Web 3.0 & IAC (Part 3)

Web 3.0 Framework discussion

Context
IAC has done a very good job on the context front. Whether, it is Match.com, RealEstate.com, CollegeHumor.com, Ticketmaster.com or Shoebuy.com, the Company has got the context bang on. Chemistry.com for example has the patent-pending Chemistry Profile™ personality assessment!

If you are looking to give the perfect gift to your boy-friend on his 30th birthday then try Gift Finder on Gifts.com, a proprietary technology that matches gift ideas to any recipient based on age, gender, personality and interests. Citysearch on the other hand provides detailed local information on restaurants, shopping and other services.

Content
The content on some of the sites are of very high quality. Most sites have a wide array of information and tools that are very helpful. I personally liked the “Hotlinks” section on CollegeHumour.com, which links to the day’s funniest and most offbeat content on the web.

Gifts.com provides consumers with customized gift ideas through a unique combination of editorial content and product searching technology and has a host of tools to search gifts.

Community
Pronto.com has tools that allow users to register and put their personal profiles and post about products they like, desire and have. Registered users can also post their opinions on various stores and brands and network with other users by adding friends to their personal networks and send messages to other users.

CollegeHumour allows users to create and submit videos, pictures, articles and jokes. The Home Polls service on Domania provides insight into the attitudes, thoughts, and opinions of today’s Internet savvy real estate consumer.

The SpeedMatching option in Match.com allows users to sign up for a quick round of phone calls with four different members at a set time, while SpeedMatching in person allows members to pick a live event in a major city in over 30 states.

Commerce
Online retail stores like Shoebuy.com, Bagsbuy.com, hsn.com, etc. earn revenues through the retailing of products through the respective sites. Interval earns revenues through their timeshare exchange membership subscriptions. Ticketmaster sells tickets online. In 2006, the company sold more than 128 million tickets valued at over $7 billion on behalf of its clients.

Personalization
Gifts.com allows users to save profiles of friends and loved ones to receive constantly updated gift ideas and recommendations. It also allows users to build a personalized gifting calendar and set email reminders for important occasions and events.

Evite provides signature tools (for private or public events) to create personalized invitations and manage guest responses. Dating sites like Chemistry.com, Match.com and Udate.com have very good personalization features.

Vertical Search
Sites like chemistry.com or Match.com or Udate.com have very good search capabilities that allow users to search profiles or matches by using by location, religion, age, profession, activity, interest, etc. Pronto’s comparison shopping engine is based on vertical search algorithms.

Business Model
The Company earns revenues on transactions done through LendingTree.com, RealEstate.com, ServiceMagic.com, Ticketmaster, etc.

Citysearch, Ask.com, Evite.com and Fun Web Products earn revenues from advertising. Citysearch has a local Pay-for-Performance advertising model that provides local, regional and national businesses with the ability to invest in Web advertising in accordance with the amount of traffic each business receives.

Interval, Match and Entertainment earn revenues from membership and subscriptions, while ASK and CitySearch depend on Advertising revenues.

Relatively speaking, IAC has not capitalized on advertising revenues as much as it should. Focused sites like Ticketmaster, Shoebuy or Bagsbuy have huge potential for advertising revenues.

(To Be Continued)

[Part 1]
[Part 2]

This segment is part 3 in the series : Web 3.0 & IAC
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