By Robert Lockard
To understand where something is going, I’ve found it’s important to know where it came from. For instance, without a starting point on Google Maps, it’s impossible to obtain detailed directions to your destination. You can still find your ending point, but it takes much more effort. We’ve talked about what eHarbor is and where it’s going, so now is a good time to bring up some of its humble origins.
eHarbor was originally launched as Internet Promotion Services, Inc. in Provo, Utah in 1996. The company worked with small-business owners, doing search-engine submissions to InfoSeek and Inktomi, and it was one of the first companies to work with DogPile, GoTo (now Yahoo Search Marketing) and Alta Vista. Internet Promotions enjoyed great success in the burgeoning Internet marketing industry as website owners began to realize the power of search engines to generate new business.
Oliver Bigler, who is currently the CEO of eHarbor, joined the company in 2002 after working as a Strategy Business Consultant for the Monitor Group in Cambridge, Mass. Bigler launched a new version of Internet Promotions that targeted a growing segment of the online market: small to mid-size business and ecommerce. Submit Solution was the first entity created under Bigler, followed shortly thereafter by Real Estate Promoter, which offered search engine optimization and lead generation in the online real estate market. In 2003, Bigler created a new corporate entity to house the increasing number of divisions. That new entity was named eHarbor, Inc.
eHarbor has emerged as one of the fastest-growing Internet technology companies today. Currently valued at more than $6 million, eHarbor is the market leader in search-engine marketing technology and search-engine lead-capturing services for several industries. It works to bring top placement and qualified Web traffic to its clients via partnerships with the top 20 search portals, including Yahoo, Google, and MSN, and generating thousands of targeted, early-market leads for its client base.
The eHarbor office is located at 505 E Technology Ave. Building C, Suite 2100 Orem, Utah 84097.
Now you know a little more about eHarbor’s origin. I hope to talk more about some of the people who make up eHarbor and its various divisions: Submit Solution, Real Estate Promoter, Real Estate Investor, Direct Home Find, and Magellan Commerce. But that will wait. Soon we’ll talk about ecommerce and its importance in difficult economic times.
The photo of the cartoon character gazing upon her creator is from Flickr and it is the copyright of the prodigal untitled13.
