With the recession putting tremendous pressure on marketers to deliver ROI, “we've been focusing more than ever on helping advertisers prioritize leads and nurture them,” he added. “We're giving advertisers much more information about those leads so that they can take the proper actions and get revenue more quickly.”

TechTarget is also helping its customers get to know their IT customers better. “We've partnered with Google on research on how IT professionals use search and how their search habits change at different stages in the buying process,” he said. TechTarget held half a dozen regional meetings to disseminate the findings and produced two annual Online ROI summits for high-level technology marketers and agency people.

TechTarget Phone: (888) 274-4111 URL: www.techtarget.com Traffic: 15 million unique monthly visitors++ Ad revenue: $100 million Ad rate: $100 to $400 CPM Comment: Prophetically, TechTarget saw a decade ago when it was founded that the Web was an ideal forum for lead generation. The company remains a leader in this area, which has only grown more important in the global recession.

Last year, TechTarget closed its only two print publications and laid off 76 employees from a staff of about 600. It also turned a profit.

“We will be profitable again this year, even though we're facing challenges from the economy like everyone else,” Strakosch said.

Michelle Accardi, VP-shared services at CA Inc., said, “TechTarget is a great advertising outlet. A broad network of technology professionals depends on them for information, and they have been effective in driving leads and interest in CA's solutions.”

“TechTarget offers a deep, holistic understanding of the b-to-b technology marketplace,” said Jon Anselmo, associate global director of Starcom MediaVest Group. “In a time when accountability is more important than ever, they offer a mature suite of offerings that consistently deliver measurable ROI.”

Anselmo added that TechTarget creates “compelling, timely and—most important—valuable content. Whether it's writing a simple abstract or an entire white paper series, they continually demonstrate a unique comprehension of their audience.”

TechTarget's strength is its lead-generation model, said David Rowe, VP-media director at Doremus. “Now that we find ourselves in a recessionary environment, lead generation takes on an increased importance.”

However, social media is one area where Rowe sees TechTarget lagging slightly. “IT people rely heavily on peer advice. That's why community [aspects] of Web sites are so important in the IT space,” he said. “TechTarget is trying to catch up and add more social media functionality to their sites.”

Ted Kohnen, VP-interactive at Stein Rogan+Partners, said he has been pleased with TechTarget's virtual trade shows. “We had one client do two of them, and they were grand slams in terms of the quantity and quality of leads,” he said.