Pixel Sale and the Million Dollar Landing Page: Boom-to-bust in Internet Time
Sometime in the fall of 2005, a British lad named Alex Tew sailed into a perfect storm. As the web world watched, his “Million Dollar Home Page” quickly lived up to his bold title and made his mark on Internet history. Armed with uncanny marketing instincts and a healthy dose of luck, Alex took the novel idea from him, added a personal backstory, and sold a million dollars’ worth of advertising in a matter of months.
Understandably, countless imitators have hooked up, but the success has proven difficult to duplicate. A quick survey of these so-called “pixel-ad” shows a lot of woefully blank screens. The uniqueness of Tew’s website was what drew the crowds and justified the value of his site. The second generation of pixel pages is struggling to create the same buzz.
One problem is that the concept of the million dollar landing page is so simple that there is little room for technical improvement. It’s not that people aren’t trying. For example, the website http://www.izoomzoom.com touts the ability to display a thumbnail image of the destination URL when the mouse cursor rolls over a pixel ad. This feature is interesting, but it’s not clear whether the thumbnail images will encourage or discourage viewers from clicking through to the advertised site.
Another site with a twist is [http://www.millionpixelsart.com]. Instead of the standard rectangular billboard, the pixel blocks are arranged in different shapes (including a beer mug and dice). Again, the idea is interesting, but the lack of blocks sold should serve as a warning to others that success will require real ingenuity.
One of the most successful pixel ad sites can be found at http://www.pixmeup.com. This website takes a multi-level marketing approach to selling pixels, innovating the business model rather than the format. PixMeUp currently has several densely populated pixel pages, proof of its ability to find customers.
Just as the general stores of the American West benefited from the California gold rush, it may be the purveyors of would-be pixel vendors that are reaping the biggest rewards. Domain registrars and domain hosts are also benefiting from the uptick in websites coming online. Tool developers are popping up left and right, offering would-be millionaires the picks and shovels they need to assert their rights. Other sites exist for the purpose of providing news and links related to the phenomenon of pixel ads.
The market for pixel ads seems to be saturated, as evidenced by the current price of these little advertising squares. How much has the market fallen? I found an answer on a humorous site. [http://www.ihatethemilliondollarhomepage.com]. Its author nicely captures the jealousy and despondency felt by entrepreneurs who have failed to come close to the success of MillionDollarHomePage. And, to spite Alex Tew, these pixels are being given away for free!
Over time, the concept of pixel ads will continue to evolve. Just a few months after Alex Tew’s financial trajectory soared through the stratosphere, the creative descendants of the original concept are already taking new directions. Affiliate pixel ad sites, such as [http://www.christianmilliondollarhomepage.com/]attend to specific causes or hearings. The pixel sale concept takes a creative twist at http://www.WorldWideArtStudio.com, where artists can participate in the creation of art by purchasing the right to control portions of a “digital canvas.” Additionally, WorldWideArtStudio.com turns its back on the marketing roots of selling pixels by prohibiting the display of advertisements on your artwork.
With recent Internet news coverage focused on big companies like Google and AOL, I had forgotten how easy it can be for the individual to harness the power of this global communications network. Thank you, Alex Tew, for rekindling the flame of youthful innovation that was once the dominant force on the web. I confess I have a million dollar idea or two spinning around in my head right now… how about you?