Trackur, a bootstrapped startup founded by Internet marketing consultant and writer Andy Beal, up until now offered only paid versions of its online reputation management and social media monitoring tools, albeit with free trial periods.
Today, the fledgling company is introducing an entirely gratis version of the Web-based software suite, giving marketers and small business owners a compelling reason to want to check it out and see why basic Google Alerts simply may not be cutting it anymore.
We called it. IAC's Match.com is acquiring fellow dating site Singlesnet. We originally reported on the deal last week. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Match.com said the acquisition is more of a "value acquisition than a strategic one" and Singlesnet will continue to be run as an independent business. Singlesnet's traffic, says Match,com, is declining but could present new monetization opportunities for "Match.com's collective portfolio of domestic online dating brands."Tech Gadgets Mobile Enterprise CrunchBase More Beta Invites Crunchies Elevator Pitches Gillmor Gang Podcasts TechCrunch50 TechCrunch Europe TechCrunch Trends TechCrunch France TechCrunch Japan About Advertise Archives Company Index Contact Events Jobs Trends : Subscribe Join TechCrunch On Google Buzz CitySearch Is Building Out The Definitive Directory Of Local Business Tweets 5 Comments Buzz it by Erick Schonfeld on Feb 25, 2010 Twitter is becoming a serious marketing vehicle for local businesses . Everyone from your local baker to your favorite restaurant is getting on Twitter to talk to customers and draw in new ones . Just last weekend when I was driving to Vermont with my family , I sent out a Tweet asking for a good place to eat lunch . I got more than five responses , including one from a local innkeeper couple recommending two spots in town not owned by them That was in Brattleboro , . Vermont But that was so random . How do you even find out which of your favorite local businesses have Twitter accounts or what their Twitter handles are Well , CitySearch is doing it for you . The local business guide is starting to build out a definitive directory of Twitter accounts and
Gmail is known for launching a plethora of nifty little features through Labs that make the email platform more attractive and easy to use. In total, Gmail Labs has 60 features that can be turned on and off and is steadily adding more enhancements. Yesterday, Google announced that six features will be graduating from Labs and will become regular features of Gmail. And Google will also be retiring five features. The decisions were made based on usage and user feedback. Here are the graduating and retiring features:
While many of you are building your communities on the social media, it is good to take note that the social media websites can be taken over faster than we can ever thought.
I can still remember using ICQ with so many friends… I thought ICQ is not going to be taken over by MSN easily [...]
Out in the wild world of Twitter, there are people playing the game well and people who are not.
Now, I’ll be the first to say that Twitter is just a platform and it is up to YOU how you use it. It isn’t as if there is one way and every other way is wrong. [...]
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...Why Do You Follow People on Twitter?I Follow Pornstars On Twitter? [Stop Auto-Follow]8 Mistakes Too Many Bloggers MakeTech Gadgets Mobile Enterprise CrunchBase More Beta Invites Crunchies Elevator Pitches Gillmor Gang Podcasts TechCrunch50 TechCrunch Europe TechCrunch Trends TechCrunch France TechCrunch Japan About Advertise Archives Company Index Contact Events Jobs Trends : Subscribe Join TechCrunch On Google Buzz Placecast Debuts Location-Based Mobile Marketing Technology ShopAlerts 16 Comments Buzz it by Leena Rao on Feb 25, 2010 For brick and mortar retail shops , the biggest challenge right now is actually getting foot traffic in their stores . Earlier this week , The New York Times reported that retailer North Face is attempting to bring people into their stores by sending them text messages when they get near their retail outlets . That technology , called , ShopAlerts is powered by location-based advertising startup Placecast and is launching today as a full-fledged marketing service for retailers . Here’s how ShopAlerts works . Consumers can opt-in to receiving text messages in a variety of ways—at the store , online , via text-message , mobile websites or on Facebook . Once the technology has been activated , consumers will be alerted when they are near a location that they areWorld of Good, a five-year old venture that connects artisans from developing communities with mainstream retail markets, has been working with eBay for the past few years, with the ecommerce giant essentially powering the company's multi-seller marketplace for socially and environmentally responsible shopping.
This morning, World of Good announced that it is selling its wholesale division to GreaterGood/Charity USA, while eBay has moved to fully acquire its main brand and related assets. The terms of neither transaction were disclosed.
In their January 2010 State of the Mobile Web report, Opera Software looked at social networking on the mobile Web and concluded that Facebook dominated that aspect by a margin throughout 2009, while Twitter was the fastest-growing.
This month, the company looked at Mobile Web search in the United States, and claims Google is - perhaps unsurprisingly - leading the pack.
According to Opera’s report, Google Search accounts for more than 9% of all page views on the mobile Web in the United States, outpacing rivals Yahoo! and Bing, who respectively command 4.3% and 0.03% of all page views.Tech Gadgets Mobile Enterprise CrunchBase More Beta Invites Crunchies Elevator Pitches Gillmor Gang Podcasts TechCrunch50 TechCrunch Europe TechCrunch Trends TechCrunch France TechCrunch Japan About Advertise Archives Company Index Contact Events Jobs Trends : Subscribe Join TechCrunch On Google Buzz Vogue’s New iPhone App Will Style Your Wardrobe And Please Advertisers 6 Comments Buzz it by Leena Rao on Feb 24, 2010 Conde Nast has been working to fuse its fashion content with technology and social media . Lucky Magazine incorporated e-commerce into its online site and also partnered with Four Square . Today , Vogue Magazine is launching an innovative iPhone app that takes a page from social fashion startups like Polyvore and the Like.com’s Couturious . The free app , called the Vogue Stylist , is meant to be used by women to do exactly what its name indicates : help style women’s wardrobes . Users can choose one of the trends highlighted by Vogue within the app and upload clothing they already own . Vogue Stylist will then produce stylish outfits from the pieces that reflect the current trend . The catch : Vogue will style outfits only with products from their advertisers . March
A few days ago, I noted that Seesmic Web had perfected the management of Twitter contacts. I was wrong. A new service has been brought to my attention that is much, much better. Actually, it's a must-use.
While Seesmic Web is great for a number of things (it's arguably the best Twitter web client out there), ManageTwitter is great at one thing: managing your Twitter followers. To use it, you simply link up your Twitter account (via OAuth) and it lets you know which of the Twitter users you follow aren't following you back, who is inactive, who is talkative, and who is quiet. Each of these are great gauges for whether you should still be following them or not.Tech Gadgets Mobile Enterprise CrunchBase More Beta Invites Crunchies Elevator Pitches Gillmor Gang Podcasts TechCrunch50 TechCrunch Europe TechCrunch Trends TechCrunch France TechCrunch Japan About Advertise Archives Company Index Contact Events Jobs Trends : Subscribe Join TechCrunch On Google Buzz The Facebook Imperative 72 Comments Buzz it by Marc Benioff on Feb 24, 2010 Editor’s note This guest post is written by Marc Benioff chairman and CEO of salesforce.com In it , he explains why enterprise software should take its cues from Facebook and become more . social I quit my job at Oracle in 1999 because I couldn’t stop thinking about a simple question : Why isn’t all enterprise software like Amazon.com Why couldn’t applications be run from a simple website , without software or hardware to install , and pricy consultants to hire Why couldn’t we just compute in the Internet , or the cloud , and get away from the data center and all its complexity . Simply put , I wanted to simplify the enterprise . It was a pretty straight-forward idea , but from the confines in which I sat , there wasn’t anything close to a straight-forward . solution That vision led to the founding ofTech Gadgets Mobile Enterprise CrunchBase More Beta Invites Crunchies Elevator Pitches Gillmor Gang Podcasts TechCrunch50 TechCrunch Europe TechCrunch Trends TechCrunch France TechCrunch Japan About Advertise Archives Company Index Contact Events Jobs Trends : Subscribe Join TechCrunch On Google Buzz Infectious Rolls Out Skins For Current BlackBerry Models 4 Comments Buzz it by Leena Rao on Feb 24, 2010 We’re big fans of , Infectious a startup that makes high quality decals and skins that let you customize the look of your iPhone , car , laptop , skateboards , and more . Today , the startup has launched Infectious skins for all current Blackberry . models Infectious now has designs for the Bold , Bold 9700, Storm2, Curve 8520, Curve 8530, Curve 8900 and . Tour Infectious launched nearly two years ago with large , vinyl decorative stickers for your car , and they released decorative iPhone covers just in time for the 2008 holiday season . The company has since expanded to include laptop skins , custom skateboard decks , and wall prints . Users can also craft their own designs or branded skins to make the service appealing to a much broader customer base . It’s kind of like a
Justin Kozuch is Toronto. As the organizer of Refresh Events, Justin has positioned himself as a thought leader when it comes to community initiatives. I recently had the chance to interview Justin on his thoughts regarding the TTC and it's foray into social media, new technology and [...]
Flash games on the Web are getting to be so quick and responsive . . . that they can recreate 30-year-old arcade games no problem. And that's just fine with me because those are about the only video games where I can hold my own. Online video arcade OMGPOP's latest game is a remake of Atari's Missile Command on its 30th anniversary.
The OMGPOP version is true to the original except it adds a multiplayer twist. It's pretty addictive and the social aspect makes it more fun. Just like at the old coin arcades, it was always better when you went with a couple of friends.LBi International, the global marketing and technology agency, is to merge with SEO and Internet marketing specialist bigmouthmedia, creating "Europe's largest digital agency".
The deal is deal worth around £100m (roughly $150 million), reports Econsultancy, with the two companies combining "to offer clients digital marketing, consulting and technology services wherever they operate, all under one roof."
If things have not been perfect for you lately then you may be interested in this post. I recently had a chance to help out an internet marketing friend who visited my house for a ‘Biz tune up’. Hopefully some of the things I showed him will be helpful for you too.
From Bad To Worse??
Matt [...]Post from: InternetMarketingSpeed.com - Download this FREE report...How To Improve Your Online Business Even If you Think There Is Little Hope!
RSS feeds are quickly becoming a powerful way to optimize SEO and attract new audiences to your business product or service. It is likely that you have more than one type of content that could be shared about your business through one of these feeds. Find out how to promote your own RSS feeds to increase exposure for you and your business.
After much anticipation (and waiting), my wife and I welcomed Nathan Risley into the world yesterday afternoon.
Everything went very well. It was a quick labor. He is very healthy and my wife is doing well. As I write this post on my MacBook Pro in our hospital recovery room, we are just a [...]
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I heard that Problogger is de-friending people on Facebook. I was reading through that post, and found it very true… It’s not you or me… It’s Darren Rowse…
While all of us are creating a personal branding of our own through the Internet, we may actually mix up our friends and family whom we are keeping [...]
I really appreciate all of you who have been taking the time to comment on my blog. It is really enjoyable to have an interactive blog.
Today, I just thought of writing this post to remind every blogger out there (myself included) that it really takes effort for people to comment on our blogs. While they [...]I have compiled a quick list of 8 mistakes I see a lot of bloggers make. At least in my view, they are mistakes.
Not evaluating the niche of the blog before starting it, then coming in AFTER the fact to figure out how to make money with it.
Packing so many banner ads onto a [...]
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...Top 8 Mistakes Of Blogger NewbsTop 5 Mistakes People Make On TwitterWhy Bloggers Should Start a Mailing ListI wonder if any of you are still using Twitter after you have decided to use Google Buzz. I am still trying out both, and trying to make the best use of both.
Many of my twitter friends are not going to focus on Google Buzz at all. I think there is a potential, and there [...]
Here’s a case study (from my perspective knowing through the social media only) of how a social media website manages a potential social media crisis themselves.
I was watching Cranky Geeks a couple of weeks ago when I got to know the presence of this TechCrunch intern named “Daniel Brusilovsky”. And not long after, TechCrunch posted [...]While Google is still testing and fine-tuning Google buzz, will you actually start using it when you are already using Twitter and friendfeed?There has been a lot of controversial topics about using Google Buzz.. Some reject the idea of using Google Buzz because they are already dedicated their time on twitter. Some embrace the idea [...]I was reading Seth Godin’s blog on some consumers being short-sighted, greedy and selfish. It got me into some thoughts…
While you can’t satisfy some of your customers who simply ask for more, there are some businesses out there who actually over-promise and under-deliver. As customers ourselves, anyone of us may actually encounter this issue where [...]Some ramblings about belief…
There are many people out there who always think that there is a rule to follow. There’s always a superstition to believe in. There’s always a reference for the things that they do. Well, I wish to declare that all these things are not true in my own opinion.
This world is really [...]
I think there are some resistance out there to use Google Buzz. It has brought to my attention that a lot of twitter folks seem to be feeling that they have spent a lot of time on twitter, establishing themselves over there when there is a new upcoming social media (Google Buzz) for them to work [...]
This is a guest post by Ian Nuttall, of Leash Optional,
Everybody wants to have that one “big” idea. The idea that will generate them a six figure income, change the world and allow them to live the life of their dreams.
Who doesn’t love a big idea? Big ideas are sexy, alluring and dangerous. Everyone [...]
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...Mind Mapping: Turning Ideas Into ContentIntegrating a Website With Your BusinessConsultingAs part of my new header design for this blog, I am using a series of 12 header images which rotate randomly.
I’ve had a few people comment on that and wonder how I did it. It is actually VERY easy to do.
First, you create the images you want in your header. Make them all the [...]
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RSS feeds are great for getting fresh information regularly on your website. This is a very convenient option that will benefit websites and blogs through updated content on a consistent basis and increased traffic.If you have noticed, I have just put up this WordPress widget “Monthly Top Commentators” on my blog. It is to attract like-minded people to comment on this blog to give their views. It will be shown on the right corner of this blog, and will also be linked to your website if you have [...]
Alright, let’s be honest. We’ve all seen people say things are “dead” just to get attention. Email is dead. Blogging is dead. I’ve heard it all, and each time, they are stupid ploys for attention.
Today, however, is no ploy for attention. I am asking an honest question. This has been rolling around in my head [...]
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The jury is still very much out on whether Google Buzz is going to matter in a few months.
There is no doubt that Buzz took off VERY quickly last week. According to Google, Buzz has seen over 9 million posts in 56 hours. It has been seeing some SERIOUS numbers from the Mobile arena, [...]
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...Google Just Won’t Launch What Matters – To Do ListGoogle Free Tools Keep Getting BetterGoogle Reader Gets Notes – And Its Kinda StupidIt is the calm before the storm. Well, I should say, before the storm intensifies.
My wife’s due date was Saturday. We’ve been prepared all weekend to head into the hospital, but nothing yet. So, this baby could come at any time. The bag is packed. This next week is likely going to prove… [...]
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I would be the first one to admit that Twitter has had a huge impact on both my blog and our business this last year. In fact, I get tremendous amounts of traffic to Blog For Profit every time I do a post when I let my twitter followers know [...]
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...The Secret To Attracting More Comments On Your BlogDriving Behavior, Not ConversationScoble is Wrong About Blog Comments Being DeadToday, I’m going to be the ultimate straight-shooter with you. Because this is something a lot of bloggers need to hear BADLY.
There are so many bloggers out there who’ve got it all wrong. I see posts from people complaining about how hard it is to make money with a blog. I see dead blogs from [...]
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If you’re a blogger, then you already know a bit about community building. The people who read your blog are your community of readers! However, one of the things that I’ve learned from my studies of successful blogs and internet marketers are that most heavy hitting websites contain multiple communities. Here is an account of [...]
After cleaning up many outstanding projects over the holiday season, I moved on to building more new websites in just the last few weeks. Marketing income soared, especially after implementing strategies such as upsells, downsells and memberships. I was able to do this with the help of some internet marketing tools that anyone serious in [...]Post from: InternetMarketingSpeed.com - Download this FREE report...Nanacast Essential Internet Marketing Cart
Here are some cutting edge strategies and techniques that I’ve been testing in the last few months. Due to the complexity of internet marketing, no single system can claim to be the one-size fits all model for all businesses to follow. In fact, its important to use several resources and tools to boost earnings from [...]Post from: InternetMarketingSpeed.com - Download this FREE report...Internet Marketing Fast Web Formula
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