FT shows the Internet is still "free"

The Internet is about content. It always has been and no-one would really dispute that.

It is also about free content. Unlike mobile, where people are in the habit of paying for stuff, the web has always been seen as a freebie.

There have been many attempts to get the online audience to pay for content, but inevitably leads to a reduced user-base. And this reduction in the user-base is more costly that the increase in revenue from the smaller number of paying users. (Paying users also have higher expectations and are less willing to put up with advertising.)

The move by the FT to drop its charging model in October 2007 has seen it acquire new registered users at a rate of 12,000 month, reaching 500,000 registered users this summer.

What does this mean for you? Provide your customers with free content that they want and they'll keep coming back!