INTERNET RECAP -- NOVEMBER 1, 1999

Demand Cripples Nat'l Geographic & Encyclopedia Britannica Sites

Two sites launched this month proved to be prime examples of the need for quality content on the Internet. National Geographic and Encyclopedia Britannica, names long associated with quality information and reporting, struggled to keep up with the demand for their online products. Both sites are now installing new servers to handle the overwhelming and immediate consumer demand. 

Almost 10 million users tried to access the Encyclopedia Britannica site when it launched; only 100,000 were able to view the site.  Britannica executives had no idea how popular their site was going to be, according to an Associated Press story: "No one in his right mind would have built an infrastructure capable of handling the initial demand we had."

National Geographic faced similar problems when its new “Map Machine” feature was launched.  "Within two hours yesterday we were getting pounded," said a National Geographic official.  

The bottom line? Internet sites have a bad reputation for putting out junk content, false and incorrect information, and slanted viewpoints.  Demand for reputable content from blue chip companies such as National Geographic and Encyclopedia Britannica clearly indicates the need for quality content for all online sites.

Shopping Bots: 
Let Technology Do the Walking for You

Surfing the Internet quickly for affordable products is becoming easier every day; suddenly, shoppers no longer have to visit multiple sites to find the best deal. Robots, or “bots”, let shoppers verify competing prices for products on the Web with the click of a button.  Recognizing the power of this timesaving technology, bots are now a standard capability on portal sites.

Bots are available for generic product searches as well as specialty searches.  Sites such as My Simon allow users to search for hundreds of products, while companies like Best Book Buys specializes exclusively in online book retailers.  Links to some of the more popular sites are listed below.

Generic Bots:

http://www.mysimon.com
http://www.shopfind.com
http://www.jango.com
http://www.planetretail.com

Specialty Bots:

http://www.bestbookbuys.com
http://www.auctionwatchers.com
http://botspot.com/search/s-shop.htm
http://www.dealpilot.com

Online “Super Tuesday” 
Primary for Women

Representing 42% of all Internet users, women are receiving much attention online.  Women are also a powerful voting community, credited with helping re-elect President Clinton in 1996.  Combining the online presence and voter influence, Good Housekeeping and Women.com are launching an online site dedicated to understanding the issues important to this critical demographic. In March 2000, the "Majority 2000: Women Count" Web site will hold an online primary, hoping to understand how women will vote in the March 14 “Super Tuesday” primary. 

Retailers are also recognizing that the Internet is no longer a bastion of maleness. A recent AOL/Roper Starch “Cyberstudy” found that 37% of women shop online, which is a 54% increase from 1998. Many sites are increasing product and site testing with women-dominated focus groups, and sites that cater exclusively to women are proliferating. Will these sites have staying power? Our guess: Community is key to the success of any site that caters to women.

Sites to see:

www.oxygen.com
www.ivillage.com
www.women.com