As the end of the first quarter approaches, focus is business as usual for most companies—or is it? Duly taking note of Internet companies, print news, magazines, streaming video sites like Hulu and sites that provide mobile content now have an admission price—that is if you want to get the good stuff.

As the Internet change, so does its platforms and the way content is delivered. For instance, as content evolves to mobile devices, these services will cost. Wireless customers are already well-prepped and trained to pay for downloadable content through their mobile devices.

Remember how ATM fees were free and they got you hooked on using the ATM? Well you now enjoy the convenience of using ATM for without; you would only be able to do business during banking hours.  Internet companies like NetZero now charge a net fee each month although they built their success on the concept of free Internet.

Sure,  many proponents believe that services, software and content should be free; at least there probably was a feeling of that when NetZero launched their idea of offering free Internet. The realization of how long and how far FREE would go probably settled in when the bills came due each month which led to having to charge slightly less than their competition in order to stay in business. That is pretty much the realization that has dawned on companies as the year 2010 phases out free as being the norm.

Fact of the matter is that it takes money to use servers, run marketing campaigns, offer services, have tools, provide education, outsourcing, etc. Entrepreneurs have long offered their content and services for free and now it is time to pony up the money for these services. Free as we know it is over in this 2011. And it’s long overdue.

According to sources, Dallas Morning News, Wall Street Journal and New York Times have all added new digital platforms to their services to compliment hard copy newsprint subscriptions for their subscribers. Where news used to be free online, only paid subscribers to newspaper and magazine services will have access to the new digital format. If you are used to searching the Internet for free content—if you have ever valued it, now is the time to put your money where the content is, for to truly value information, the true test of that value is to pay up and truly understand that business is business. Companies can no longer support those who are not willing to value their content by true measure—that is via payment.

Websites, local marketing and other factors come into play as updates on the Internet ensue. Take uQast for instance. Founder Brad Fallon had the vision and foresight to understand that these changes were coming and he set out to create uQast, a site that was designed to bring people together with authors of quality content.  The idea is beyond stellar. Owners of these sites have the ability to offer free and paid content. If you  like the free content that you have consumed, then you have an option to leave a “micro” tip in the “tip jar” function of the site—that is to explain the over-simplified version of this mega jaguar of a site.

Other sites that provide news, articles, music, and other content, will allow only a portion of the content to be displayed as a teaser. For example, take a look at Visual Thesaurus. When you go to their site, you will get great articles regarding grammar and other related topics. You get the headline and maybe the first four or five sentences of a paragraph that grips you to the point of clicking the purchase button so that you can get access to read the remaining article. That is what most sites will do, especially news sites. You might get a small portion of a song, or you might get a trial to a membership site or an excerpt of some sort that will be displayed or accessible in limited fashion. THEN you get the message from the site owner, “This content is available to our subscribers. Subscribe now to gain access ….blah, blah, blah.” You get the picture…the message is telling you to open your wallet if you want to view the content…

We are used to content being free on the Internet. Proponents of the idea of free have said it this way: “Information begs to be free…” However, free is an intelligent solution for businesses only for so long. Consumers should understand the value of information. It takes talent, education, time, tools, money, planning, know-how and other resources that have not begun to be considered in order to create great content. Free as we knew it is over in 2011. If something is free, you are not getting the whole enchilada, thus something “begs to be bought” to complete the missing information that will make a difference in the outcome.

If you are planning to garden or be an entrepreneur or whatever pursuits you have in mind, have insight that buying the information that will bring about the results you desire cost someone to produce. It can no longer be dispensed freely. The mindset of FREE is now the mindset of value largely due to the fact that most of the content that will be bought and sold will usually be of greater value than the funds that were used to purchase it in the first place.

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Toast to your success!

Jae Smith

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