E-commerce: Picks and Pans, 02/28/00

Technology most responsible for changing an industry: MP3

What started as a way to listen to music over the Internet became an industry threat - and then a whole new market. While plenty of free MP3 music abounds for those willing to use their computers for listening to music, some folks are starting to cash in on the deal. Today, a cool $200 gets you a pocket-sized MP3 player for listening to that free music, or you can buy recordings formatted as MP3 files at certain e-tailers.

Artists are among the big winners with MP3. No longer shackled by the record companies that distribute their music, new artists can debut themselves. Likewise, seasoned artists can release songs verboten by their labels.

The pinnacle of commercial MP3 sites has got to be www.mp3.com. For more cost-conscious consumers, try www.freemp3files.com or www.mp3.org.

Easiest way to make a buck off the Internet: Great Domains

Think it's time to sell that great domain name you had the foresight to register? Then auction site www.greatdomains.com is the place for you.

True, people have been selling domain names at a profit for years. But the trend has reached epic proportions in the past year. In 1999, Drugs.com sold for $823,000 while Business.com fetched an amazing $7.5 million. Greatdomains.com reports that the average domain name sale on its site is now $14,500. Not a bad return on investment, considering domain names cost just $70 to register.

Site that offers the best incentive: ValueAmerica.com

This business and consumer products site gave away a one-karat, $15,000 De Beers Millennium diamond on Jan. 1, 2000, as part of a sweepstakes intended to fill its junk mail database. If you ask me, a big 'ole rock beats free shipping any day.

To qualify for the drawing, visitors had to "join" www.valueamerica.com - meaning they had to fork over their names and postal and e-mail addresses, plus pick a password. These days, joining incentives such as this one have replaced ones for buying. Consumer sites now go for the personal information of those who visit their sites, so they can send out endless notices of special offers.

Site that sells the strangest service: ObitDetails.com

For a mere $145, you can submit your obituary to be posted for perpetuity. Of course, if you're not available to write it, ObitDetails.com offers an editorial service and accepts submissions by family members or funeral directors. Several dozen obituaries currently reside on the site.

Site that sells the strangest wares: The Contortion Home Page

Among other twisted goodies, www.contortionhomepage.com sells Ron Dwight's Contortion CD-ROM Volume 3. This collection features more than 6,000 contortion images.

Best place for an enterprise to find a bargain: UPS.com

That's because United Parcel Service lets you put its Internet Tools on your e-commerce site for free. These tools let your customers check shipping fares and track packages, and find out other relevant tidbits pertaining to order status.

Best place for consumers to find a bargain on the Web: Flamingoworld.com

If a company is offering an online coupon, free shipping or any other incentive, chances are you'll find it at flamingoworld.com. Food, computer gear, clothes, whatever - it's all on this easy-to-navigate site. Plus, you'll find a list of freebies and links to several other deal-offering sites.But if you're looking for cool items that are downright free, check out www.cyberrebate.com. This site not only posts rebate offers, but also actually accepts them and mails you the check. Many rebates are so big, they end up covering the cost of the item and its shipping.

Worse reaction to e-commerce success:Hershey Foods

By Dec. 15, 1999, www.hersheys.com refused to vend anymore Christmas items, claiming it was "sold out." The manufacturer is sold out? It couldn't make more? Still, I suppose this tops archrival Nestle, which doesn't sell chocolate at all in the United States via its site. A chocolate lover's best bet remains Godiva.com, where for a mere $375, you could have bought a 12-pound, 421-piece Millennium box.

Most overhyped, overrated e-comm site: Any shopping portal out there

These shopping portals, which fancy themselves shopping robots, are supposed to scan the Web, seek out bargains andreport back to you. Great in theory, but in practice, they tend to promote the stores with which they have agreements. Hardly a true search engine.

Company most notably absent from e-commerce: Safeway.com

In fact, the grocery store industry in general is pretty much snoozing through the e-commerce revolution. While you can buy most groceries over the Web, even perishables, you just can't buy them from many of the big grocery chains. Instead, you have to go to specialty sites, such as Fruit Over Night and Omaha Steaks.

To its credit, the Safeway.com site has some cool features, such as a weekly menu planner and the ability to compile and print out your grocery list. But why not simply let virtual shoppers submit that list, pay for the order online and then pick it up at a local store or have it shipped? Grocery stores have got to be one of the few enormous consumer channels around that haven't seized the Web. And the dotcom companies are moving in. Priceline.com sells groceries over the Web in several metro areas, as does

To top