The Cybersea is now teaming with life. Most estimates reckon there are more than 200 million of us, and that's growing by somewhere between 1 million and 10 million every month.

What a prospect for anyone trawling the Cyberseas for profit. Imagine the enormous catch you could bring ashore! Or could you?

First lets study a few denizens of the digital depths.

The Cod

ORIGINS: Sucked into the Cybersea by hype, media coverage and a need to 'keep up' with the times.

HABITAT: Browsing on Brand Name and magazine recommended sites.

FOOD: Prefers fun, entertainment, quality shopping and sites related to his life outside the Cybersea.

NATURAL ENEMIES: 'New' and 'technology'. Little understanding beyond 'point and click' makes them easy prey.

TEMPERAMENT: Nervous of e-commerce. A native mistrust of 'the little guy': to them he's just a shark in disguise! They swim off if things aren't simple and well explained.

The Salmon

ORIGINS: Starts life in a Cyberriver, there for information about this one 'channel' or interest. Salmon often evolve from Cod who actually take an interest in something!

HABITAT: Anywhere with content related to their home river. Keen to explore the rest of the Cybersea. Often found on the search sites and portals.

FOOD: Information is the staple, though fun, entertainment, and shopping have their place.

NATURAL ENEMIES: Few natural enemies. Can sense the danger of a real 'shark', but is not scared off easily. Will judge the little guy on merit.

TEMPERAMENT: Very adaptable and capable. Has mastery of all things related to his main interest. Often has developed and discerning cases.

The Lobster

ORIGINS: Emerged from the primal ooze of telnet, ftp, gopher and some research program. Might even have helped develop http and the World Wide Web.

HABITAT: Dark secluded rock pools on the edge of the Cybersea. Never ventures far without good reason. Frequents newsgroups and specialist forums most of the time.

FOOD: Mostly software with some information thrown in for light relief.

NATURAL ENEMIES: None. Beware, the Lobster has sharp claws that can inflict serious injury on unsuspecting fishermen.

TEMPERAMENT: Crusty, pedantic and very protective of 'his' home. Doesn't necessarily welcome the new, but knows how it works and how to use it well.

Now Catch Your Fish!

To catch Cod you need a trawler of a website and a huge marketing campaign for a net. You're going to have to establish 'Brand Awareness'. They're expensive to catch and you're going to need to land them in big numbers to make a profit.

You can catch Salmon at sea, but the best place to reel him in is on his home turf. Putting your net across the mouth of his river will bring in a good catch. And it won't cost the earth.

A small boat, well designed and built, a few good marketing nets and you're away. Even the 'little guy' can get close enough to Salmon with a simple rod and line to make a good catch.

You can catch a Lobster, but you have to bait the lobster pot with something they really want. If you do that, a sturdy old rowing boat and a few pots will get you a rich harvest.

The Right Tackle For The Job.

This may all sound 'a bit fishy' to you, but there is a serious point to be made:

A successful fishing trip is all about careful planning.

1. Decide what sort of fish you want to catch.

2. Find out where they are.

3. Find out what they eat.

4. Find out how you can catch them.

5. See what all the other fishermen are up to.

The more effort you put in to planning, the more profitable you are going to be. If you aspire to take the helm of any kind of fishing vessel you are going to have to understand the waters you sail, the fish you seek and the tackle to use.

Understanding your market is not only crucial to a successful marketing campaign, it will also help you decide what kind of vessel to put to sea in. If you only need a rod and line, don't go out and buy the latest trawler with the biggest nets! Get the right tackle for the job!

It takes experience to become a great fisherman. Just like anything else in life, if you want to be the best you have to pay the price. Fortunately there are many resources floating around, most of which are free or very low cost. This excellent newsletter is a great example of that. Soak up as much of this knowledge as you can, as quickly as you can.

I'm just off to open another can of worms to try and attract a few fish my way! Enjoy your own fishing trip and I hope you catch everything you want.