Together, Verio and Lycos are offering merchants comprehensive co-branded e-commerce packages to build, operate and drive customer traffic to on-line stores.
Under the agreement, Verio will provide its leading Web hosting and e-commerce services to on-line merchants. Verio already hosts more than 300,000 business Web sites, including over 1,500 who are currently using the same store-building software used in Lycos Shop, enabling participating merchants to begin selling to the millions of Lycos Shop customers almost immediately. Lycos Shop is an on-line shopping destination that has assembled thousands of stores integrated with online auctions and classifieds and achieved more than 450% growth in the number of shoppers during the recent holiday season compared to 1998.
Verio is a market leader in business hosting and we are very excited that they will be hosting the Lycos Shop merchants, said Kim Boucher, vice president of electronic commerce for Lycos. Lycos had tremendous growth in shopper traffic this past holiday season, and the addition of new stores from Verio will allow us to deliver an even more compelling user experience.
The Verio and Lycos co-branded e-commerce packages include Web-site hosting, and e-mail services provided by Verio. The plans also feature OpenMarket’s (Nasdaq:OMKT) browser-based ShopSite and Transact store creation software that enables merchants to point and click to easily build and operate a virtual storefront. Also included are an on-line merchant account application and credit card processing software, which allow merchants to conduct secure and reliable transactions over the Internet. Merchants can visit www.verio.lycos.com to learn more about the benefits of Lycos Shop participation, and they will be able to start building their store on February 15, 2000. Prices begin at $129.95 per month.
Lycos Shop promises to be one of the premier shopping destinations on the Internet, said Barb Goworowski, chief marketing officer of Verio. Verio offers merchants easy and affordable packages to get their businesses online. What’s more, we’re taking the extra step of teaming with Lycos to help drive on-line shoppers to these merchants via Lycos Shop.
Online shopping tools, including a value-based comparison shopping engine and ratings services, provide Lycos Shop consumers with a comprehensive shopping experience. As part of the Lycos Shop destination, Lycos offers Lycos Rewards, a loyalty program that rewards users for shopping both online and offline.
