What It Is
Types Of UGC Websites
All these systems support paid membership option.
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Social Networking
- A site where users register then post their content which can be multi-media. The site owner can configure the functions as needed. View Demo
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Business Directory
- Publish a directory listing for businesses. Includes viewer reviews and rating. View Demo
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Classified Listing
- Members post classified adverts in multiple categories. Similar to Craigslist.com. View Demo
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Online Dating
- Members post their details to locate a partner.
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Job Listing
- Employers post available jobs and job seekers post resume. View Demo
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Reviews
- Members post reviews, rating and complaints about services and products.
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Video Gallery
- Members upload and publish videos. Rate, comment, vote. Video Gallery
Web 2.0 Dynamic User Generated Content (UGC) websites do three vital tasks almost automatically and frequently:
- Fill the website with multi-media content.
- Generate and retain traffic.
- Increase Search Engine Rank due to page depth and visitor frequency.
Now all you need to do is turn that into cash!
This means you do not have to spend long hours seeking content because your users can easily publish data to fill the pages. They tend to return frequently to monitor responses to their posts, invite friends to view their content and update or browse what's new from other users.
The 'Viral' effect is what really brings the visitors since they just have to see what's going on and tell others and this is how the traffic builds.
Ofcourse this is not new and certainly exist all across the web but there is always room for anyone with an innovative concept and niche. It is the same reason why Facebook which came after Myspace, Hi5, VibesConnect, BlackPlanet and many others is very successful. It's about how you market it and which group you target. See How Revenue Is Earned
How Revenue Is Earned
These types of websites generate revenue in several ways;
- Charge a membership fee.
- Sell advertising to merchants.
- Earn from Pay-Per-Click advertising agencies such as Google Adsense
- Earn from affiliate sales
» Membership Fee
To get someone to pay for membership one must have content which is worthy of the fee. Some concepts for this are;
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Fees can be automatically charged periodically, an exact period one-time charge, per use, pre-set usage packets. Giving all the options will cover all users.
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» Advertising Sales
The strength of the member database and website usage will attract advertisers who will pay either per click, per banner impression or whatever rate you set.
» Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Ad Agency Revenue
This has no cost to the website and can generate high revenue. Google Adsense, Microsoft AdCenter, Yahoo Publisher Network (formerly Overture) and many others proved a service which website publishers can display the ads they serve and each click earns the website a dividend of the rate charged to their client. You receive an ID from the agency and each click is recorded within a dash board provided at their website where you can monitor payments. While you certainly earn on each click, the payments are very small so high volume is required.
» Affiliate Revenue
This has no cost to the website and can generate high revenue. Most manufacturers and retailers have an affiliate program through which they pay website owners a percentage of sales generated from click referrals. It has some similarity to the PPC agencies functions in that you receive an ID from the business and display the supplied banners throughout the website then when your visitor clicks the banner it is recorded in the dashboard application at their website. The difference is that you are only paid if there is a sale and the pay is much higher. In some cases you can earn up to $300 per-sale.
What Should The Website Be About?
How popular the website becomes will start with what group you associate with. You may have a hobby or an interest in something which many other people share and would be happy to network with others of the same interest. While there may already be sites that focus on all possible categories, most times specific groups tend to gather at a single place that serves them best. A 'Trekky' will be most comfortable at a 'Trekky' only website.
An example is a business directory dedicated to Chinese restaurants in Quebec, Canada. This single directory would have multiple categories targeting the restaurant industry and patrons such as; Restaurants, Restaurant hardware suppliers, Industry services, Restaurant busines services, Restaurant food suppliers and many more. Under the Restaurant category alone could be so many sub categories as Formal, Casual, Outside Catering, Mobile etc.
The same details may be available at Yellowpages.com, but your site being very specific will keep the visitor focused on exactly restaurant related information and may even top the Yellowpage in the search results of relative keywords. This then attracts the restaurants and associated services to list themselves at your website for free. Eventually it becomes the source for everything restaurant related and then you implement the revenue generators as mentioned above. How fast this happens will be based on your promotional tactics.
Some ideas for niche websites
| Business Directory | Classifieds | Jobs | Social Network | Dating | Auction |
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Whichever you decide to do, promotion is neccessary to achieve success. Don't try to get all the people in the world to join your website. If that happens then that's the icing. Initially just try to establish an income and grow it to the point where you can pay your bills and start to profit.