Game – Set – Matchpoint

I got the opportunity to speak with Peter Adams -CEO of Matchpoint on Thursday of last week. Matchpoint is a fairly revolutionary startup aimed at improving both ends of the Internet advertising spectrum. Matchpoint allows consumers to search for businesses that are radically more relevant to their needs. With some modification, this type of search/suggestion innovation could very well rival Adsense and especially banner ads for certain businesses. Essentially, Matchpoint provides a win-win solution for advertisers and customers.

Peter suggested that based on recent Kelton Research on consumers of automobiles – 72 percent of online searches ended up in some negative or frustrating experience for the user. I do not doubt these numbers for a second, as we all know how cluttered and confusing a typical search can become. This is what Peter was referring to when describing how the idea for Matchpoint came to be, Peter said: “Matchpoint was born out of the frustration and pain in searching for relevant results.”

Methods
Matchpoint uses a search engine algorithm to filter submitted characters from businesses, and conversely input from users for a very refined “matching” system for service providers (right now). Rather than 10 nebulous links to “probable” results – Matchpoint's system processes a search request into filtered results and delivers them directly to the person making the query. A user is sent a confirmation email that essentially signs them up for limited (very) approach by the most relevant services matching their needs.

I was a little bit (well more than that) skeptical of a system set up to utilize email as the primary source of contact to any user. However, Peter explained the sophisticated way in which the service and customer interact, and I began to view this aspect differently. Matchpoint servers as both a filter and a buffer between the business and the client as it were, and there is no actual contact between the two unless the client decides on a particular service. Each search renders 3-5 results which are mailed to the user directly via Matchpoint. The system is totally secure and the user is not spammed either – but only receives 2 detailed mails about the prospective, relevant and localized appropriate services desired.

Matchpoint – simple form fill

Win and Win
Perhaps the most significant aspect of Matchpoint is in the way it makes advertising more efficient for business and the user. Peter explained the basic advertisement inefficiency for Google and others on both the supply and demand side. Essentially, adsense and other similar methods are relatively ineffective for everyone except Google – advertisers waste millions and users get poor relevance.

Publishers share revenue (increased by the relevance) with Matchpoint rather than receiving some miniscule sum based on nebulous clicks. Peter and I also talked about my apprehension in regard to the email “exclusive” nature of Matchpoint now, and we both agreed that some other form of user validation and direct access such as Open-Id would be an effective alternative. This could be a very important breakthrough into another kind of advertising and a more effective search mechanism for people.

Conclusion
Peter Adams has an interesting background with some of the most recognized names in the business. He was CTO of Connexus and also CTO of LookSmart. He is widely accepted as a leading authority on internet marketing and as I discovered, a very down to Earth and open person. My sense of his vision is that he wants to take Matchpoint into the next level of marketing and consumer value. We talked about Web 2.0 and my belief that a new system of sales and revenue being necessary – I was actually amazed to find that he was far ahead of me in these regards.

I am still leery of the email aspect as totally acceptable to some users, but this type of “hammered down” relevance is what the Web is headed for in all types of search. As in all startups, Matchpoint is dependent on feedback and a user base – but somehow I feel this service will take off and become something very useful. Just think of asking for a local plumber or a worldwide ad agency and getting exactly what you asked for. Email, or no email – relevance is the name of the game now and in the future.