NEW REVENUE STREAM: HOW TO MONETIZE A VENDOR DIRECTORY ON YOUR WEBSITE

Your Question:
How do I make money with a Directory App when the service is 100% FREE to every user?

Our Answer:

Developing your Directory App monetization strategy will depend on your organization’s core values. A few non-profits that I've worked with did not feel it was appropriate to "sell" their website space to profit-making organizations. 

That said, if you’re ok with selling ads to for-profit organizations, you’ll first need to set up a good advertising vetting strategy – the policy (rules and regulations) that governs the types of products and services that you deem acceptable to advertise on your website.  

TAKE-A-WAYS:


First set-up a good advertising vetting strategy that aligns with your organization's core values.


Bottom line, the easiest ways to make money with a free Director App are:

1.) Charge advertisers for placement in the Directory.
      You can price this in several ways depending on your traffic, how targeted your audience is and if you want to offer CPM or CPC. (Cost-per-thousand-views or Cost-per-click.)

2.) Upsell advertisers for “premium” placement (FEATURED LISTING at the top.)
      Make sure the App you choose allows for this feature.

3.) Charge an additional fee for an up-link to the advertiser’s website.
      You are driving traffic to their website and basically sharing your audience with them, so this is a valuable feature. The upcharge, again, depends on your traffic stats and how much value that brings to the advertiser. Again, an extremely targeted audience base for their industry can command high premiums.   

4.) Sell additional advertising space inside the App. 
      The app wireframe you choose must allow for promoting additional advertising space. Think “boxed ads” you see in the sidebars of many websites and social media platforms. Good news is that you can upsell to some of your current advertisers, since many will want to take out additional sidebar ads.

5.) Develop INTEGRATED “bundle” pricing to increase sales.
     If they’re advertising inside your app, that means they already see value in advertising with your organization.  The more advertisers buy, the more they should save. Get creative by developing advertising “bundles” that could go beyond your Directory App. Website banner ads, sponsorships, email blast ads, social media mentions, co-branding promotional products, etc. The possibilities of partnering with your advertisers are endless.

Author: Shari Martin, Managing Partner, Martin & Associates, LLC

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