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Get Your Motor Runnin'
There's a new search engine in town
By Ginger Shepherd
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About four months ago, ORU alumni Andrew Clark, Aaron Ball, Adam Kuert, and Jay Em launched Tulsa.tv, the only local search portal in the area. The site provides a way to search local information while finding news, weather, features, entertainment, and even restaurant information.
Tulsa.tv, however, was not a spur-of-the-moment venture for the four alumni. Tulsa.tv is a product of the year-old ViaStream Media the four men formed, said Clark, a 2003 ORU grad who serves as the company's chief executive officer.
What triggered the company's start, he said, was that they identified a gap: there was no local Tulsa search engine. No alternative media.
For 12 months, the group did research and development for their idea. Clark said starting a local search portal in Tulsa was risky, since Tulsa was ranked 65th for this type of media; but the field is a $22 billion business worldwide, and a $14 billion business in the United States. It was worth a try since it was a needed service...and besides, something bigger was guiding the four men.
"(We) felt called by God to do this," Clark said, who pointed out that he attended ORU to obtain a degree in theology.
Whether it was just filling a gap or divine intervention, the newly released venture has proved successful so far. Clark said the Web site is averaging about 60,000 unique users --an individual that comes to the site--a month.
And why shouldn't visitors come to the site? It has a lot to offer. Clark said there is news, weather, and even pod casts.
Users are limited to just searching and clicking on the news. He said they have listed some businesses, such as restaurants, as a complimentary listing. With the listing, users review and rate the businesses.
"Users provide content and have a voice," Clark said.
Tulsa.tv's design is geared toward the 18-to-32-year-olds, he said, but the overall target group ranges from 18-year-olds to age 55. Clark added that there are even some much younger users that are visiting the site. In addition to having a voice, users have a chance to participate in contests. Just recently, a user won an iPod.
But having visitors to a site doesn't necessarily make a Web site profitable. Clark said their driving revenue source is advertising, and recently they have been able to make good deals.
Tulsa.tv is just the start for the four alumni. Clark said they have a long-range goal of doing what they have done in Tulsa all around the world--taking that lesson of mixing missions and business that they learned at ORU.
Before they do, they are continuing to build their business, with hopes of adding more staff. Currently, they have five sales representatives in addition to the four alumni.
"We're not millionaires yet, but we are on the road," Clark said.
