IQ News: Zapa.com “Arrives” at New Distribution Pact

Zapa.com, whose claim to fame is its Gizmoz animated Web components, is poised to begin distribution of its technology via free domain registration company Arrive.com in return for referring Zapa.com visitors to Arrive’s site.
Gizmoz, which include greeting cards, photo albums and original animated characters, are Javascript programs with animation, sound and moving text that can be used on Web sites and in e-mail. Arrive.com provides URLs to Web masters for free and says it has registered 50,000 users since its April launch.
The distribution deal works with Tel Aviv-based Zapa.com’s viral marketing business model to propagate the use of Gizmoz. Co-founder Yossi Amossi said that while neither company will be paid for the referrals, their communities will grow. Zapa.com, however, creates some Gizmoz with space for advertising, and will split revenues with advertisers who use them. It also will introduce commerce-enabled Gizmoz and will earn revenue through sales.
Gabriel Foux, vice president of software development at Miami-based Arrive.com, said most of its users make personal homepages or sites for small businesses. The company provides short, easy Web addresses that all begin with arriveat.com. “A lot of our users will have an interest in using Gizmoz,” he said.
Arrive.com currently is paid on a per-click basis for driving traffic to affiliate sites. It also will provide advertising on its own site and users’ homepages, Foux said, and it plans to begin brokering domain names.
Zapa.com, which launched Gizmoz in April, recently provided its Web IDz Gizmoz –personal information cards that can be distributed to others on the Web–to instant messaging software company Tribal Voice, and soon will distribute those and other Gizmoz to members of chat community Chatropolis.
Surfers who make Gizmoz earn points toward cash and products whenever a branded Gizmo is passed on to other users, Amossi said. Gizmo recipients also get coupons for products.
In addition to Web IDz, Gizmoz include Characterz, animated cartoons whose faces are photos sent by the Gizmo creator. Zapa.com also provides animated welcome signs and rollover buttons for Web sites, and a Gagz Gizmo that provides jokes.