What I Took Away From IRCE 2010

Part of the show's success must have been fueled by the relative upswing of the internet economy. Clearly the web is taking market share away from traditional retail sales. As a whole, many internet-based businesses are experiencing strong growth.

John Deneen, president of SiteForm, a web development company, noted that exhibitors seemed tightly focused on their own niche within the internet world. Gone are the days when internet companies tried to be all things. At this year's IRCE, exhibitors could explain their business to you almost instantly with the following statements:

• “We do PPC and price shopping comparison engine management.”
• “We do behaviorally targeted ads.”
• “We do email append very cost effectively.”
• “We do multichannel attribution management.”

I had some specific niche businesses I needed to understand, so I used my time at the exhibit hall to meet with those businesses. I came away thinking that most, if not all, of the niche businesses that make up the world of internet marketing were well represented at the show.