Is Renting Website to Offline Clients a Substainable Business?

37 replies
I am thinking of starting a few local sites and rank them on Google and rent them out or sell them ads space or better, sell them the entire site. Do you think this is a substainable business?

Also what are the backend alternatives? Like what are the upsell opportunities. Thanks!

Rod
#business #clients #offline #renting #substainable #website
  • Profile picture of the author P1
    I just started this but I am selling leads to dentists.

    I would also like to know everyones feed back on this.
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    • Profile picture of the author BrashImpact
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      • Profile picture of the author fated82
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  • Profile picture of the author Seth Bias
    Originally Posted by fated82 View Post

    I am thinking of starting a few local sites and rank them on Google and rent them out or sell them ads space or better, sell them the entire site. Do you think this is a substainable business?

    Also what are the backend alternatives? Like what are the upsell opportunities. Thanks!

    Rod

    Hey Rod,

    Here is some information I've learned doing this model that works greatly! Yes this is a sustainable business by far! Secondly, I always rent out the domains for a years time or five months nothing less. Don't have to chase people around monthly for money. Upsells are what is the best. When you rent them the domain that is all they get plus hosting... No website or anything. Upsell them a site, SEO, and other things you would think they'd need! If you can try not to sell the domain to a business unless you have to or the price is high enough. You will make more money at $199 a month ($2388 a year) than selling it for a one time payment of $500-$1000. Hope this helps you out! Good luck
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  • Profile picture of the author maricelu
    Sure it is!

    You can control the site, and the phrase "if you don't accept - I'll ask you competitor" simply obligates them pay.

    Marcel

    p.s You can check my signature to see one of my Demo sites which is great for renting purposes.
    Signature

    I have no signature.

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  • Profile picture of the author chewie49
    How do you sell "leads" to business owners?

    I mean,...how do you track they called to the business or contact them through any other way?

    Thanks.
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    • Profile picture of the author maricelu
      Personally, I know one main way to sell leads - contact form data gathering. Basically you setup a Contact Form on your site to be the most visible and you setup an email to receive the completed forms. You setup your email to get the contact information of the users who are completing that form (ussualy their first&last names + their phone number) then you sell this info to business owners.

      Marcel B.
      Originally Posted by chewie49 View Post

      How do you sell "leads" to business owners?

      I mean,...how do you track they called to the business or contact them through any other way?

      Thanks.
      Signature

      I have no signature.

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  • Profile picture of the author dudeshane01
    For me, the main problem is finding new clients.
    I have already ranked a lot of non-local sites before.
    But I need someone to work with me as JV to get some clients.
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    • Profile picture of the author Seth Bias
      Originally Posted by dudeshane01 View Post

      For me, the main problem is finding new clients.
      I have already ranked a lot of non-local sites before.
      But I need someone to work with me as JV to get some clients.

      Yellow Pages online. It will show you tons of different niches and if they have a website or not. Very good tool.

      Find the clients who don't have a website. Make a list then cold call all of them. Simple as that! If they don't want it or aren't interested then tell them your calling there competitors and to have a good day. Works like a charm
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    • Profile picture of the author klsquyres
      Hi Dudeshane01- if I understood your post right you can get sites ranked but aren't sure how to get "lessees" to rent them. I have the opposite problem, I'm not versed enough or have the time and resources to get sites ranked, but I am VERY good at finding, marketing to, and finding clients to rent the spaces...that part comes easily to me.

      Let me know if you have any interest in talking, I'm at 760-501-0079. btw, I really like the idea of building up a good portfolio of local search ranked sites and renting them.

      I guess I don't have enough posts to send a PM, so anyone who sees this and needs help finding people to rent sites let me know.
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    • Profile picture of the author fated82
      Originally Posted by dtang4 View Post

      This is a fairly common and proven business model.

      Here are a couple similar threads that you may find helpful:
      This is how I made $5k+ in Holidays - Black Hat Forum Black Hat SEO
      Guaranteed $10K a month online/offline hybrid method. - Black Hat Forum Black Hat SEO
      Lovely resources. Thanks!
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    • Profile picture of the author Michael Hackett
      Originally Posted by dtang4 View Post

      This is a fairly common and proven business model.

      Here are a couple similar threads that you may find helpful:
      This is how I made $5k+ in Holidays - Black Hat Forum Black Hat SEO
      Guaranteed $10K a month online/offline hybrid method. - Black Hat Forum Black Hat SEO
      Links seem to go to "Bluefartworld" - and nothing there. Disappeared?
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      • Profile picture of the author joe0074
        I try to rent out my sites to local business owner but I never succeed.
        So I change my plan to sell it out and it works !
        I think it is easier to sell the site than leasing it.
        This is from my experience.

        Thanks,
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        • Profile picture of the author BrashImpact
          Originally Posted by joe0074 View Post

          I try to rent out my sites to local business owner but I never succeed.
          So I change my plan to sell it out and it works !
          I think it is easier to sell the site than leasing it.
          This is from my experience.

          Thanks,
          Joe,
          Try making the offer via Exclusive Advertising... When i changed my verbology to that in regards to talking to biz owners the deals closed instantly. It's a language biz owners understand...They hate to rent, lease things like that...Those items are seen as Net Losses... Advertising is seen as a cost to doing business...and is built into budgets.

          I think if you can try that one that way, you will have some major success, i know we have...

          Best of Luck
          Robert
          Signature

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          • Profile picture of the author SirThomas
            Originally Posted by BrashImpact View Post

            Joe,
            Try making the offer via Exclusive Advertising... When i changed my verbology to that in regards to talking to biz owners the deals closed instantly. It's a language biz owners understand...They hate to rent, lease things like that...Those items are seen as Net Losses... Advertising is seen as a cost to doing business...and is built into budgets.

            I think if you can try that one that way, you will have some major success, i know we have...

            Best of Luck
            Robert
            Same here. I only sell exclusive leads, exclusive use, exclusive advertising, exclusive campaign etc... That's what biz people understand and that's they want to hear.


            Thomas
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            • Profile picture of the author BrashImpact
              Originally Posted by SirThomas View Post

              Same here. I only sell exclusive leads, exclusive use, exclusive advertising, exclusive campaign etc... That's what biz people understand and that's they want to hear.


              Thomas
              Thomas,
              i figured you were going to chime in here at some point. You have always understood how important it is to talk in a language business owners understand. Talking any other way like Trekkie - Political - Warrior won't work and is doomed for failure....

              Keyword here EXCLUSIVE... its whats for Business Owner Dinner..

              Regards
              Robert

              P.S. Wish i was in a market as big as yours...Seattle is Gigantor
              Signature

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      • Profile picture of the author fated82
        Originally Posted by Michael Hackett View Post

        Links seem to go to "Bluefartworld" - and nothing there. Disappeared?
        google it, it should be there. I found it on google too
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  • Profile picture of the author baconman
    I am in the process of renting out sites. I've had some mild success. The easy part is the rankings, the hard part is the selling (at least for me). I'm looking into hiring a salesman or a JV to help me out with that.
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    • Profile picture of the author klsquyres
      Baconman- got opposite issue...I can get you clients to rent out sites, I'm great at soliciting/convincing business owners...don't have as much time to learn how to rank sites...let me know if you would like to discuss a possible Jv..Kurtis
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      • Profile picture of the author BrashImpact
        Originally Posted by klsquyres View Post

        Baconman- got opposite issue...I can get you clients to rent out sites, I'm great at soliciting/convincing business owners...don't have as much time to learn how to rank sites...let me know if you would like to discuss a possible Jv..Kurtis

        Kurtis,
        PM SENT... Please Look at my Signature before calling me...
        Gave you Skype Adress...
        Regards,
        Robert
        Signature

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      • Profile picture of the author MrSDPromo
        Originally Posted by klsquyres View Post

        Baconman- got opposite issue...I can get you clients to rent out sites, I'm great at soliciting/convincing business owners...don't have as much time to learn how to rank sites...let me know if you would like to discuss a possible Jv..Kurtis
        Kurtis, Are you in San Diego?
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        Jake Widmer
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  • Profile picture of the author Hugh
    They could also hang a sign in their basement.
    Even cheaper.
    But no-one would see it.
    There is only value where there is traffic.

    Hugh
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    "Never make someone a priority in your life who makes you an option in theirs." Anon.
    "Some see private enterprise as a predatory target to be shot, others as a cow to be milked, but few are those who see it as a sturdy horse pulling the wagon." -- Winston Churchill

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  • Profile picture of the author s62731
    yes definitely works!
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  • Profile picture of the author dkblair
    Originally Posted by karenjohnson576 View Post

    I really believe you have a better chance of selling a website then leasing it . Why would someone want to lease a site when they can pay $9.99 for a domain and $4 per month for hosting ?
    Because the client does not have a page one ranking on his site and has no idea how to get there. We have 100's of sites rented and the client wants the automatic traffic without waiting for it.

    Get it?
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  • Profile picture of the author MrSDPromo
    Originally Posted by karenjohnson576 View Post

    I really believe you have a better chance of selling a website then leasing it . Why would someone want to lease a site when they can pay $9.99 for a domain and $4 per month for hosting ?
    That's funny! Make sites, get them to number 1 on Google and the rest should be easy if you can speak in "Exclusive" terms like Robert and Thomas suggest. I just started 3 days ago and have built 6 local keyword sites with exact domains and EXPECT to have them in top 5 on Google within 2-3 weeks then it's cha-ching! Nike didn't make Millions by trying, JUST DO IT!
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    Jake Widmer
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeff Lenney
    So how much are you guys charging plastic surgeons? I just hit page 1 in a good ps market with 1k exact local searches. Will be leasing up to three spots on the hp. I normally charge dentists $400 a month for a lease but plastic surgeons make so much more lol
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    Too lazy to write something clever here, so check out my marketing blog and learn from a REAL Super Affiliate at JeffLenney.com

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    • Profile picture of the author MrSDPromo
      Originally Posted by eljeffe77 View Post

      So how much are you guys charging plastic surgeons? I just hit page 1 in a good ps market with 1k exact local searches. Will be leasing up to three spots on the hp. I normally charge dentists $400 a month for a lease but plastic surgeons make so much more lol
      Wow that's great! Do you rent 3 spots on each site? Would you be opposed if I could see one of your sites?
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      Jake Widmer
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeff Lenney
    I'd rather not share my sites as it shows the markets which are not that difficult and it lists my three dentists per market as well. Nothing personal. :-)
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    Too lazy to write something clever here, so check out my marketing blog and learn from a REAL Super Affiliate at JeffLenney.com

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  • Profile picture of the author Voasi
    We had 2 websites from a previous clients who had left us. They were great assets, generating 50 leads and 25 leads each month (plumber and HVAC sites).

    Difficult Part
    I don't care what you do, sometimes people don't want to be sold anything. We had CALL TRACKING VERIFYING the calls each month, with call recording, and yet we still had a tough time getting people to HEAR US! We tried giving away the phone calls, but these small businesses just didn't get it.

    After about a month of cold-calling by one of my reps, we finally found someone who wanted both of them. We rented them together for $1198/mo.

    Awesome Part
    6 months later, they're now doing $2100/mo with us. We've upsold them more services (Google Maps and another one of their own websites for organic optimization).

    What To Take Away
    Make sure to show they're going to get quality leads. Setup a calling tracking ( Call Tracking, Voice Broadcasting, Cloud Marketing Software | Dynamic Interactive is a good company and the one we use) and track incoming calls. You also need to find a company that GETS IT - that the internet is a viable way to generate business.

    It can be tough to find prospects that get it, but once you do, they'll gobble up all your services because they absolutely understand how vital high rankings on the web are.
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  • Profile picture of the author fated82
    Seems like this thread is evolving into a great discussion. I got two question, how do you price the ads? I intend to sell exclusive ad spaces per client per site.

    Also,I am staying in Singapore, Asia and if I were to build local sites in locations in the US or UK, how should I go about selling the ads? Should I outsource it to a local sales person to do that?
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  • Profile picture of the author abubakar89
    If I was in your place I would have preferred partner instead of sales person

    But that's the way I think
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    • Profile picture of the author fated82
      Originally Posted by abumadni View Post

      If I was in your place I would have preferred partner instead of sales person

      But that's the way I think
      Sounds like a good idea. How do you get partnerships like this?
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      • Profile picture of the author BrashImpact
        Originally Posted by abumadni View Post

        If I was in your place I would have preferred partner instead of sales person

        But that's the way I think
        After 20 years proven fact less than 3% of partnerships actually work. Why handicap yourself? IMHO this is so easy a partner is not needed in any way.

        Originally Posted by fated82 View Post

        Sounds like a good idea. How do you get partnerships like this?
        Fated,
        I would highly reccomend shying away from any kind of partnership at all. First off you don't need one, you can outsource. 2ndly 97% of all partnerships fail, why put yourself in that position. We build tons of sites every day, and i have had no need for a partner.

        Partners will never work as hard as you do period. Just Sayin...

        Avoid Partnerships at all cost's. Hire a Sales Super Star and Outsource!

        Robert
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        • Profile picture of the author Dr Dan
          Originally Posted by BrashImpact View Post

          After 20 years proven fact less than 3% of partnerships actually work. Why handicap yourself? IMHO this is so easy a partner is not needed in any way.



          Fated,
          I would highly reccomend shying away from any kind of partnership at all. First off you don't need one, you can outsource. 2ndly 97% of all partnerships fail, why put yourself in that position. We build tons of sites every day, and i have had no need for a partner.

          Partners will never work as hard as you do period. Just Sayin...

          Avoid Partnerships at all cost's. Hire a Sales Super Star and Outsource!

          Robert

          I have to agree with Robert on this one. Hire someone to do it. Not saying that partnerships will never work. Just saying that I have seen very few work out for all parties. usually one person will work harder than the other and then the partnership dissolves in a bad way.

          Just hire a...


          I personally have no problems leasing out my sites. My best strategy is to have others promote me to local business owners in the niche I am targeting. This works way better than any other method I have ever used.

          I have used that strategy for many years and works in pretty much every business I have tried it in.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dr Dan
    Originally Posted by karenjohnson576 View Post

    I really believe you have a better chance of selling a website then leasing it . Why would someone want to lease a site when they can pay $9.99 for a domain and $4 per month for hosting ?
    Why do people pay sites like yellow pages online $400-$1,200+ a month for a crappy looking site that doesnt bring them any business when they can create a free sites using wordpress.com or weebly?

    Because they have no idea how to do it or where to find a better deal. They are not in the web design, SEO, SEM, or whatever you want to call it business. Thats where you come in.

    If you have that mindset then you will never land a single client.

    But you could always offer consulting and teach them how to do it for $200-$2,000.
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  • Profile picture of the author fated82
    Ok....I have a question, how much do you charge per month per client? I didn't want to overcharge them but at the same time, I don't want to undercharge them either. Wanna know what others are charging to get a feel of it.
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    • Profile picture of the author MRomeo09
      Originally Posted by fated82 View Post

      Ok....I have a question, how much do you charge per month per client? I didn't want to overcharge them but at the same time, I don't want to undercharge them either. Wanna know what others are charging to get a feel of it.
      As a rough guide I want to charge them around 20% of their profit. So they are getting a 5x return on investment. Those are numbers that are compelling. There are a lot of factors involved in that. Traffic, conversions, lead conversions, sales price, lifetime value of the customer, etc.

      That's the best answer I can give you.

      Marcos
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  • Profile picture of the author krzysiek
    Fated, I think it depends. It depends on the niche you're targeting and the amount of traffic you are able to get to the site. Then from the traffic you DO get them, how many will call? That's how many leads you're getting them.

    Then from there, based on the number of leads you send them - work out somehow how much a customer is worth to them. Look at their product or service and check out the pricing. Is it a service that is a once-off, or will customers keep coming back?

    Factor all of this in, and you should have a decent idea for pricing. Asking someone here to give you a 'general' price simply won't cut it. Some areas are richer, some poorer, some have more people looking online, etc. It all comes down to the value you provide them.
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