Article Abstract:
The increasingly popular search engine companies are adding new attractions to keep customers from leaving their sites quickly and position themselves as Web portals. Among the recent services are E-mail, chat rooms, news, sports scores and classified advertising. Users also can customize their front pages on a daily basis to present news topics, sports scores and stock quotes. Yahoo visitors, for example, browse more than 95 million pages on a daily basis. Some estimate Yahoo, the leading search site, draws more than 30 million US households that spend a total of 503 million surfing hours per month. Search sites also have the potential to pass along more detailed consumer information to advertisers, who then could direct messages to the most likely shoppers. Large media companies also must decide whether the search engines will maintain their momentum as rivals or potential partners.
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Article Abstract:
Measuring the World Wide Web audience is generating controversy within the industry. Internet search services and ratings companies already are reporting discrepancies in Web site traffic. The numbers make a difference among large advertisers, who seek Web sites that reach the widest audience as well as various demographic and life-style categories. Many experts caution against comparing Internet ratings to those of prime-time television, saying the less-conventional mass medium can organize narrow segments of likely shoppers. Ratings companies such as Relevant Knowledge, Media Metrix, Net Ratings and soon Nielsen are competing to emerge as the benchmark Internet ratings company. Many of these services apply statistics already in place for other media. These criteria include measuring a site's number of viewers, plus the number of return visits in a month.
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Article Abstract:
Media Metrix will acquire Internet rating service archrival Relevant Knowledge in an undisclosed, all-stock deal. The move continues a recent trend of mergers between smaller Internet companies and some large online companies. A decline in technology stocks is putting pressure on firms to maintain viability and eliminate competition. Both privately-held companies measure World Wide Web site traffic and publish a list of the 25 most popular cyberspace destinations. Media Metrix and Relevant Knowledge also sell specific data to advertisers and Internet publishers for a minimum $50,000. The ratings, however, frequently differed significantly from one another as well as from Web sites' internal measurements. Heavy spending on measurement software installation has prevented both companies from showing a profit.
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