So you’ve setup your website. And while it’s fun to have visitors read and appreciate all of the content you create it just makes so much sense if you make some money off them as well. Specially if you’re already generating healthy traffic.
Here’s a list of revenue models that Wired recommends you use to wrap around your ‘free’ website:
- CPM ads: “cost per thousand views” – online banner ads
- CPC ads: “cost per click” – most common – Google ads
- CPT ads: “cost per transaction” – paid only if the customer becomes a paying customer.
- Lead generation: pay for qualified names of potential customers
- Autoresponder Memberships: people pay for email
- Affiliate revenues: e.g., Amazon Associates
- Rental of subscriber lists
- Sale of information: selling data about users to third parties
- Licensing of brand: people pay to use a media brand as implied endorsement
- Licensing of content: syndication
- Upgraded service/content: Premium content
- Alternate output: pdf; print/print-on-demand; customized Shared Book style; etc.
- “Souvenirs”/”Merchandise”: Branded items for sale
- Cost Per Install: popular with top Facebook apps who can help others get installs
- E-commerce: selling stuff directly on your website
- Sponsorships: ads of some sort that are sold based on time, not on the number of impressions
- Listings: paying a time based amount to list something like a job or real estate on your website
- Paid Inclusion: a form of CPC advertising where an advertiser pays to be included in a search result
- API Fees: charging third parties to access your API
