Spotlight Features

Microfunding sites such as Kickstarter, Indiegogo and newcomer ClickStartMe are making it possible for entrepreneurs and inventors from small-scale to established companies to get the momentum they need to put out a product. One category that is seeing a lot of activity is sports and fitness. New ca...

Even when Darien Gold's pilates clients aren't in her studio, they can work on their moves by following the instructions and imitating the positions on her mobile app. Gold uses the app to expand the reach of her business, according to Bharath Lingam, CEO of PurpleTalk, which worked with Gold to dev...

Despite the arrival of a plethora of new tablets and Ultrabooks, plus a new operating system from Microsoft that was expected to drive PC sales, 2012 was a gloomy year for chip manufacturers. As any confident gambler might do when the chips are down, the leading consumer electronics original equipme...

When the first banner ads came out in the 1990s, they attracted lots of attention -- and lots of click-throughs. Since then, though, their effectiveness has plummeted, forcing businesses to think creatively about the future of online advertising. This future is likely to include a mix of social medi...

The Federal Communications Commission passed a little-publicized order last month that changes how cable television providers can deliver basic broadcast channels. This rule change has far-reaching implications for those who legally grab their basic broadcast channels for free from cable, but don't ...

How can classic retail, the brick-and-mortar physical stores dotting our neighborhoods, compete with the likes of Amazon and Zappos? Can real-world retail survive e-commerce? And if it can, what's the trick? How do retailers intend to meet this growing threat? We're now seeing something insidious t...

It's not enough to have just a website, or just social media profiles. Businesses need to have both, and the traffic needs to flow seamlessly between them. Numerica Credit Union was looking for a way to offer customers a useful tool on its Facebook page while driving traffic from Facebook to its sit...

A few years ago, Dave Getty and his wife went on a road trip through Texas. They didn't bring a laptop, so they relied solely on their smartphones to surf the Web. They quickly realized how important it is for sites to be mobile-friendly. "It was an eye-opening experience," said Getty, a spokesperso...

When Google withdrew from China, it didn't send out a press release or hold a press conference. Instead, it announced the news on its corporate blog. This move proved to be a "milestone event for corporate blogging," said Lou Hoffman, CEO of The Hoffman Agency. "Even though the Google corporate blog...

Shana and Len Bentivegna started their online store, Organic Pet Boutique, as a result of pet food scares and their concern for the safety of their two Shih Tzus, Milo and Ceasar. "After discovering organic and natural pet food was the only safe alternative, we decided to go online to purchase their...

It's not enough to have just a website, or just social media profiles. Businesses need to have both -- and the traffic needs to flow seamlessly between them. Numerica Credit Union was looking for a way to offer customers a useful tool on its Facebook page while driving traffic from Facebook to its ...

All businesses can't afford pricey website designers, which is why Shanti Sosienski was inspired to start DIY Websites Now, a company that teaches people how to build their own. "Basically, we are a collective of designers, programmers and project managers who saw the need to service those potential...

Video engages customers, tells stories and creates brand loyalty like no other medium. As a young entrepreneur, Andrew Angus owned an alternative fuel business. As part of his marketing efforts, he made a brief video explaining the process of making fuel from agricultural residues. The experience ma...

Mike Heaston knows the power of a good cycling event. Get the people out there, biking through the Colorado mountains, and they'll become loyal and steadfast customers. "We're putting on events that people love," said Heaston, owner of EventMarketing Group. "We're creative, and these are our product...

Text messages are intimate, to-the-point, and readable, and they bring marketing messages straight to where people spend much of their time -- their phones. Texting, it turns out, is more than just a series of LOLs or smiley faces between friends. Increasingly, it's also a savvy and effective market...