indie city websites

 Independent City Sites Compete With MSM [by rafat]  : Our conference contributor Dorian Benkoil has penned an interesting report for Borrell Associates, covering the indie city website competing against local TV and newspaper websites. These low-cost and scrappy competitors shun local news, obituaries and classified ads, focusing almost exclusively on fun and interesting things to do around town.
Many of these independent local sites are reporting revenues well into six figures, and some recently formed their own trade group, Associated Cities. A flurry of acquisitions has begun as well, including a $500,000 acquisition for a "City.com " URL, and a $12 million offer by a newspaper publisher for LasVegas.com. (This reminds me of the New City Network of indie websites back in the late 90s..it is now defunct)
Independent sites tend to have a fraction of the traffic and revenue of competitors who are financed and promoted by traditional-media outlets, but the underdogs offer an interesting lesson: Keep it simple, keep it upbeat, and don't forget the out-of-market traffic. They are focusing on sites that win attention from locals and travelers alike, and are tapping ad revenues from some of the largest spenders on interactive advertising: hotels, casinos, airlines, real estate agents, resorts and restaurants. [Nov.29: Link] | Nanopublishing |