| To capitalise
on the growing user base, the company continues to invest in developing services.
The company launched a beta version of its popular web-based mail service
with new features that provides users an experience akin to the Outlook desktop
client. These features include, but are not limited to, the ability to search
for mails or attachments, drag and drop mails, and auto completion of email IDs.
To internet users from smaller cities, use of their mother-tongue in a communication
service like email is important. Rediffmail is currently available to such users
in 11 Indian languages. Usage of the company’s VoIP-enabled Rediff
Bol Instant Messenger grew steadily with a 40 per cent increase in the number
of unique users compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2006. With mobile users
forming a sizeable potential user base, a beta version of Rediff Bol is now available
for all WAP-enabled mobile phones. The company is also testing a downloadable
client on Symbian OS mobiles within a closed user group. The company launched
a new home page with Web 2.0 features that enhance usability and browsing experience
and which has three distinct sections: --“Directory of Services”
with newer additions for a focused and faster selection of services;
-- “Search”
which helps users seek out airfares, jobs, ringtones, classifieds and electronics
in three simple steps; and
-- “Featured Users” which enables greater
community participation through blogs on iLand or search and network with people
using Connexions. Rediff Classifieds, the company’s performance-based
ad platform that allows very small advertisers to benefit from online advertising,
through use of an automated ad creating and uploading front end tool and built-in
SMS enabled response mechanism, has become one of the leading online classifieds
channels in India. As of 30 June 2006, Rediff Classifieds had 149 categories of
ads and more than 130,000 listings. -- The company’s range of local
search products saw increased usage during the first quarter for the fiscal 2006-2007,
over the prior quarter ended 31 March 2006. Fare Search, which enables users to
search and compare lowest airfares across all domestic airlines, reported an 87%
jump in the number of searches.
Job Search, which allows users to
choose from over 400,000 jobs across 100 sites, saw the number of searches increase
by 77 per cent. The company’s suite of local search products that experienced
an increase in the number of searches also include: Product Search, which allows
search and comparison of product features and prices (including a “Price
History” feature); Connexions – a platform for searching and networking
with people for business or social opportunities; and Ringtone Search.
With a view to capitalising on page views and search growth, the company is progressively
deploying improved and enhanced content-sensing technology across its world wide
web and search verticals that will allow it to better match ad content with user
needs. With a view to growing the Indian online advertiser base, and to
increase its depth of business-to-consumer (B2C) and small-to-medium (SME) advertisers,
the company has been focusing on developing three key channels: -- Direct
Sales Agents – who recruit B2C advertisers;
-- Reseller network –
who service existing advertisers; and
-- The self-enabling Rediff Classifieds
platform with an easy-to-use ad-creating and upload front end tool.
The
company’s in-house advertising sales team will continue to focus on more
established brands and larrger corporate houses. The company launched a national
advertising campaign, promoting its new, improved and re-engineered Rediffmail
across more than 20 television channels and select outdoor locations. This is
being supported by active PR initiatives. Rediff.com India chairman and
CEO Ajit Balakrishnan says, “As the Indian Internet market grows, we will
continue to focus on product innovation based on our users’ requirements,
as part of our core strategy. The other key area of focus is in developing platforms
and user friendly tools to grow our base of smaller advertisers to include employment
recruiters, travel agents and small business owners to optimise the Internet to
reach potential customers across the country. We believe that this will benefit
our users in search of, among other items, low airfares or travel packages, jobs
and ring tones, with a wider choice of offerings.” | 
