Superpages.com announced its release of added user functionality to their site. Superpages users can now update business profiles, add photos and participate in business specific blogs. The added UGC elements will go far in differentiating Superpages against the many existing local online directories.

Traditionally, the directory business has been seen as a utilitarian device. The more aged, well-entrenched directory players consider their jobs to be as an information portal only and because of this mind-set, they have pained as advertisers are finding other online user centric and interactive ways to spread the word of their businesses existence.

The changes idearc is making to their Superpages.com product are headed in the right direction. They are taking considerable efforts to focus more on the consumer and as a result, improving their ‘customer reach and loyalty’ story.

written by Beverly Crandon \\ tags: Directories, Superpages.com, UGC

Zillow it seems has made the publishing headlines again as it announces a partnership with 11 newspaper groups, who in turn represent 282 individual newspapers.

Through this relationship, local newspaper advertisers who run print and online “for sale” and open-house ads will have the option to share listings on Zillow. Newspapers will also be able to incorporate Zillow features such as ‘Zestimates’ into their own sites.

To date, Zillow has 1.5 million registered users - not bad for their less than two years of existence, they have been successful in creating partnerships with Realtor Groups across different states and now the above newspaper consortium relationship.

Zillow has become the real estate portal to watch, especially if you are a publisher trying to keep current on the tips and tricks that work.

written by Beverly Crandon \\ tags: Real Estate, Zillow

If you are in the classified business or even a constant mover, and you have not checked out Zillow yet, I suggest you do. Although the real estate site is almost two years old, Zillow noise really began to peak just this year and I suspect we will hear much more from them, given their recent RE/MAX allegiance.

Zillow is unique in that they have coupled Web 2.0 elements and segmented the site search to match the user - For example, a FSBO’s functionality is specific to their needs and aids in their self-management and so on. If being compared to traditional real estate sties, Zillow’s overall functionality appears superior - Multiple search options, mapping functionality, the inclusion of FSBO’s (this in itself is big news), real estate guides, and discussions. Also, a never before seen feature that could be found on Zillow is something they call ‘Make Me Move’. Here, homeowners list a few details about their home, along with a dollar amount one would need to pay to - make them move. The house doesn’t have to be formally listed in the market place and this Zillow feature gives those toying with the idea of selling, an understanding of how easy or quickly their home could be shold.

Zillow is still in beta and if you follow the site long enough you will see that they are continuously improving appearance, tools and functionality. Nevertheless, even given its infancy they were able to strike a deal with RE/MAX. RE/MAX Realtor groups in DC, Virginia and Maryland will start to feed their listings to the Zillow site. The allegiance will work as a win win for all, as RE/MAX will get to benefit from Zillows advanced functionality and Zillow can rest assured knowing that it has a reputable and sizable base feed from RE/MAX agents.

ad-itions take is that Zillow has just begun and will have a long life span in the real estate market. I also suspect that within a couple of years, Zillow will expand its focus to include a light generalist classified concept, through e-garage sales and other service classifieds that would help the standard home buyer/seller, with their related activities.

written by Beverly Crandon \\ tags: RE/MAX, RealEstateClassfieds, Zillow

Forbes has added to its list of online acquisitions with the closing of the Clipmarks deal being announced today. You may remember their other most recent purchase of RealClearPolitics, an online news site and well Clipmarks, not surprisingly, is within the same vein.

With the purchase of Clipmarks, Forbes has opened up their flagship web property to a widening audience. Clipmarks is known for their active user base of laymen online news reporters or ‘Clippers’. The enthusiastic air experienced on Clipmarks is a direct opposite from what Forbes is used to, but if longevity and product positioning is important to them, acquisitions of this sort should be an extreme part of the game plan.

In other Forbes related news, they recently opened up their site to Matchpoint advertising - Another ‘magazine’ non-conventional strategic revenue tactic.

written by Beverly Crandon \\ tags: Clipmarks, Forbes, Matchpoint, RealClearPolitics

More talks of the ‘coming soon’ Google Phone hit the press this weekend and as with most ventures explored by Google, as you read the releases you could not help but notice the definite strategic impacts to the media world.

Google plans to release the highly anticipated Google Phone by the middle of 2008, giving themselves enough time to build the differentiators, learn from the issues Apple has gone through with their iPhone and gain additional insight on Microsoft’s push to release their mobile phone and build allegiances (Motorola, Samsung, Palm).

One already known differentiator is that Google plans to continue in its vein of ‘Internet openness’ and bring that concept to the mobile world. They will give away their software to handset makers and then use the Google Phone’s openness as an invitation for software developers and content distributors to design applications for it. “Why”, many ask, “give away the software?” This resemblance of ‘open-sourceness’, I believe, will create a platform for Google to dominate the mobile search and advertising world, as they have with the online search and marketing world. Their realized revenues will not be from unit sales alone and in fact, I move that the hardware gains will be minimal in comparison to the relationships they will make with agencies and large advertisers, based on their soon to be superior mobile search algorithms and advertising tools.
I predict Google will maximize the following with the launch of the Google Phone:

Directory Relationships: we have all seen how 411 inquiries, via mobile phone, could serve to show advertiser messages, related to the business number inquiry. I suspect Google will open up it’s Google search tools to one-touch access and feed related advertising to mobile customers – similar to the 411 example. This form of mobile advertising will likely increase business listings in things like Google Base, Google Directory and do not forget Google Directory Assistance – giving traditional directories a run for their money.

Large Advertisers and Agency Relationships: take a look at Automotive OEM’s for example. We have seen their large adoption of new media practices to gain traction. It is suspected that Google will create mobile advertising campaigns to suit their budgets and taste for market share acquisition. Local publishers should also take notice as the Google Phone could be used for both the large advertiser, as well as the local dealership, through utilizing the local directory platforms Google already makes available to the public.

Google Desktop and Mail Apps.: Could applications made for the Google Phone help you to bypass Data Plan charges, if you have a G-mail account? Why not? I see Google gaining user share for their Google Phone by making available, elements of their Google Desktop and Mail applications.

The list could go on, but above are examples of not only revenue generating models, but also user acquisition activities.

What does all of this mean for Traditional Publishers?

Knowing of the upcoming Google Phone release, as a publisher, I would be looking at my products, offering, and client lists to see what obvious synergies arise. Do you create a campaign with Google where you share your client lists and become the directory conduit for your local content? Build fee-based advertiser premium packages, with the promise of syndicating advertiser messages to a Mobile Google audience.

Record Labels too should be taking notice. Is there room for a potential Google Phone Music Library, where users download artist releases or become premium/exclusive members and gain access to pre-releases - this could be fee-based or not.

In a New York Times article about the Google Phone, they go so far as to say: “Whoever takes the lead in this market may become a technological gatekeeper wielding the same power, and reaping the same profits, that Microsoft does through its Windows operating system.”

On another note, a Canadian telecommunications giant, Rogers Communications, and Yahoo announced an expansion to their relationship. The new pact will continue to provide Rogers‘ high-speed Internet access customers with a customized Yahoo portal and browser. Nevertheless, it will also extend Yahoo’s mobile offerings, including its Go 2.0 set of applications and search service, to Rogers‘ wireless subscribers. The kicker of the arrangement is the change to Yahoo’s billing agreement with Rogers. Previously, Yahoo charged Rogers on a per user basis. The billing scheme, in the new arrangement, will change to an ad revenue sharing model. This is great for Rogers and their 2008 margins will benefit, but simple math shows that Yahoo will take an immediate hit. (The per user billing relationship was estimated to be worth $575 million). But again, after reading the details on the Google Phone, you can see that Yahoo made the arrangement for strategic positioning purposes. To gain quick inclusion to the ‘mobile wars’, building alliances is seen as Yahoos only solution at this point.

written by Beverly Crandon \\ tags: Google Phone, Google Phone predictions, Yahoo and Rogers Communications, Yahoo Mobile