From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Internet Brands (NASDAQ: INET) is a new media company based in
El
Segundo, California that operates online media, community, and e-commerce sites in vertical markets. The company also develops and licenses
internet software and social media
applications.
Businesses
The company operates two divisions: consumer internet and
licensing.
Consumer Internet
Division
The consumer internet division owns and operates more than 90
websites in seven categories. The largest websites include:
- Automotive: CarsDirect, NewCarTestDrive, Wikicars and the world's
most trafficked portfolio of car enthusiast sites[1]
- Careers[2]: GrooveJob, iFreelance, Model Mayhem, NursingJobs.org, WAHM (Work at Home
Moms)
- Health[3]: 3FatChicks, CancerForums.net, FitDay, HealthNews.org
- Home: ApartmentRatings, DoItYourself.com, RealEstateABC.com
- Money and business[4]: CreditorWeb.com, FinWeb.com, Loan.com
- Shopping: The
Bargainist, Ben's Bargains, HighDefDigest
- Travel and leisure: CruiseMates, FlyerTalk, Wikitravel
The company follows a strategy of aggregating target audiences
that are primarily monetized through advertising; the sites are focused on
specific vertical markets which tend to be most
attractive to advertisers.[5] [6][7]
According to the company's filings, the sites generated an
average of 50 million unique visitors in
the third quarter of 2009.
The company's portfolio of websites include many with social media
features, since they extensively utilize social network services, user generated content, blogs, wikis, and internet
forums.[8][9] Many of
the websites are driven by sizeable virtual communities (millions in
total membership); for instance FlyerTalk tallies 220,000
registered members on its home page, CorvetteForum.com more than 200,000,
Huntingnet.com more than 122,000, HDForums (Harley Davidson) more than 80,000.
The company is an active acquirer of
websites.[10]
Licensing
Division
The licensing divisions consists of Autodata
Solutions and vBulletin. vBulletin software, which is among
the most popular internet forum software in the world, is utilized
by many of the company's community-driven websites. Autodata
Solutions supplies content and software solutions to Internet
Brands websites, but Autodata's primary business is serving third
party clients, such as most as of the leading Automotive OEMs and many internet
portals. Autodata was
acquired by Internet Brands in 1999.[11]
History
The company was founded in 1998
as CarsDirect.com,
launched from the business incubator Idealab. The company invented a
consumer-advocacy approach to selling cars "haggle-free" online, an
approach it continues to employ.[12] In
2000, Roger Penske
invested in the company and joined the Board of Directors. In 2002,
Time Magazine voted the site one of the 50
best in the World.[13]
Reflecting its growth and diversification, the company changed
its name in 2005. [14] The
company's IPO
was in November 2007 on the NASDAQ exchange.[15]
Internet Brands is headquartered in El Segundo, California;
Autodata is headquartered in London, Ontario.
Recognitions and Awards
Internet Brands websites have received numerous recognitions;
some of the recent awards in reverse chronological order:
- BensBargains.net named one of the "100 most useful websites" by
MSN
Money in 2009.[16]
- DoItYourself.com selected as one of the "Top 10 Sites for Do It
Yourself Projects" by PlanetGreen.com in 2009.[17]
- Bargainist.com named one of the "Top 100 Favorite Blogs" by
PC
World in 2009.[18]
- CarsDirect.com named top 7 site for "buying or selling
anything" by PC World in 2008.[21]
- ApartmentRatings.com won the Innovator Award in 2006 from the
Inman News.[23]
- Cruisemates.com voted best site for Cruise reviews by
Kiplinger's in 2006.[27]
See also
References
- ^
Internet, Brands. "Car Enthusiast Site
coverage". http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2007/07/19/internet-brands-acquires-several-car-forums. Retrieved
2006-06-26.
- ^
Internet Inc.. "10 Career Sites Acquired by
Internet Brands". http://www.internetinc.com/Internet-brands-acquires-10-career-sites.
- ^
Marketwire. "Internet Brands Launches
Health Vertical With Two Acquisitions".
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Internet-Brands-Inc-NASDAQ-INET-1066825.html.
- ^
SoCalTech. "Internet Brands Buys Two
Websites, Targets Money and Finance".
http://www.socaltech.com/internet_brands_buys_two_websites_targets_money_and_finance/s-0021363.html.
- ^
Internet, Brands. "As Online Ads Grow, Eyeballs
Are Valuable Again on the Web; New York Times article". http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/26/technology/26ecom.html. Retrieved
2006-06-26.
- ^
Internet, Brands. "Internet Brands Thrives
Under Google's Shadow". http://community.investopedia.com/news/IA/2008/Internet_Brands_Thrives_Under_Googles_Shadow.aspx. Retrieved
2008-04-22.
- ^
Internet, Brands. "Small Cap Investor, Internet
Brands a Step in a different direction". http://www.smallcapinvestor.com/stockresearch/spotlight/2008-08-26-internet_brands_a_step_in_a_different_direction.
- ^
Internet, Brands. "US News, The Next Internet
Gold Rush". http://www.usnews.com/blogs/americas-business/2006/8/28/the-next-internet-gold-rush.html. Retrieved
2006-08-28.
- ^
Internet, Brands. "Internet brands goes into
overdrive: Web 2.0 company is on a buying binge". https://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/177592380.html. Retrieved
2008-03-18.
- ^
Internet, Brands. "Internet Brands Looks to
Future Acquisitions". http://www.socaltech.com/internet_brands_buys_two_web_sites__looks_to_future_acquisitions/s-0018190.html. Retrieved
2008-08-11.
- ^
CarsDirect. "Acquires Autodata
Solutions". http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-27409315_ITM.
- ^
CarsDirect. "Initial Test of Online Car
Buying". http://ecommerce.hostip.info/pages/181/Carsdirect-Com-SUCCESSFUL-TEST-LED-NATIONAL-MAY-1999-LAUNCH.html.
- ^
CarsDirect. "Time Magazine's 50 Best
Websites". http://www.time.com/time/2002/tech/best.
- ^
Internet, Brands. "CarsDirect Becomes Internet
Brands". http://www.internetbrands.com/ib/news/press-releases. Retrieved
2005-06-16.
- ^
Internet, Brands. "Internet Brands IPO
data". http://www.ipohome.com/ipohome/ipoprofile.aspx?ticker=INET.. Retrieved
2008-11-21.
- ^
MSN Money. "The 100 most useful Web
sites". http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SmartSpending/FindDealsOnline/the-100-most-useful-web-sites.aspx?gt1=33009&ucpg=2#uc2Lst.
- ^
PlanetGreen.com. "Top 10 Sites for Do It
Yourself Projects". http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/diy-projects-websites.html.
- ^
PC World. "Our Favorite Blogs". http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2337274,00.asp.
- ^
Time.com. "50 Best Websites
2008". http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1809858_1809957_1811566,00.html.
- ^
FitDay. "FitDay site wins PC World
Award". http://www.pcworld.com/article/151430/healthy_and_happy_9_sites_for_fitness_and_travel.html. Retrieved
2008-10-01.
- ^
CarsDirect. "CarsDirect site wins PC
World Award". http://www.pcworld.com/article/151425/7_sites_for_buying_selling_and_renting_almost_anything.html. Retrieved
2008-10-01.
- ^
Wikitravel wins webby. "Interview with Wikitravel
founders". http://ibbydev.blogspot.com/2007/05/wikitravel-interview-with-founders.html. Retrieved
2007-05-11.
- ^
ApartmentRatings.com. "ApartmentRatings win
prestgous Inman award". http://www.inman.com/events/real-estate-connect-san-francisco-2008/innovator-awards.
- ^
RealEstateABC. "RealEstateABC.com Webby
award nominee". http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current_honorees.php?media_id=96&category_id=53&season=10.
- ^
DoItYourself.com. "CNN Money selects DIY as one
of best Real estate sites". http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/12/real_estate/reguide_moneymag_addresses_0606/index.htm.
- ^
Autos.com. "Autos.com Webby award
nominee". http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current_honorees.php?media_id=96&category_id=72&season=10.
- ^
Cruisemates.com. "Cruisemates chosen as one of
best 25 travel deal websites". http://www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/2006/03/travelsites.html.
External
links