Agencies' Web efforts restore faith in basics.(Statistical Data Included)

Anyone looking to make money in cyberspace these days can do one of two things:

They can sell some kind of goods or service, or they can sell the sponsorships and advertisements that drive buyers to the point of purchase. T

Those that sell goods to consumers and businesses stand a reasonable chance of making it, as long as they have scale and the ability to forge alliances that work. Ad agencies, too, face challenges, many of which have been dealt with, not in the bring-your-dog-to-the-office mode, but in good old-fashioned board rooms where consensus is critical.

That, in fact, is where the titans of the advertising world last year finally solidified their online plans. What was once a timid, wait-and-see posture, became an organized, well-funded approach to the interactive marketplace, where you've got to be proficient in everything from public relations, Web site design, e-commerce, database mining, direct marketing, even product development, if you want to stay competitive.

So, after watching scores of small- to midsize ventures position themselves with grace in the online space, massive holding companies like Interpublic Group and Omnicom went into roll-up mode, acquiring or building-out the skill sets they lacked to leverage their heft in the digital marketing …