This EC Tip is for those of you who don''t want the e-business concerns of credit card processing, inventory, order fulfillment and shopping cart programs: It is entirely possible to make money with a web site even though you do not sell any products or services to the online shopping public. The content is completely free, yet the site owner is still able to generate revenue. If you take the time and care to design a site that creates a lot of traffic, you''ll be able to sell advertising space that capitalizes on the amount of hits you receive. Essentially, you provide the type of content that inspires people to visit over and over again and other companies will pay to be seen by your visitors.
There are many different ways to turn your visitors into revenue, such as selling banner and e-newsletter ads and participating in affiliate programs. Partnerships and co-branding with other sites are possibilities for income too.
This kind of site will only flourish with hard work. You''ll have to spend a lot of time developing the product you''ll be marketing -- a great web site that is fun, interactive and informative - and put in the same amount of effort as if you were selling a tangible item.
Not only do you have to keep your site looking good and generating traffic at all times, you have to develop a strategy for selling advertising. Media kits, traffic analyses, and rate cards will have to be structured, in addition to generating sales leads.
If you are really motivated and committed, this may be the perfect e-business for you. Start with these articles to get a basis on what is needed to succeed in this ecommerce endeavour:
Preview of Some Free Stuff Topics
Selling Advertising on Your E-Commerce Site
Selling Advertising on Your Site
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