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What to do with roadconditions.com.au

jhellyer

Top Contributor
Hi Guys,

Wanting to develop the domain above (3600 exacts) into a mini site or adsense page. Any ideas how to monetize this to it's best potential?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

:)
 

neddy

Top Contributor
Great domain name! I think it has wonderful potential.

What to do with it?

Firstly, I think you should purchase Road.com.au from me. ;)

Secondly, everything will then fall into place.
 

snoopy

Top Contributor
Suffers from the same problem as some of the others you've been listing, popular term but no real commercial element. It is going to be struggle street no matter what is done, would not be developing this.
 

neddy

Top Contributor
Suffers from the same problem as some of the others you've been listing, popular term but no real commercial element. It is going to be struggle street no matter what is done, would not be developing this.

Having thought about this a bit more, I have to agree with Snoopy's observations in this instance (as much as it pains me! ;)).

At first glance it's a great name, but you have organisations like the RACQ and other State and Territory government departments providing interactive information: e.g. http://www.racq.com.au/travel/Maps_and_Directions/road_conditions

Having said that, you certainly shouldn't lose money on the domain. Be good if you can somehow get a feed of updated road conditions from somewhere; throw in some adsense and affiliate ads and you're on the road. Pardon the pun! :)
 

snoopy

Top Contributor
Having thought about this a bit more, I have to agree with Snoopy's observations in this instance (as much as it pains me! ;)).

At first glance it's a great name, but you have organisations like the RACQ and other State and Territory government departments providing interactive information: e.g. http://www.racq.com.au/travel/Maps_and_Directions/road_conditions

Having said that, you certainly shouldn't lose money on the domain. Be good if you can somehow get a feed of updated road conditions from somewhere; throw in some adsense and affiliate ads and you're on the road. Pardon the pun! :)

I think that is the thing, it is a free service offered by governments/driving clubs. It is a bit like trying to make money out of a weather service, ads can be run but there is no clear commercial latch either. You might be able to get a feed (big might) but even with that why would anyone use the site (as compared to the source) and how much traffic is it going to need to be worthwhile developing?

If it was me and I had a choice, develop this or develop something with clear commercial element even if it were one tenth the popularity, I'd go with the far less popular term. There is really no substitute for people who want to spend money.
 

neddy

Top Contributor
Coastal Watch is a site that makes money from memberships, donations, advertising and sales from their store.

But I guess surfies are more passionate about waves and swells than drivers are about roads. :)
 

jhellyer

Top Contributor
True Neddy.

I've got a few ideas as to how I might at least be able to get it to pay for itself....time will tell. Appreciate the points of view.
 

snoopy

Top Contributor
Coastal Watch is a site that makes money from memberships, donations, advertising and sales from their store.

But I guess surfies are more passionate about waves and swells than drivers are about roads. :)

When the business model gets down to "donations" that is pretty grim.
 

DavidL

Top Contributor
The point is coastalwatch have a business model that according to you is unviable - giving free swell forecasts and surf reports etc.

However they are a profitable business employing 5 people because they do what they do very well. I'm on there at least twice a day anyway :)

Remember Facebook is free, Google didn't make any money for years. I wouldn't be surprised if Larry & Sergey didn't hustle for a few donations in the first place either (they launched Google on the Stanford website)
 

FirstPageResults

Top Contributor
My client has advertised on Coastal Watch before. I don't think it's a money making machine, but it's gets by.

I'm not sure those employees are full time, but they are co-owned by Surfing World.
 

snoopy

Top Contributor
The point is coastalwatch have a business model that according to you is unviable - giving free swell forecasts and surf reports etc.

However they are a profitable business employing 5 people because they do what they do very well. I'm on there at least twice a day anyway :)

I said a "business" that needs to take donations is not really viable. The owners are going to remain on struggle street because it is a business that doesn't really work.

Remember Facebook is free, Google didn't make any money for years. I wouldn't be surprised if Larry & Sergey didn't hustle for a few donations in the first place either (they launched Google on the Stanford website)

A company losing money in the startup phase or having to get funding is completely different to a business model of asking for donations.
 

DavidL

Top Contributor
Snoopy, you are focusing on the word 'donations' - the original quote was:

Coastal Watch is a site that makes money from memberships, donations, advertising and sales from their store.

I'm not sure they even do indeed ask for donations. The whole point (which you know very well but are just trying to be argumentative as usual by trying to divert attention to one aspect of monetisation out of the four that were mentioned) is your statement:

Suffers from the same problem as some of the others you've been listing, popular term but no real commercial element. It is going to be struggle street no matter what is done, would not be developing this.

is not necessarily true and coastalwatch.com is a fine example of how if you do something well, even with a not obvious commercial aim, you will get traffic which one way or another can deliver a decent enough income for you to call it a business.

Google is another example - there was no commercial angle when it was started - the ads came much later.

Facebook just concentrated on building membership rather than extracting money.
 

snoopy

Top Contributor
is not necessarily true and coastalwatch.com is a fine example of how if you do something well, even with a not obvious commercial aim, you will get traffic which one way or another can deliver a decent enough income for you to call it a business.

David, nothing is known about its financials. If you do have anything please present it, otherwise it is just guesswork.

To me it does not look like something run to make a profit.
 

DavidL

Top Contributor
David, nothing is known about its financials. If you do have anything please present it, otherwise it is just guesswork.

To me it does not look like something run to make a profit.

Of course I don't know intimate details of it's financials. But it is a massive website with hundred's of thousands of monthly visitors (Hitwise winners, Alexa ranking 46,000 etc). They have been on TV frequently (I remember seeing their office - nothing flash but a genuine little office) as well as frequently the go to guys for the rest of the media.....

Anyway It's not for me to have to prove that this company makes money and it's not unprofitable or run by volunteers. They say they employ 5 people and I have no reason to doubt it.

Oh for what it's worth, they aren't alone. Very hard to make money in surfing (the typical surfer spends about $600/year on a board and $15 on wax - that's it!). It's a hugely 'un-lucrative' niche however realsurf.com, swellnet.com.au and Aquabumps.com.au all make a decent living running websites off surfing.

Back to the topic - you can make money almost ANYWHERE on the internet so don't be put off by the snoopy doomsayers. Of course 100,000 visitors on a credit card site are worth more than 100,000 visitors on a recipes site but if you have a good idea and do it well, get the traffic then the money will come...

PS http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/18/us-cheezeburger-idUSTRE70H3I620110118
 

snoopy

Top Contributor
Of course I don't know intimate details of it's financials. But it is a massive website with hundred's of thousands of monthly visitors (Hitwise winners, Alexa ranking 46,000 etc). They have been on TV frequently (I remember seeing their office - nothing flash but a genuine little office) as well as frequently the go to guys for the rest of the media.....

Anyway It's not for me to have to prove that this company makes money and it's not unprofitable or run by volunteers. They say they employ 5 people and I have no reason to doubt it.

Oh for what it's worth, they aren't alone. Very hard to make money in surfing (the typical surfer spends about $600/year on a board and $15 on wax - that's it!). It's a hugely 'un-lucrative' niche however realsurf.com, swellnet.com.au and Aquabumps.com.au all make a decent living running websites off surfing.

Back to the topic - you can make money almost ANYWHERE on the internet so don't be put off by the snoopy doomsayers. Of course 100,000 visitors on a credit card site are worth more than 100,000 visitors on a recipes site but if you have a good idea and do it well, get the traffic then the money will come...

PS http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/18/us-cheezeburger-idUSTRE70H3I620110118

David, you claimed they were profitable in one post and then that they earn a "decent enough income" in another post, my point is that those claims are based on nothing, might be better to say "I think they are profitable", instead of stating something as a fact that you have no information on.

Here is some quotes from the site, do any of those sound like quotes from a solid "business" that people should be trying to follow in the footsteps of? To me they sounds like quotes from a "non profit".

"We're working hard to keep the service free for everyone but if you're stoked with what you get then become a full supporter and help keep Coastalwatch up rain, hail or shine. "

"Become a hardcore supporter and get an entry into the major prize comps and keep our massive data bills at bay"

"Hardcore contribution is anything over $60 per year."

http://www.coastalwatch.com/supporter/login.aspx

That is great that they are running a useful public service, but if it is seen as a business that sounds like "struggle street" to me.
 
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