| Sometime in the fall of 2005, a British lad by the name | | | | profited from the California Goldrush, it may be the |
| of Alex Tew sailed into a perfect storm. As the web | | | | suppliers of the prospective pixel sellers that are |
| world watched, his "Million Dollar Home Page" quickly | | | | reaping the greatest rewards. Domain registrars and |
| lived up to its audacious title and left its mark on | | | | domain hosts are also profiting from the uptick in |
| internet history. Armed with uncanny marketing | | | | websites coming on line. Tool developers are cropping |
| instincts and a good dose of luck, Alex took his novel | | | | up left and right, offering would-be millionaires the picks |
| idea, added a personal back-story, and sold a million | | | | and shovels needed to stake their claims. Other sites |
| dollar’s worth of advertising in a matter of | | | | exist for the purpose of providing news and links |
| months. | | | | related to the pixel-ad phenomenon. |
| Understandably, countless copy cats have gone online, | | | | The pixel-ad market appears to be saturating, as |
| but success has proven difficult to duplicate. A quick | | | | evidenced by the going rate for these tiny squares of |
| survey of these so-called “pixel-ad” brings | | | | advertisement. How far has the market fallen? I found |
| up a large number of woefully blank screens. The | | | | one answer on a humorous site [ Its author nicely |
| uniqueness of Tew's website was what drew the | | | | captures the jealousy and dejection felt by |
| crowds and justified the value of his site. The second | | | | entrepreneurs who have failed to come close to the |
| generation of pixel pages is struggling to create the | | | | success of the MillionDollarHomePage. And, to spite |
| same excitement. | | | | Alex Tew, these pixels are being given away free of |
| One problem is that the concept for the Million Dollar | | | | charge! |
| Home Page is so simple that there is little room for | | | | In time, the pixel-ad concept will continue to evolve. A |
| technical improvement. Not that people are not trying. | | | | mere months after Alex Tew's financial trajectory |
| For example, website touts the ability to display a | | | | shot through the stratosphere, creative descendents |
| thumbnail image of the target URL as the mouse | | | | of the original concept are already heading off in new |
| cursor rolls over a pixel ad. This feature is interesting, | | | | directions. Affiliation pixel-ad sites, such as [ cater to |
| but it is unclear whether the thumbnail images will | | | | specific causes or audiences. The pixel-selling concept |
| encourage or discourage viewers to click-through to | | | | takes a creative turn at where artists can participate in |
| the advertised site. | | | | the creation of art by buying the right to control |
| Another site with a twist is [ Instead of the standard | | | | portions of a "digital canvas." Furthermore, turns its |
| rectangular billboard, the pixel blocks are arranged in | | | | back on the marketing roots of pixel selling by |
| different shapes (including a beer mug and dice). Again, | | | | prohibiting the display of advertisements in its artwork. |
| the idea is interesting, but the lack of sold blocks should | | | | With recent Internet news coverage centering on large |
| serve as a warning to others that success will require | | | | companies like Google and AOL, I had forgotten how |
| true ingenuity. | | | | easy it can be for the individual to leverage the power |
| One of the more successful pixel-ad sites can be | | | | of this global communications network. Thank you, |
| found at This website takes a multi-level marketing | | | | Alex Tew, for rekindling the flame of youthful |
| approach to pixel selling, innovating the business model | | | | innovation that was once the dominant force on the |
| rather than the format. PixMeUp currently features | | | | web. I confess I’ve got one or two million-dollar |
| several densely populated pixel pages, proof of its | | | | ideas bumping around my brain at this very |
| ability to find customers. | | | | moment…how about you? |
| Just as the general stores of the American West | | | | |