There wasn't an immediate meeting of minds when Australian media company PBL joined forces with software giant Microsoft to create the internet portal ninemsn, according to ninemsn's lifestyle business manager Pippa Leary.
In fact, in the early days of the joint venture, ninemsn learned how to successfully combine broadcast and print media with Internet technology the hard way - by getting it wrong, she told the Netfest Internet conference in Melbourne.
"But a few years down the track we're a lot wiser", said Ms Leary.
In July 1997, when the joint venture began, ninemsn had no idea what people wanted online and no one knew whether Microsoft's technology would be showcased through PBL's content, or whether the technology was just the vehicle for the content, she said.
The site started in a 'haphazard' way with over 40 MSN and PBL derived sites - with everything from online soapies, existing Channel 9 TV programs, ACP magazine content to technologically sophisticated educational sites.
What ninemsn learnt, sometimes through expensive failures, was that content is far more important than the latest technology, Ms Leary said.
She illustrated the point by citing the spectacular success of an early technologically-basic ninemsn site which provided information about sexual relationships, compared with the expensive failure of a multi-award winning educational site constructed using Flash animation, which hardly anyone visited.
"We also discovered Internet audiences don't usually use the Net for entertainment, so the golden rule is 'utility, utility, utility'", Ms Leary said.
Even entertainment-focused content from women's and men's magazines are far more popular when they're adapted for the Net in a utilitarian way.
"For example, Cleo readers want to be able to search the Cleo site for make-up tips and Ralph readers want to download screensavers of the latest cover girl," she said.
"This kind of interactivity is also what keeps people coming back to the site rather than just continuing to buy a hard copy of the magazine in print - it may sound obvious, but you can't just put existing broadcast and print content on the Net and expect people to look at it", Ms Leary said.
She also emphasised the importance of a few very basic rules such as keeping the technology simple so the audience can easily navigate around the site. She reinforced the fact that brand recognition remains vital.
It's not very sexy, but perhaps low-tech utlitarianism is the recipe for success - it's certainly worked for ninemsn.
