Banners ads remain the dominant online-advertising tool, and sites that gather information are now using targeted ads aimed at specific groups.

For newspapers, online storefronts are the most common e-commerce platform. They make the newspaper an intermediary in the buying process, providing the technology — and the traffic — to make online stores happen. Third-party e-commerce providers often partner with papers as local affiliates.

Newspaper portals also offer a way to reach smaller businesses more likely to advertise in shopper publications or the Yellow Pages than in the printed paper. Both online yellow-page directories and arts-and-entertainment city guides build upon commercial databases with upsell opportunities for small businesses.