Unless you have been living under a rock for the last couple of weeks you have probably heard rumorings of Apples next big product the iPad.  Essentially it is a sleek looking tablet that is about nine and a half inches by about seven and a half inches, with a vibrant LED display that beckons you to come and play with it.  The base price is $499 and goes up from there in terms  of storage size and compatibility.  Many have touted it as a “game changer” whilst others, more  geekish types, tend to be more critical of it, and say that it is a glorified tablet laptop, that lacks  major components that a standard laptop in that price range should come with. With all of the  polarizing commentary though, it has some salient points worth pointing out to you, the online  business owner.

My first point, as was pointed out by New York Times columnist Dave Pogue in his article about  the iPad, is that it is not a laptop.  His main contention and that of the techie world is that it is not a  device that is equipped to create stuff well.  This is true, so from a business owner’s perspective of this being a useful tool for creating documents, well it simply isn’t as efficient as a laptop.  However, having said that, the iPad’s utility is not in its creative processes, which it might develop down the road, but its utility as a media consumption device.  Dave Pogue in his article goes on to say that “it’s infinitely more convenient for consuming it {media} — books, music, video, photos, Web, e-mail and so on. For most people, manipulating these digital materials directly by touching them is a completely new experience — and a deeply satisfying one.” This is where the iPad’s usefulness to the online business owner comes in to play, they have a new way to connect with their audience.  Portability is king, and most consumers who are referred to online business are told about said businesses while out on the road.  Many of them will turn immediately to their mobile devices, lest they quickly forget the referral.  You the online business owner now have access to one of trendiest new online media consumption devices out there.

My second point is that the iPad will bring in new audiences to the internet.  In the concluding statements of David Pogue’s article he states that “The iPad is so fast and light, the multitouch screen so bright and responsive, the software so easy to navigate, that it really does qualify as a new category of gadget. Some have suggested that it might make a good goof-proof computer for technophobes, the aged and the young; they’re absolutely right.”  It is this statement that should bring hope and excitement to the online business owner!  They have the new potential to reach audiences that they had not been able to reach before, and perhaps even open up new marketing strategies to route traffic to their site.  As Aldus Huxley’s book is entitled “A Brave New World,” so it is in the dawn of the iPad.

So if you are a business owner and you are thinking about future market segments, one cannot overlook the iPad as a gateway to new lands.  Does it have its drawbacks from a geek’s perspective? Sure, but the masses who are going to buy the iPad aren’t geeks.  They are average joes like you and I, who will fall in love with the iPad for its cool looks and ease of use factors.  So as an online business owner embrace the iPad and think about how you want your website to embrace these technologies.  With already 300,000 plus sold in the opening weekend, it is a sure bet that the iPad will be carving its niche in the online world in the days to come.  Wouldn’t you like a piece of that action too?