IWon.com will hit the wireless Web next month through an agreement with 2Roam, a wireless Web application service provider. Mobile device owners will be able to view the popular rewards-based portal on any hand-held device at www.iWon.com.
The site will be modeled after the existing site, featuring weather content, financial information, daily news headlines, sports headlines and sweepstakes.
“2Roam allows us to pick what we want out of the Web site and repurpose it for mobile screens,” said Andrew Bein, vice president of corporate development at iWon, Irvington, NY. Because of the limitations of wireless screens, iWon will not be able to place content involving advanced images on the site.
IWon will get its revenue from the wireless site through advertising. The wireless ads will include click-to-dial text links, which allow consumers to dial the advertiser automatically; and interstitials, teaser coupons and banner ads linking the consumer to the advertiser's wireless site or a micro-site advertisement. Bein added that iWon plans to provide advertisers at the main site with an opportunity to bundle a package to include wireless space. The pricing for the ad space is yet to be determined.
IWon is in discussions with various undisclosed wireless service providers to post the iWon wireless site on their portals.
“The key to this is WSP distribution,” Bein said. “We have a very loyal audience, and it will not be difficult to convince WSPs to distribute our site on their portals.”
Consumers will be notified of the availability of the wireless site on the iWon Web site. They will be able to register their user names and identifications on the wireless site. The consumer reward points accrued on the wireless site will be integrated with those compiled on the Web site.
2Roam, which launched in April, has similar relationships with 24 Web sites, including Fogdog.com, eBay.com and shoppinglist.com. The company charges an undisclosed monthly fee for wireless Web site hosting based on the volume of content on the site.
“IWon is our first client to have a truly ad-enabled wireless Web site,” said Bryan Wargo, CEO of 2Roam, Redwood City, CA.
