Want Your Own Search Engine? Buy it on eBay

WebKnowHow
Friday, September 1, 2006; 03:38 AM

Huckabuck.com, a search engine that enables searches to tune their own search results by combining results from six search engines, is up for sale on eBay. Voodoo Ventures, a New Orleans-based business incubator and Huckabuck’s parent company, made the decision to sell the search engine due to slower than expected growth and in preparation for three new Web applications scheduled to launch later this year.

The sale of Huckabuck on eBay means that anyone looking to get into the search business now has the opportunity. Like most search engines, the revenue model for Huckabuck is based on sponsored listings, or paid listings that appear above search results. Currently, the interface supports syndicated feeds from a third-party sponsored listings provider.

“We want our company to stay small and nimble,” said Chris Schultz, President of Voodoo Ventures. “We’re essentially a two-person operation, so we move fast and make decisions very quickly. With three new products coming out later this year, we had to make the decision to either place Huckabuck on the back burner, or find it a new home while it’s still flourishing.”

The real value of Huckabuck is found in its proprietary Search Tuner that allows searchers to customize their search results with equalizers that tune engines up and down. Huckabuck also contains a powerful backend content management system that effortlessly controls everything from a registered user database to a blog.

Since its founding, Huckabuck has always remained committed to its hometown of New Orleans. Ten percent of the profits generated from the sale of Huckabuck will be donated to the Tipitina’s Foundation (www.tipitinasfoundation.org/) and the Backbeat Fund (www.backbeatfund.org/).

Additional information regarding the eBay auction is available on the Huckabuck blog (www.huckabuck.com/blog).