hand holding we do offer it as well. Visit http://www.jimcockrumcoaching.com for details.

  • http://doni-numberonehomebiz.com Doni

    Hi Jim: Sorry,I accidently hit the submit key. Told ya I was tryin to learn didn’t I.
    Anyway,I decided that what I really needed was one way,one person to give me lessons and lucky me,I chose you. And so far I’ve spent over 300.00 with you and have probably received at least a million dollars in honest experience and lessons. You certainly over deliver. Not only that but,what good is overdelivering if the person doesn’t learn anything from it? I’ve learned plenty from you and those you recommend. So,I believe that 2010 is my year to replace my laughable social security income. So,thanks Jim.You’ll be hearing from me and about me as time goes on.

  • http://rboczkoyahoo.com Reg B.

    They all ring a touch of Nostradamus Prediction. Which in my mind I think your on the “Money”… Being a Author does bring a feeling of Authority, where people trust you more… But moving in the position of lots of writer out there, the only difference is some are copycats and couldn’t write a love letter let alone a e-book. Scams are the biggest pain in the butt right along all those Guru’s jumping on Product Launches that flood my and everyone else’s boxes…
    Like you taught me that brfore you buy do your homework and research… (Like you did with John’s Muti Website) Giving good content and winning a growing list of people with information that they need or want is where its at Now and at the end of the decade…
    Give of yourself and never look at it for any Monterrey gain… We will be Stronger as I feel on “My Silent Team”… They don’t care if you are a Newbie or a big time guru, they will help you on the forum’s. Even you answer questions, which a lot of other forums you never get the owner of the site to even bother they just collect their monthly fee… I enjoy you and hope that the next decade we will hear more and learn…
    HAPPY NEW YEAR’S
    My Internet friend and mentor

  • http://doni-numberonehomebiz.com Doni

    Yes,Jim I see where your predictions were for a decade. 10 years in any mans language.
    But,thanks again for all your help and I have learned a ton from ebay itself (after you told me about it) That along with all the tips and hints you gave me has certainly helped me to make $10,000 on ebay since Sept.
    Thanks,
    Doni Healy ebay (dblduo)
    http://doni-numberonehomebiz.com

  • http://www.kwikcashprograms.com Ken Mason

    Jim,

    Your predictions for the next decade are very thought provoking. While I agree with many of the changes, I see many very sad changes coming. Our government is attempting to destroy many of the income streams which the small guy uses to try to make a few dollars online. The new FTC Guidelines are so confusing that no one seems capable of responding to them in a logical manner. As for You Tube and the visual society, it seems to me that more and more mindless, irresponsible material appears daily. People like yourself have produced excellent learning tools to assist people like me, but there are 10 people producing stuff out there which has no social value. Whether we actually end up with better content may or may not happen, but we will still suffer from information overload. It is reaching a point where maybe we all should do what you have been doing the past several years and go to Central America and get back to the basics and what our values really should be all about. I guess my question is, in the next 10 years are we going to become better people and have more compassion for each other or are we just going to become more absorbed in a world of 10 minute videos and text messages that are not much more than the drawings cave dwellers left behind. Just wondering Jim, are we becoming better people for all this technology? Ken

  • Ed

    My favorite is the first one; POD technology has made it easier for anyone to become an “author”; always thought of “authors” as those who wrote books, primarily fiction such as the stories Clive Cussler writes, one of my favorite “Authors”. But authors can also be someone who writes a “How to” paper on taking apart a particular type of machine or even cleaning a garage out. I have to disagree with number 5 and 6 though. With newer technologies will come newer ways to do something we shouldn’t; that is just human nature; simply because ‘the heart is deceitful….’; but in the future, that will also be changing. Enjoy the newsletter very much and hope to finally join Silent Team sometime this year.

  • a. nikola

    Good-day Jim,

    Please, do allow me to take exception to your prediction #6, because the only functional criteria for that to be true,is if there is already in motion,at least a GENERAL environment that fosters:

    1) increased standards of living per
    household.
    2) increased productivity per capita, and
    3) increased productivity per square area.

    All of that has to be preceded by adequate infrastructure being already in place. And you are aware Jim, that presence of adequate infrastructure lowers the cost of doing business.

    A component of such infrastructure is “education” or the raising of functional literacy, nationwide, to levels approaching 95% at minimum.

    What we have presently, and I stand corrected,are the results of something called “outcome based education”, that has been in motion for several years.

    And guess what Jim? There is no change of direction on the horizon.

    There is a proverb somewhere, that, “no matter how far you have gone on the wrong road, turn back”.

    We have graduates and others close to graduation that are,
    a) unable (or do not want) to think for
    themselves.
    b) unable (or do not want) to reason.
    c) unable (or do not want) to question
    anything.
    d) unable (or do not want ) to analyze.

    All that is apparent in continuing instances, such as here in my neck of the woods, where the major newspaper is written in a High School syntax.

    Yes, we can do way way way better than that.

    Jim, this comment is getting too long, will end here for now. Will be back to tackle one or two more of your predictions.

    Keep up the good work, I expect to be on board shortly.
    Thank you.

  • Peter

    Oops! Sorry Jim, I misread your statement and thought you asked for “our” predictions. So ignore me in comment #15… Sorry! Peter

  • http://www.bluejayslanding.com Jan

    My favorite is #8. It is a prediction that is guaranteed to be 100% accurate.

    Change=Opportunity… always has, always will! It is the best statement of hope there is relating to our chance at success in this earthly life.

    I love change (perhaps because my picture has always been in front of the definition for ADD). We would be lost without change, still trying to work past our fears to evolve on our own.

    I have had my best 12 months on eBay in the midst of their changes. In addition until a month ago my business was 98% DROP SHIP.

    Change is our friend. When we can’t bring ourselves to act, it nudges us or (if we are lucky) propels us into action.

    I have always said that I’m lacking in those God-given talents that I admire so in others, the natural musicians, artists, writers, but I am really good at paying attention and following directions.

    I am proof that it is possible to increase sales while selling only on eBay, without any money to invest in much of anything, using only 3 drop-shippers while struggling to pay bills and dealing with life-threatening challenges facing family members.

    We are all fortunate that we have access to the publications and memberships that you’ve created and inspired, Jim, and that folks like me can afford them. They provide the direction we need and give us the successes to emulate so that we can embrace change and take advantage of opportunity.

    Absolutely, prediction #8 is my favorite!

  • http://NoneYET!! Phyllis Wilson

    2. Real world business will continue to be confounded by the fast paced business style of the Internet. Take advantage of this trend by joining OfflineBiz.com. Members of that site stay up to date on what works online without having to be a technical nerd to make it all happen.

    I sit here and think about the time when the country was changing from farming to manufacturing and typing and all the griping and people saying we were just going to the dogs and the country wasn’t going to make it and I must admit I was wondering a little myself but I pulled up my sleeves and hung in there and it got better and better. Now we must make that change again. Some want to hold on but we have to go. Your #2 has hit it right on the head for me. It’s like buying the high end stock while its at an all time high and making the good profits so you can get a good return. You are our stockbroker. We must research but so far you are right on target. Thank you so much Jim and I’ll keep you aprised of my progress. It will be big. Thank you for sharing.

    Phyllis
    (That’s just explaining it in laymen’s terms of a 13 year meaning everyone stands to make a profit)

  • Doug Renz

    #5 HANDS DOWN!!! ~ There are just to many people trying to make money online and very few who really care about others and know how to do business with integrity.

    It’s hard to know who to trust and believe a good product/concept/idea to make an income honestly that will last long term.

    Everybody wants to “work from home”, be “financially independent”, “find their passion”, etc., but very few really do it or know how to.

    Many people you do business with have NO integrity or customer service. The experience we need to create and live online is knowing how to be transparent, real and authentic so that people can connect with you vs. the seller or “expert” hiding behind their sales page.

    Let’s return to the basics of doing business (doing to others what you would want them to do to you; ie. Golden Rule). I’m tired of hearing “You can make a zillion dollars”, how about just being honest and having the desire to help others… there are TOO many selfish greedy people online.

    Doug Renz

  • http://www.MySilentTeam.com Jim (it’s my blog) Cockrum

    Time to vote! Which of the above 49 comments is your favorite! A nice prize is at stake. Vote here:

    http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SK288Z7

    Results announced in the Jan 18th newsletter and on the blog.

    If you still want to comment please feel free, but only the above 49 comments are in the contest.

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