They want and need content. Clients include corporate, small business, e-commerce, media, and other Web sites. Maske predicts iSyndicate will reach 100,000 client sites by the middle of 1999. About 35 sites buy full-text material from iSyndicate's Network service. But most client sites use iSyndicate's Express service, which distributes free images and headlines built into pages that include ads generating revenue shared by iSyndicate and client sites.
Headlines link back to content providers' sites, which increases their traffic.
In return, providers pay iSyndicate an average of two cents per click-through. In the end, the tradeoff is worth it for those sites. Scripps provided more than half of the amount, which has helped iSyndicate step up marketing efforts and increase staffing to 30, from a dozen. When it comes to online customers, he explains, United concentrates on selling to newspaper Web sites, while iSyndicate focuses on non-newspaper Web sites. Stern adds that iSyndicate increases exposure of United's features and could be a great investment for Scripps.