Today, every Net company wants to become a successful portal because the potential traffic that can be generated is staggering. Although more and more companies want to be the next Yahoo, most experts agree that only 2-4 portals will survive by the year 2000. The major reason for this lopsided advertising allotment is the late entry of traditional media into the Internet game. Traditional media are gambling on portals because they are comfortable with portal's consumer-based focus. Although investors and advertisers love portals, Web users are not embracing portals as quickly.
Research shows that it is difficult to compel users to change their starting page defaults.
Another survey documented that most surfers only change their starting page once or twice per year. It appears that the most common way that surfers change to a portal is only after stumbling on them while surfing around. Yahoo has captured this position by offering new services faster than the other portal wanna-be's can react. Yahoo will most definitely emerge as a permanent portal. AOL has an excellent chance of becoming a permanent portal.