Are classifieds fated, by definition, to be "dumb" all-you-can-eat listings? Or can certain categories be remade as performance-based listings a la Google that bring best matches to the top, offering higher revenue in return for a better match and conversion? That's…
Precision Tune Auto Care, which has 300 franchisee-owned stores, is the first major auto-care chain to sign up for DriverSide's new co-branded version of its online vehicle profiles. The profiles include maintenance records. Customers can also receive reminders and special…
It is counterintuitive that Web 2.0 real estate sites would continue to grow their audience and ad dollars while the industry “scrapes along the bottom” for years to come. The sites, though, still say they are growing. “Fear, value-shopping, and…
Neighborhood-level intelligence isn’t always easy to find, for residents, travelers or resettlers. We have neighborhood boundaries, courtesy of the sociologists and mapmakers at Urban Mapping. But other information can be scant. Now we have another view from the real estate…
Web.com has been busy cutting deals recently. In the past two weeks, the provider of Web site creation and hosting services, search engine optimization and lead generation services to small businesses has announced it is working with MerchantCircle (see post here)…
At J.D. Power and Associates’ Automotive Internet Roundtable in Las Vegas this week, several speakers said they believe mobile search and services are an increasingly important part of auto marketing -- assertions backed up by J.D. Power research showing that…
J.D. Power and Associates’ annual Automotive Internet Roundtable is being held in Las Vegas, amid an industry that is being especially hard hit by the credit industry. A bunch of dealers at breakfast this morning estimated that “90 percent to…
The news hit the wires this week that Autobytel, one of the original third party auto sites, had hired RBC Capital Markets to explore its options, and was laying off 75 of its 225 workers. This was on top of…
One of the things that dawned on me after listening to the many speakers at our recent DMS ’08 conference in Atlanta was that a fundamental aspect of the Yellow Pages business has been lost -- exclusivity. During the days…
With the real estate market in an indefinite doldrums, Zillow is transforming itself from an information provider about home sales to a full-service provider of information for home owners. The ad-supported service announced today that it is launching a Professional…
OK, we’ve got the format(s) and “best and brightest” speaker roster set for Interactive Local Media: Extending Local Channels, which is Nov. 19-21 in Santa Clara, California, next to San Jose. At the top of the list is Angie Hicks,…
Yellow Pages Group New Zealand has acquired a majority stake in grownups.co.nz, a Web site targeting the over 50s crowd, as reported on Stuff.co.nz. Voted as New Zealand’s best lifestyle Web site in 2008, this acquisition may well prove…
LiveDeal, which has been aggressively pushing a joint classified and directory platform since its merger with YP.com last year, is moving in new directions with the arrival of new president and CEO Mike Edelhart. He replaced former YP.com head Dan…
It has been more than 90 days since former Yellowpages.com President Charles Stubbs took the helm at Primedia, the publisher of apartmentguide, rentals.com, newhomeguide.com and DistribuTech. We’ve followed Stubbs for a long time, and have naturally been curious about his…
Auto dealers have ramped up their use of online lead providers, according to a new dealer satisfaction study by J.D. Power, which was conducted in May and June with 4,141 respondents. They've gone from an average of 5.6 in 2006…
Newly launched automotive portal DriverSide announced today that it will acquire auto mechanic search site fairBenjamin. The acquisition is hoped to improve DriverSide's repair service data and estimates for common repairs, and possibly add new dimensions to its service based…
As an innovative way of promoting its Yellow Pages and Yellow Frontdoor, its magazine-styled directory focused on home improvement and decorating, Yellow Pages Group New Zealand is now the main sponsor of New Zealand’s largest home show as reported…
Real estate advertising revenues will give way to transaction revenues, at least in SoCal, as the Los Angeles Times Media Group teams with several partners to launch Zetabid, a new site that will display and auction foreclosed homes and other…
The development of verticals is an obvious growth strategy for newspapers, Yellow Pages, search engines and as standalones. The Kelsey Group projects that verticals and classifieds will make up 25 percent of interactive local revenues by 2012. But nothing happens…
Since launching self-service EZ Ads in April 2007, Zillow.com has set a new standard for simple-to-buy, one-price ads, and 13,000 (mostly) local advertisers responded. Typical ad spends were about $50. Now as Zillow begins to have its inventory sold to…
