What's the Vote for I-Gaming?
Like many other publications of late, Access Magazine has polled its readers on the subject of online gambling. The publication asked, "Should online gambling be legal?" Twenty-six percent of 1,705 respondents answered yes, while 73.2 percent said no.
Antidepressants May Help Compulsive Gamblers
A recent Brown University study found that an antidepressant medication may be a successful new treatment to help problem gamblers, reported HealthScout News Service. Thirteen of 15 compulsive gamblers given Celexa, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, found that they gambled less and suffered fewer gambling urges under the medication's influence. "At the start of the study, the gamblers were averaging almost $1,900 in gambling losses in the two weeks prior to the initial assessment," noted Robert Breen, associate director of the Rhode Island Gambling Treatment Program at Rhode Island Hospital, which is affiliated with Brown University. "At our last follow-up, that was down to $145 in the past two weeks." Researchers also estimate that more than 3 percent of Americans suffer from compulsive gambling problems.
Search Engines, Portals and Community Sites among Most Visited Websites
The most recent findings from Nielsen Media Research, NetRatings, Inc. and ACNielsen eRatings.com show that search engines, portals and online communities as a category garner the largest amount of Web traffic. Nearly 95 million (or one out of every three) Americans visit these sites, resulting in a reach of more than 92 percent. "Search engines, portals and community sites have established themselves as a mandatory part of every surfers' online habits," a spokesman said. "Nine out of every 10 Web users go to such a site every month and are going there more frequently--nearly five times monthly." In order of popularity, the top website categories attracting online traffic from home or work Web users are search engines, portal and community sites; telecom/Internet; entertainment; computers and consumer electronics; multi-category commerce; news and information; and finance, insurance and investment.
Top Online Business Strategies Outlined
Despite the thousands of online businesses at work today, only a few employ business strategies guaranteed to deliver some success, according to a new report from ActivMedia Research. In their latest study of e-commerce and profitability, researchers identified four basic online strategies, with three of them considered to be "success" styles. The fourth, according to ActivMedia, is a clear loser. The four categories are described in "E-Survivors: Winning E-Commerce Strategies for 2001" as being:
- Niche Defense by Customer Satisfaction
This is considered a solid, long-term survival strategy that is generally adopted by older offline companies that have established a well-developed, successful offline presence. These firms are using the Internet as an additional source of revenue, rather than a major profit source. They tend to use more traditional, customer-focused strategies similar to that used for their offline business.
- Growth through Positive Cash Flow
Larger-sized corporations that obtain only a small portion of their revenue stream via the Internet tend to adopt this model. Using this strategy, corporations are making some sales online, but are much more intensively involved in online partnerships with other firms that require funding of some type. Firms using the Positive Cash Flow model have benefited greatly from the Internet by being able to switch more expensive sales and distribution channels online, thereby improving profitability and cash flow.
- Investment in Online Growth
While the most common company using this strategy is young and financially healthy, the competition among this strategy's proponents is very fierce. Websites using the strategy tend to be active and feature many transactions selling many products. They also have many customers who make repeat transactions throughout the year. To keep attracting repeat business, along with new customers, these firms must invest heavily in their online presence and technology.
- Aggressive Site Promotion
While the previous three strategies are considered to be generally successful, ActivMedia notes that this one is not successful. According to researchers, firms that adopt the strategy lose sight of the more important pathways to success. In particular, they say, companies taking this tack forget about developing a unique market position. This failure makes them vulnerable to competitors who enter the marketplace with better or better-differentiated products. Plus, by using this strategy, it's easy for these firms to lose track of their bottom lines. They pour too much money into marketing and advertising instead of other critical areas.