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Why is everyone so happy in Silicon Valley again? A new wave of start-ups are cashing in on the next stage of the Internet. And this time, it's all about YOU!

Is this an opportunity for the gourmet retailer? I think so. Please let me explain. While many companies have pulled back on their e-business initiatives, intelligent, progressive companies have continued to move forward in transforming their business to function seamlessly in the Internet world. It is this type of transformation of business that frees companies from the artificial barriers that mire them in the muck, and allows them to compete in today's high-powered marketplace with giant companies while developing a closer relationship with their customers, vendors and employees.

All Companies Will Need to Become Internet Savvy or They Will Perish!
Do you believe that statement? Consider the speed of technology today. Those born to shop can now use their cell phones to shop. This year — 2006 — may finally be the one in which consumers start buying goods with their cell phones. Years ago, eBay and Amazon.com offered users a way to shop their sites on cell phones. Now eBay plans to introduce Verizon users to a new version of mobile phone technology that for $4 a month will allow subscribers to browse the site, bid on items and receive alerts whenever they have been outbid. These kinds of services are still pretty new in the U.S., so I think it will take a while to build a critical mass, but people are starting to use them and they seem to like them. But even though big names like Consumer Reports, eBay and Overstock.com have recently given the mobile commerce trend some momentum, we're not at the point where you'll see a national campaign to consumers. "We're not quite there yet," said a Verizon Wireless source.

What are the next Internet frontiers?
First, I have to test your Geek Chic. Owning an iPod and a cell phone hardly qualifies as cutting edge these days. If you've never heard of Wi-Fi, you've got a lot of catching up to do.
Here's your Geek Chic test:
1. How many functioning computers and laptops are in your home?
2. Do you have a home network?
3. What kind of computer do you use at home?
4. Do you text message or e-mail from your cell phone or BlackBerry?
5. Have you ever e-mailed a photo on your cell phone to a friend?
6. Have you ever posted a photo from your cell phone directly to the Web?
7. Which game systems are you playing most often today?
8. Do you use satellite radio?
9. What do you do when you need driving directions?
10. If you were stranded on a desert island, which TV series would you miss the most?

This little test will help you understand the new wisdom of the web. Two amazing web sites consist only of stuff that people bring to it. These sites understand the internet's ability to empower citizens and enrich those who help with the empowerment. The first is MySpace, the prime hangout for 65 million (mostly young) people, and thousands of rock bands, movie sites and marketers begging for their attention. The second is Flickr, which has built a 2.5 million-member community solely around a passion for sharing photos. Flickr has become the poster child for how a well-executed net effort can make big changes in people's habits. Yahoo has snapped up Flickr and Rupert Murdoch has acquired MySpace to hedge his bet on what might be the next net-powered media upheaval. The massive success of MySpace and Flickr's exemplary strategy are milestones in a new high-tech wave reminiscent of the craziness of the early dot-com days. The web has finally matured to the point that it can fulfill some of the outlandish promises that we heard in the '90s.

Thanks to our activity on the web, it has replaced phone books, and is in the process of replacing phones. It's the place that answers our questions in four tenths of a second and ships us funny clips that mix the "Back to the Future" guys with the "Brokeback Mountain" soundtrack. It's the main source of news for the younger population, and a megaphone for those who make their own media.

How do you get your site noticed?
1. Links and blogs will get your site noticed.
2. Get into the top tier of Google's index. The most important criterion is collecting links — those little clickable, underlined mentions on web sites that take you from one web page to the next.
3. Design an effective title page on your company's web site, and present a clean design that makes it easy for consumers to discover what you're selling and how to contact you.
4. Optimize your pages by using a Search Engine Optimizer (SEO). They will help you design your web site or redesign your site to be "Google friendly." They also recommend ways to extend a business' reach across the web.
5. Get other sites to link to your company's web site, as links are the heart of the Google system.
6. Google stresses quality over quantity. One link from a highly viewed site like MSNBC.com could be worth more than 50 links from tiny sites or blogs.
7. Turn to highly visited sites like the MySpace online community, and Google's Blogger free blogging-creation software.
8. Check out companies like Blizzard Internet Marketing who runs web campaigns for travel-related businesses. They design web sites for clients and perform search-optimizer duties to keep sites atop Google.
9. Create an information-rich site. A link is a link, but good information is what will draw traffic to your web site.
10. Blogs are the best way to attract links because Google loves blogs. Sites with a blog, which get comments from users, always rise to the top.

How do you get started?
Check out the online Search Engine Guide newsletter. They offer a free e-book about how to start an online business with little cash investment. Create a site as an experiment to test how well it would do and how long it would take to climb to the top of Google.

The most important tip to remember is to not neglect your company's web site. You need to be adding content every day, or at least as often as possible since your site is a growing, living, breathing thing.

Marshall Marcovitz is the founder and former CEO of the CHEF'S Catalog, a leading Internet shopping site. Currently, he is a lecturer, a university professor and a marketing consultant. He can be contacted at mmmellow9@yahoo.com.