To reduce their dependence on online advertising, Web site owners are attracting visitors with free content and then selling them premium services or subscriptions, a model known as “freemium,” Bloomberg says.
“LinkedIn introduced a product last month that helps recruiting agencies scour the networking site for job candidates,” Bloomberg says. “In June, ESPN merged its online magazine with its Insider service, which costs $6.95 a month. Skype has added features such as voice mail and calling plans that allow users to dial land-line phones for a monthly fee.”
“U.S. consumers will spend $8.55 billion on Web content such as games, music and dating in 2010, up 13 percent from this year, according to Forrester Research Inc. …
“Spending for online content in the U.S. will increase 9.3 percent a year on average through 2013, reaching $10.8 billion, according to Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Forrester. … Ad sales will rise 17 percent a year on average to $47.4 billion in four years, the company estimates.”