Voices

Big Data Is the Only Way to Compete With Google

While Google’s search business continues to grow and expand successfully, it isn’t without potential competitors in major areas of its permeating business model.

News Byte

Twitter Starts Selling Self-Serve Ads to Everyone

A year after launching its self-serve ad platform, Twitter has opened up the service to the general public. The goal: Help the company create its own version of Google’s powerful AdWords product, in time for an upcoming IPO.

Voices

Facebook Is the Google of Mobile

Facebook is positioning itself to do to mobile what Google did to search.

Ambitious Startup Wish Aims to Outsmart the Business of Online Shopping

A young startup wants to create a Google-ified version of Amazon.

Content-Recommender Outbrain Buys Content-Fetcher Scribit

A Web publishing player with growing clout adds a new line of business.

Yup, Google Has Christmas Sales on Ads, Too

Spend now! Save later! But do AdWords make a good stocking-stuffer?

Venture-Backed Commerce Sites Banking on TV Ads to Lure Big Audiences

Slightly ahead of the holidays, several online retailers have announced TV commercials, including One Kings Lane, Fab.com, OpenSky, Gilt Groupe and Wayfair.

HotelTonight Makes an Acquisition as Others Launch Last-Minute Booking Apps

For its first acquisition, HotelTonight has purchased PrimaTable, a company that developed last-minute pricing tools for the restaurant industry.

Twitter Tries Cranking Up the Money Machine: More Precise Targeting = More Ad Dollars

Here’s a new revenue estimate for Twitter: $350 million in 2012. And here’s how they could get there: Cheaper ads with better targeting.

Voices

What to Expect When Facebook Is Expecting: Five Predictions for Facebook’s First Public Year

I have five predictions of how Facebook will be maturing in the first year after its IPO.

Twitter Ads Head to Your Phone