BizReport : November 2006 Archive

November 2006 Archive

Research | November 30, 2006

Google: No More “Answers”

Google won’t accept any more questions for it’s “Answers” site. The company has announced that Google Answers will shut down after four years. >>

Trends & Ideas | November 30, 2006

Yahoo Building A Universe?

Yahoo! is building a new kind of online social environment. The company is leveraging properties like Flickr and Del.icio.us in an effort to build “passion brands” to build more revenue. >>

Research | November 30, 2006

Working Moms Develop Internet Habit

Working mothers are tossing time with television and newspapers in favor of radio and the Internet, according to new research from The Media Audit. >>

Advertising | November 30, 2006

IAB Promotes Benefits of Online Advertising

The IAB has gathered the opinions of marketing executives from almost 500 brand marketers to find out what they thought was most compelling about online advertising. >>

Research | November 30, 2006

Affluent 30-Somethings are YouTube's Key Audience

According to recent studies into YouTube’s online audience, the majority of users aren’t teenagers and 20-somethings, they’re in their mid-30’s. >>

Internet | November 30, 2006

Yahoo! Goes Walkabout

Several models in Nokia’s new mobile phone range will enable users to access more Yahoo! services. >>

Trends & Ideas | November 29, 2006

Does Google Have A Secret?

If the rumors are true, online giant Google may be introducing a stealth weapon for companies interested in building brand. According to reports, the search advertising giant is testing a secret CPM online advertising network. Reports say the Google Display Advertising Network has been in beta testing since October 1. >>

Research | November 29, 2006

Mobile Users Like ESPN, Weather

Mobile users have a much greater propensity to access sports and weather websites like ESPN and AccuWeather than PC users, however, the results for search giants Google and Yahoo are exactly the opposite. The news is part of comScore and Telephia’s new “Mobile Web Metrix” which compares mobile and personal computer usage. >>

Domain Names | November 29, 2006

NameMedia Purchases Afternic

Domain reseller Afternic and NameMedia are now one in the same. NameMedia, the industry leader in Direct Search and Premium Domain Name Sales bought Afternic Tuesday. >>

Advertising | November 29, 2006

Online Ads Fuel Christmas Present Pestering

The internet is part of youth culture, but is online advertising adding to children’s usual Christmas pestering? >>

Domain Names | November 29, 2006

MTVN Entertains Fans Online

MTV Networks (MTVN) is expanding its online offerings by creating several content hubs centered on shows with insatiable fan bases. >>

Internet | November 29, 2006

Human Rights Hacktivists Scale Firewalls

Computer-hacking activists have teamed up with the University of Toronto to develop software that will allow residents in web-restrictive countries to anonymously access censored sites. >>

Advertising | November 28, 2006

Merck Moving More Ads Online

Drug company Merck has a new plan for advertising – they will shift ads for new drugs from broadcast television onto online communities and cable networks. This in an effort to better market pharmaceuticals to new customers. >>

Research | November 28, 2006

Car Dealers To Increase ’07 Ad Spend

A new survey from online car dealer Cars.com indicates that many automotive dealers will be upping their online advertising in 2007. The results are on track with a similar study by eMarketer. >>

Trends & Ideas | November 28, 2006

Monster To Advertise In Newspapers

Perhaps following the lead of Google and Yahoo, Monster.com will begin placing classified job listings with newspapers around the United States. The employment company now has deals with around 40 newspapers, including the Orange County Register (California) and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, to provide power job listings. >>

Internet | November 28, 2006

Traditional Television Turns Brits Online

A recent British survey indicates that online television and video is gaining ground over traditional television. >>

E-commerce | November 28, 2006

Security Shake Up Needed to Increase Consumer Confidence in E-commerce

According to a new survey, security concerns are adversely affecting sales via e-commerce and email marketing. >>

Advertising | November 27, 2006

H&M´s New Ad with Emanuelle Béart Too Sexy for Swedes

H&M is launching a new lingerie campaign across 24 countries. Billboards are portraying a French actress Emanuelle Béart, known from Mission Impossible, reclining on a bed in her underwear. The ad is calling on viewers to see the “full story tonight”. The full story can be seen either on TV or online. >>

Research | November 27, 2006

MMA: Restrict Ads to Kids

This morning, revised mobile industry advertising guidelines were released from the Mobile Marketing Association. Among the changes are new rules on marketing to children. >>

Search Marketing | November 27, 2006

Study: Search Impacts Offline Purchasing

A new study from ROIResearch indicates that online searches impact nearly as many purchases made offline as online. The research shows that for every $1 spent online, the search-user will spend another $2.56 with traditional retailers. The numbers for frequent searchers are even higher. >>

Research | November 27, 2006

Gamers Flocking to Fantasy Sites

Despite the United States Congress changes to online gambling, gamers are flocking to fantasy sports websites. According to the latest rankings, more than 15 million consumers and businesses are taking part in fantasy sports – football, baseball, basketball – gaming sites. Free sites seem to be gaining popularity faster than pay sites. >>

Trends & Ideas | November 27, 2006

Break.com Gives Contributors a Pay Rise

As user-generated content (UGC) sites increase in popularity, some websites are paying good money for content. >>

E-commerce | November 27, 2006

Heavy Traffic Weighs Down Wal-Mart Website

Wal-Mart’s website suffered from visitor overload on Black Friday, causing it to shut its virtual doors for a large portion of the day. >>

E-commerce | November 27, 2006

Black Friday Shoppers Head for eBay

The auction site topped the list of Black Friday online shopping destinations with 7.5 million unique visitors. >>

Trends & Ideas | November 24, 2006

Flickr Opens To Guests

Just in time for the holidays, Flickr is open to guests. "The Flickr community wants you" could be the new message. Yahoo’s photo-sharing network is hoping that features – like the new Guest Pass – will encourage new users to give them a try. They hope mobile users and camera buyers will also take advantage of the new features. >>

Research | November 24, 2006

Podcast Audience Increases

More users are downloading podcasts now than six months ago, but does the increase point to a new online marketing must? >>

Research | November 24, 2006

Study: Online Video Influences Purchases

A new study from KnowledgeStorm and Universal McCann puts a new light on online video. According to the joint report, many IT professionals are relying on online video to make IT purchasing decisions. >>

E-commerce | November 24, 2006

British Businesses to Increase Online Marketing Investment

Companies throughout Britain are planning to invest more in online advertising as households increasingly use the internet for routine purchases. >>

Internet | November 24, 2006

CBS Broadcasts on YouTube Popular with Users

After uploading over 300 clips to YouTube since mid-October, CBS's online audiences have rocketed.. >>

Law & Regulation | November 24, 2006

Google Sued for Copyright Infringement

More copyright grief for Google, but this time it’s not via YouTube. >>

Mobile Marketing | November 22, 2006

Behaviorally Targeting Mobile Users

Mobile service providers in the United States are preparing for a new roll-out of a tool that takes behavioral marketing to the next level. The tool will identify users by demographic – age, sex, region – and also by past behavior. >>

Research | November 22, 2006

Life Impacts Online Behaviors

Think all you have to do to increase conversions is to have a behaviorally targeted online campaign? Think again. According to new research from BIGresearch, marketers also need to know what is happening with consumers. >>

Advertising | November 22, 2006

Ford Driving to Digital

In their ongoing efforts to turn business around, Ford will outlay more money than ever on advertising in 2007. In addition to increasing the advertising budget, the automaker will also change where and how they advertise, according to insiders. >>

Email Marketing | November 22, 2006

What Price an Email Address?

A new email forwarding service will enable users to charge a fee for access to their inboxes. >>

Email Marketing | November 22, 2006

The Masses Get Email on the Go

This Thanksgiving, European startup Berggi will launch an email and IM service in US and Spain for those with even the most basic of mobile phones. >>

Advertising | November 22, 2006

Newspapers with Online Presence See Web Revenue Rise

The Newspaper Association of America (NAA) reports that ad revenue from newspapers with websites continues to grow in Q3, compared to the same period in 2005. >>

Research | November 21, 2006

Yahoo Grows, Google Slows

Google is still the #1 search provider on the web, but in the latest numbers from Nielsen//Netratings, Yahoo’s search rating rose as Google’s slid. Does this mean that the Google monster is vulnerable? >>

Research | November 21, 2006

Study: Small Business Online Spending to Grow

A new study out shows that small businesses – more than 75% of small businesses in the United States – will continue to move their advertising and buying power online. >>

Research | November 21, 2006

Study: Marketers Should Use Social Networking

A new study indicates users are beginning to better understand the limitations and strengths of social networks. Social media tools – RSS, podcasts and blogs – are growing in popularity with both users, and online marketers can use the same tools to increase revenue. >>

E-commerce | November 21, 2006

Nissan and Microsoft Extend Online Ad Deal

Nissan broadens its online presence by extending its online ad deal with Microsoft. >>

Law & Regulation | November 21, 2006

U.S Websites and Bloggers Protected from Third Party Libel

The California Supreme Court ruled on Monday that websites, ISP’s and bloggers could not be held responsible for defamatory material posted on their sites by a third party. >>

Research | November 20, 2006

Online Video Ads Gain Popularity

With more than $410 million expected to be spent this year on online video advertising, experts in the industry are predicting that video spending will soon be on par with other forms of Internet advertising. >>

Research | November 20, 2006

October Ad Breakdown Shows Financial Growth

The pull of online networks is drawing financial services companies to increase their online advertising efforts, according to a new report from Nielsen//NetRatings. >>

Advertising | November 20, 2006

Tripmates Deals with TAN

Just in time for the North America’s rush to warmer climates, an advertising network and a travel social network have joined together. The Travel Ad Network (TAN) and Tripmates have struck a deal to connect social travel networkers with targeted travel ads. According to the deal, TAN will be the exclusive sales representative for all of Tripmates advertising inventory. >>

Internet | November 20, 2006

Yahoo! Partners with 176 Newspapers

The partnership will see newspapers embrace the technology they once feared. >>

E-commerce | November 20, 2006

Amazon.com – The Next Automobile Showroom?

From November 20, Ford Motor Company will sell their luxury Lincoln models from pages on Amazon.com. >>

E-commerce | November 20, 2006

Yahoo! Continues on Spending Spree

After its failure to purchase YouTube, Yahoo! is on a social media spending spree. >>

Internet | November 19, 2006

Launch of Website Devoted to TV Ads

The site, to be called adTV, will be devoted to old and new TV commercials, dished up to visitors as entertainment. It is due to be launched on January 15, 2006. >>

Internet | November 18, 2006

MySpace Sued by Universal Music

The world’s largest music company, Universal Music Group, sued MySpace on Friday, for allowing site users to upload copyrighted songs and videos. >>

Blogs & Content | November 17, 2006

Blogger Turns Celebrity

Celebrities are becoming bloggers to market themselves better. And bloggers in reverse are turning into celebrities, or rather “cewebrities”. Amanda Congdon, the former host of Rocketboom.com – an online news vblog, has this week given an interview to Businessweek commenting on her new deals with ABC and HBO. >>

Research | November 17, 2006

WebSideStory: Give Popularity A Try

Think you left peer pressure behind in high school? Think again. A new content publishing platform from WebSideStory is bringing popularity back by allowing the inclusion or exclusion of content based on visitor behavior. >>

Search Marketing | November 17, 2006

Search: Big Three Using Same Tool

Webmasters get ready, the three largest search engines are joining together to – hopefully – make search indexing simpler. The Big Three – Google, Yahoo and Microsoft – are joining together to provide a standard search protocol for marketers, publishers and website owners. The collaboration will allow websites to be easily indexed by search engines. >>

Research | November 17, 2006

Yahoo Deals with Vodafone

Online giant Yahoo has made a deal with Vodafone, a cell service provider, to be exclusive display advertising partners in the United Kingdom. >>

E-commerce | November 17, 2006

Online Fraudsters Rob U.S. E-commerce of $3 Billion in 2006

Cybersource's new survey shows a 7% increase in fraudulent transactions compared to 2005. >>

Research | November 16, 2006

Study: Follow Product Placement With Ad

Want a better return on your product placement buck? According to a new study, more television viewers will remember your placement if it’s followed by an ad in the next commercial break. >>

Search Marketing | November 16, 2006

Search Campaigns Helped by Email, Display Ads

If you want the best return from your search marketing dollars, give them a little push with collateral advertising from email, television and display ads. That’s the word from marketing executives at MediaPost’s Search Insider Summit Wednesday. >>

Research | November 16, 2006

Online Video On Fast Track

Want to get your viral video in front of the most potential customers? Take it online. That is the result of a new study from eMarketer, which indicates online video advertising will grow 82% this year alone. >>

Search Marketing | November 16, 2006

Meet Ms. Dewey, the New Face of MSN

Ms. Dewey may be an avatar, but she is beautiful, witty and a little quirky. She’s the eye-pleasing front end of a new search interface from MSN. >>

E-commerce | November 16, 2006

Internet Valuable Research Tool for Holiday Shoppers

The internet will be a key tool for holiday shoppers this year, according to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) 2006 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey carried out in October. >>

E-commerce | November 15, 2006

Coremetrics Dispels Myth of Cyber Monday

A recent report by Coremetrics predicts the highest day of the holiday season for online spending will be Monday, December 4. >>

E-commerce | November 15, 2006

Online Travel Booking Revenue Set to Take Off

According to a new JupiterResearch report, travel revenue from online bookings will increase by $43 billion over the next five years, reaching $128 billion in 2011. >>

Trends & Ideas | November 15, 2006

Dell Island Launched in Second Life

This Tuesday Dell hosted an invitation-only launch of their presence in Second Life – Dell Island. >>

Research | November 15, 2006

Behavioral Targeting Most Effective?

That is the belief of many Madison Avenue advertising executives. Compared with other forms of online targeting, behaviorally targeting ads is the best way to raise conversions, according to a new study. >>

Research | November 15, 2006

Travel Spending Going Online

Moving part of the advertising budget to online travel sites could help boost revenue in the future. That according to a new study from Jupiter Research that indicates online travel spending will rocket in the next few years. >>

Blogs & Content | November 15, 2006

Reuters Partnering With Pluck

In a first-of-its-kind move, news syndication company Reuters will begin syndicating blogs. The partnership will join the news service with social media firm Pluck; along with the partnership, Reuters reportedly will invest in the firm. >>

Search Marketing | November 14, 2006

Mobiles to Influence Local Search?

According to a panel of marketing executives, the number of Internet able mobile phones will lead to a boom in local search marketing sooner rather than later. At MediaPost’s Search Insider Summit Monday, the execs indicated that more people will begin using mobiles to perform searches for the nearest big-box store. >>

Research | November 14, 2006

Online Ad Spend Tops $4B in Q3

According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PriceWaterhouseCoopers, advertising revenue on the Internet in the third quarter has topped $4 billion. That is a new record level for online advertising. >>

Search Marketing | November 14, 2006

Search Marketers to Follow Google Offline?

The line between traditional and online advertising is beginning to blur. With Google’s announcement last week that they would begin advertising in newspapers and radio, other search marketers could be keying in to a new trend. >>

Viral Marketing | November 14, 2006

Buick Uses Tiger Woods in Viral Marketing Video

What do you get if you combine Tiger Woods with the 2008 Buick Enclave crossover and a shaky camera angle? An obvious attempt at viral marketing. >>

E-commerce | November 14, 2006

eBay in PS3 Pre-Sales Rush

eBay could be the top retailer of video consoles for the coming holidays, says a Lazard Capital Markets analyst. >>

Advertising | November 14, 2006

Google Suggests Free Phones in Exchange for Ads

Google CEO, Eric Schmidt, suggests that mobile phones should be provided to users at no charge. >>

Blogs & Content | November 13, 2006

Yahoo! Looking At Social Sponsorship

Social networks are the new advertising frontier. It seems everyone is talking about the impact of social advertising, but with Yahoo’s launch later this week of an actual social campaign, marketers are set to see just how much money could be made off of social networks. >>

Search Marketing | November 13, 2006

Ad Network Launched by Marchex

Online marketers can now bid for the placement of ads directly on Marchex’s 200,000-plus websites, many of which are direct navigation sites. The Marchex Network of sites attracts more than 25 million unique visitors each month, according to a statement. >>

Research | November 13, 2006

Expect 5% Boost to Holiday Sales

U.S. gas prices are headed down and the economy is on the rise, leading the National Retail Federation to expect a 5% boost to holiday sales in 2006. Will that boost be seen in traditional brick-and-mortar stores or online retailers? >>

Internet | November 13, 2006

"Making Life Easy” Goal of World Usability Day 2006

The largest user experience network in the world, the User Experience Alliance (UXA), will mark the second World Usability Day on November 14, 2006. >>

E-commerce | November 13, 2006

Men Prefer Clicks to Bricks

According to a recent report, “Online Retailing: The Impact of Click on Brick”, men are driving online! No more trips to the mall, online they can search for exactly what they want from the comfort and stress-free environment of home. >>

Law & Regulation | November 13, 2006

Google Faces Copyright Infringement

As online video content becomes more and more popular, issues surrounding copyright are thrust into the limelight. >>

Blogs & Content | November 10, 2006

Get Friendly With Those Bloggers – You Can Benefit

Generally bloggers are thought of as independent individuals commenting on the modern world. But a growing trend of offering them a financial incentive for covering certain products or services puts them in a whole new light. >>

Internet | November 10, 2006

Yahoo! to Enable Instant Messaging in Yahoo! Mail

Yahoo! is to follow its rival Google’s lead by merging its email and instant messaging programs. >>

Advertising | November 10, 2006

Top 5 U.S. Web Properties Attract More Visitors from Outside U.S. than from Within

comScore released a new internet usage study this week (9 Nov), the results of which show that more than half of the U.S.’s top 25 web properties generate more traffic from outside the U.S. than from within. >>

Advertising | November 10, 2006

Does Your Brand Measure Up?

A new reporting platform from NameProtect could tell you how your brand is being used online. Called the Brand Aware Report, it allows businesses without monitoring to view how the brand is perceived and treated online. >>

Research | November 10, 2006

Are Social Networks Declining?

Despite indications that social networking is beginning to decline, it seems people continue to blog and visit social networking sites en masse. >>

Blogs & Content | November 10, 2006

Social Networks Susceptible to Phishing?

Phishing attacks aren’t just focusing on email any longer. The new threat could impact social networking sites, thereby attacking online marketers. >>

E-commerce | November 09, 2006

Short Attention Span for Online Shoppers

How long before your customers get fed up of waiting for your website to load and move on? Four seconds according to a report from Akamai Technologies. >>

Social Marketing | November 09, 2006

Can Social “Niche” Audiences Boost Online Spending?

That is a question online marketers need to answer as more social networkers are influenced less by online ads and influenced more by their network of friends. >>

Trends & Ideas | November 09, 2006

Skype Testing New Features

New software from free talker Skype is testing user friendly click-to-call features with an e-commerce bent as well as group chat for blogs. >>

Search Marketing | November 09, 2006

Google Changes Landing Page Scoring

Online marketers need to bring their landing pages up to speed – quickly – or face paying more in advertising costs. Back in July, Google said they would begin factoring in landing page quality to their search ad bidding algorithm. Now they are expanding the change to contextually targeted ads. >>

Search Marketing | November 09, 2006

First Visual Search Engine Launched

Riya, who has assembled one of the largest visual computing research teams in the world, recently launched the first truly visual search engine. >>

Blogs & Content | November 08, 2006

Second Life Is Gaining Popularity with Professionals as a Marketing Tool

Adidas-Reebok, IBM and Sun-Microsystems are some of the big names immersing themselves in a virtual world where they’re building virtual stores and creating brand awareness. >>

Research | November 08, 2006

Yahoo! Tests Graphic Mobile Ads

Eager to build more online revenue, Yahoo! is set to begin delivering graphic advertising to mobile phones. It’s part of a test program to see how well the ads translate from the Internet to mobile space. >>

Research | November 08, 2006

Local Search Revenue To Reach $31 billion?

That is the forecast from The Kelsey Group, a research and analysis firm. In their annual forecast, analysts indicate that both global local search and online classified advertising revenue will grow to $31.1 billion in 2010. >>

E-commerce | November 08, 2006

“Agora” Launched by Microsoft

Microsoft’s new “Agora” e-commerce service makes uploading product information a snap. It allows online merchants to upload product inventories using the Microsoft Live Search index and also lists products in search results. >>

Search Marketing | November 07, 2006

New Projection Shows Video Ad Surge

Over the next four years, the video ad market is expected to boom according to research firm eMarketer, but the biggest boom is expected next year. eMarketer.com is projecting an 89% increase in online video ad revenue in 2007. >>

Email Marketing | November 07, 2006

Phishing Has Greater Hold

A new study indicates more users may be falling victim to phishing attacks than previously thought. Researchers at the Indiana University School of Informatics found that about 14% of users may be responding to each phishing attack. Previously, it was though phishers only received information from about 3% of the population per year. >>

Research | November 07, 2006

U.S. Web Future In Doubt?

Is the U.S. moving too slowly to capitalize on next generation Internet? That is the fear of approximately 86% of online experts. They say countries like China, India and several other Asian and European countries may be moving faster toward Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). >>

Search Marketing | November 06, 2006

AdBrite Opens Auction Model

Online advertising network AdBrite is introducing a new advertising auction model they say will let advertisers bid on a per-impression basis. Ads can be targeted by keyword, geographic location, demographic and more. >>

Trends & Ideas | November 06, 2006

Google Advertising in Newspapers

In a different move, it looks like Google will begin advertising in newspapers. The search giant and about 50 newspapers are launching a test program that will place ads that Google cannot find room for online in newspapers. >>

Search Marketing | November 06, 2006

“Lifecycle” Manages Conversions

Rather than focusing on driving a small amount of traffic to boost online revenue, a new ad managing system from SmartSearch is focusing on managing the lifecycle of a campaign by increasing conversions. >>

Research | November 03, 2006

Quality Control Key For Marketers

In the quantity versus quality debate, quality seems to be losing out. According to a new study from Bluestreak, many online consumers are fine with the quantity of ads on the Internet, but not with the quality of those same ads. >>

Search Marketing | November 03, 2006

Online Marketing in Second Place

If you aren’t already marketing on the web you should be. According to a new whitepaper from Omniture, online marketing ranks second as the preferential advertising medium behind only in-person advertising efforts for B2B campaigns. >>

Advertising | November 03, 2006

Online Advertisers To Be Investigated?

A consumer group wants the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate the practices of online advertisers. They say the $100-billion dollar online advertising industry is impeding on the privacy of Internet users. >>

Search Marketing | November 02, 2006

Ask.com Replacing MSN and Google

Search portal Lycos has asked Ask.com to replace MSN and Google as the organic search and paid listings provider on the portal’s sites. MSN Windows Live had provided all of the natural results while Google provided the paid search results. >>

Trends & Ideas | November 02, 2006

Sears Launches “Social Shopping” Site

Just in the time for the holiday rush, retailer Sears has launched a new kind of website. The social shopping experience allows users to find gifts, talk about products and share information through an online hub. >>

Search Marketing | November 02, 2006

Kefta Offers Self-Serve Search

Improved advertising targeting, better landing pages, and other improved marketing elements are the draw behind Kefta’s new self-service personalized ad service platform. The smaller version of Dynamic Targeting is geared for small and medium sized businesses on the web. >>

Internet | November 02, 2006

Yahoo Helps Consumers Find "Greener" Vehicles

Yahoo has joined hands with the nonprofit Environment Defense organization to help consumers make more informed decisions over the choice of more environment friendly vehicles. >>

Blogs & Content | November 01, 2006

Social Networking Ad Spend To Explode?

In the past few months marketing on social networking sites has become high priority for online advertisers. As social sites continue to see surging traffic, experts say ad spending is set to surge as well as marketers key in to the demographic. >>

Search Marketing | November 01, 2006

Get More From Keyword Searches

Want to dramatically improve conversion and click through rates for your search advertising campaign? A new study from Advertising.com indicates that optimizing search is all in the keyword – and has some tips on boosting your search campaign return. >>

Research | November 01, 2006

CitySearch and Ask boost IAC’s Q3

IAC/InterActive Corp has released the company’s 3rd quarter numbers, which show growth is nearly all sectors. With more than $1.5 billion in revenue, an 11% growth over 2005, the company is coming on strong. Strong performance from their Ask.com and CitySearch portals helped boost the Q3 numbers. >>