Here I think I am attempting to coin a new phrase. ~First Position Marketing~. The concept is not first on a page or first on a list or even first to market. The term embellishes the choices that one has when taking on the task of publicizing just about anything. The Internet spawns a multitude of interesting possibilities all based on getting preferred or best placement for your ads and publications. Vendors, Marketers, Peddlers, Consultants large and small... All vie for your attentions... all promise the gold. There are many transports and service offerings that facilitate doing just that getting you the placement that you want or the audience you need. Ahhh.... but here comes the hook...

Let's try an analogy.... Sports Car vs. Limousine... both in the same garage. In this example ~First Position~ is relative to the desires of the owner. If so wished, the owner can sit in the BACK of the Limo or DRIVE the Sports Car. This is an almost perfect example because the value of each seat (Rear in Limo and Driver in Sport) is clear to everyone that can see. ~First Position~ is almost always relative how you get there.

Now let us twist the knife just a little. In this scenario we are going to ride in a Jet Liner... it has First Class, Business, Coach and Economy seating and the entire luggage goes underneath. On the way to the plane, everyone who can see knows what precious cargos will be transported. When it lands everyone gets off and meets just outside the luggage area to make their way to the selling floor. The very first time anyone publicly views the precious cargo is outside the terminal and away from the transport (Jet Liner). When they see, they are totally amazed, and buy right away from all 4 vendors.... ~First Position Marketing~ in this scenario does not belong to the First Class passenger. Yes, they got the Leather seat, the Champagne and all the trimmins'... where I come from, they call that OVERHEAD. All of this privilege and expense takes away from the bottom line and does nothing to promote the product. The selling floor was leveled because of the selling venue. ~First Position~ in this case is tied to the ~cost in delivery~.

Now we are here X ... We are on the selling floor... and everyone's product is just like someone else's. Lots of variety, styling, colors and sizes to choose. Where the heck is ~First Position~ in this zoo? The client, prospective clients and looky-loos are all browsing around, checking out the wares. Some are on a mission and know exactly what they want. Some are on vacation, just looking around smattered by anything, maybe everything that looks interesting to them. Some are out to lunch and have no clue if they are shopping or buying, don't know if they need product or are product themselves. We are here to serve them all!

First Position Marketing is... Making sure that your online business is equipped and prepared to take advantage of the opportunities as they present.
First Position Marketing is... Being able to recognize the advantage or disadvantage of protocols and transports regardless to how attractive.
First Position Marketing is... The ability to recognize and fulfill the needs of your customer and to present your product in ways that demonstrate benefit.

Free and Discount are GOOD Things... but some free and good can never offer First Position Choices... Have your OWN Soap Box Create your OWN Platform. Premium Hosting and Internet Presence Management from Stone Soup CS.

Have they all lost their minds? I pay good money to be connected and I think for my dough... my ISP should do all that they can to make sure that my service is the BEST POSSIBLE regardless to where I am trying to go. Where ever you connect to the Internet whether you be Provider or User... You are paying someone for service/access. You should get what you pay for. Are Network Providers attempting to get Paid on both ends?

First... let's get a couple of things twisted. ISP (Internet Service Provider)... Just who are you talking about... I'd say that it depends on who you are talking to. To the average user the ISP is whoever they are paying to connect to the internet... Right? To the Person with a web site the definition expands to include the Company that they buy Hosting Service from. Lets call them the Reseller. To the Service Reseller the definition expands to include the company that provides them access or a service platform. Lets call them the Network Providers.... You know them... AT&T or SBC, Comcast, COX, Verizon and everyone else large or small. Now lets add the CSPs (Content Service Provider)... the Yahoo!, Google, AOL, MSN and all the others. Now lets throw in the Interconnects, companies like Level 3... if this is getting confusing... you are reading me loud and clear... Some of those Network Providers are also Content Providers and vice versa... So what is this charade? I buy PREMIUM service be it Cable, DSL or Satellite... and anyone else that does the same has an expectation of bandwidth and performance. I am also a Re-Seller. I Sell PREMIUM Service and support.

Network Neutrality: You are a Comcast customer that likes to use Yahoo! search engine, You have a business web site and e-mail server that lives in the heart of a Baby Bell and you have family, friends and customers on AOL, Verizon, Qwest, SBC Yahoo! that use Google!, Alta Vista, Lexus Nexus or whatever. Everyone that wants to Get or Give Good Service should be able to purchase the best service they can and expect the BEST Performance from the Network that can be delivered. It is plain insane to allow a Network provider the luxury of Getting paid First to deliver PREMIUM Service and then accept pay again to provide what... Better than premium service?? How then could the same Network Provider who happens to also be an Access Service Provider and also a Content Service Provider, do any customer justice by serving up ANY CONTENT faster than ANY CUSTOMERS FIRST CHOICE... regardless to what it is. No Content Provider should be able to influence how You or I perceive the internet other than by the quality of their product. No Network Provider should be able to restrict the flow because Joe paid them to do so.

What about the Infrastructure?... Well... That is why I PAY FOR PREMIUM SERVICE.