Chris Knight : I've been online since 1986 (BBS's, Compuserve), but didn't have an email address until 1989 (via the local University) and then later in 1995, I decided that I wanted to be in the Internet business full-time.
My first online business was an ISP (Internet Service Provider) but I didn't consider that an "online marketing business". That business was sold and since then, I've built Internet businesses in the email newsletter hosting service niche, a web hosting firm, a web design firm, an advertising media firm that raised VC and then bought out our VC partner and now we're into building platforms that millions of people use every month.
It wasn't until the last 5-7 years that I'd consider what we were doing online as "online marketing"...but it very much is today.
Dale King: Some Internet marketing experts advise newbies to steer clear of Internet marketing, because it's too competitive. Do you agree with that assessment?
Chris Knight: Huh? How can you build a business based on the Internet and not be into "Internet Marketing"? You'd be out of business pretty quick I'd guess.
Yes, it's wildly competitive today and thousands of newbies are coming online every month and they don't know what's not possible (meaning, many are having extreme success because they have no frame of reference for what's impossible).
Dale King: How is Internet marketing different now, as opposed to when you first got started online?
Chris Knight: It takes a much higher volume of energy to create the same waves and clients/consumers are much more savvy today than they were just a few years ago.
Dale King: How important has goal-setting been to your overall success?
Chris Knight : It's been critical to my and our success. Goal-setting is what starts it all and then we follow that up by tracking and measuring the numerical metrics that can be tracked to ensure we're moving towards the goals. Internally, we have a saying, "What gets measured, gets managed."
Dale King: How important has reading been to your overall success?
Chris Knight : I read about 7-10 books per year, a few dozen ebooks, daily a few hours with blogs and other insider-reports or survey results to study trends, and I track about 40 competitors (reading their blog or ezine entries). Doesn't everyone read? I don't how I'd keep up without reading a high volume of information weekly.
Dale King: If you could recommend one book that all Internet marketers should read, what would it be?
Chris Knight : Depends on which skill or principle they are lacking. There are no comprehensive Internet Marketing books that are good from a holistic viewpoint because everything changes so fast; but there are plenty of niched-related specialists books. Jeff Walker's Product Launch Formula would be high on my recommended list.
Dale King: In your opinion, what technology has changed Internet marketing the most over the last 5 years?
Chris Knight: Faster, more in-tune with giving personalized emails that mean something rather than a gratuitous first name personalization. Thanks to Ajax and other Javascript / XML related web 2.0 innovations, we're able to make the web function more like a software application that is crossplatform compatible. In addition, we have more access to a higher set of metric-tracking tools in every aspect of Internet Marketing.
Dale King: What new technology do you see changing Internet marketing over the next 5 years?
Chris Knight: Ajax is just getting started to change the face of the Internet as we know it, even though it's been around for a while now. XML has been around since the late 1990's, yet it's just getting traction today.
Dale King: What person has influenced you the most in your lifetime, and how?
Chris Knight: That's tough... because there isn't a single person. I suppose my Dad because he taught me the value of hard work, running your life integrity and how to get along with others.
Dale King: If you could give my readers one piece of advice, what would it be?
Chris Knight: Set your goals higher than you think you can achieve and then don't worry about the "how you'll achieve it"... Whatever you think most, about expands. If you're committed, you'll find a way to pull off the results you're seeking.
Dale King: Thank you very much Chris. I appreciate you taking the time to do this interview.
Chris Knight : My pleasure. Thanks Dale.
Warning: This interview is the exclusive property of Chris Knight. It may not be reprinted in any format...period!
