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Home/r/Entrepreneur/2025-07-21/#first-timer-profitability-of-running-a-website
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First Timer. Is it typically profitable to run a website?

r/Entrepreneur
7/21/2025

Content Summary

The post discusses the author's desire to run a small business via a website, focusing on providing a home ownership calculator and other financial tools. The author seeks advice on the business model, costs, typical expenses, breakeven point, and profitability of running a website. The author also asks about generating income through ads and getting traffic. Comments provide various insights on SEO, content creation, and strategies for making a website profitable.

Opinion Analysis

The mainstream opinion is that running a website can be profitable with the right niche and effort, but it requires significant time and resources. Many commenters emphasize the importance of SEO, content creation, and building a community. There is a debate on the effectiveness of ads and the challenges of generating traffic in a competitive space. Some suggest using Reddit as a content channel and SEO asset, while others caution about the high costs of ads and the difficulty of SEO in a competitive niche. There is also a discussion on the need for long-term commitment and consistent content creation. Conflicting opinions exist on the ease of setting up a website and the challenges of making it profitable. Some believe it's not easy and will take years of committed content writing for organic growth. Some suggest buying an existing website with traffic as an alternative.

SAAS TOOLS

SaaSURLCategoryFeatures/Notes
AdSensehttps://www.google.com/adsenseAdvertisingGenerates income via ads on websites
Ezoichttps://www.ezoic.comAdvertisingPassive ad income for websites
AdThrivehttps://adthrive.comAdvertisingRequires minimum 10k unique visitors per month
SEMrushhttps://www.semrush.comSEO ToolHelps in creating SEO optimized content
BigCartelhttps://www.bigcartel.comE-commerceFree up to 5 products with 1 picture per product
Substackhttps://substack.comPublishingFor writing and sharing content with an audience
Squarespacehttps://www.squarespace.comWebsite BuilderTemplates for building websites
WordPresshttps://wordpress.comWebsite BuilderPopular platform for creating websites
CDN-Content Delivery NetworkUsed for running static sites affordably
BigCommerce-E-commerceMentioned as an alternative for e-commerce sites

USER NEEDS

Pain Points:

  • Lack of experience in running a business or website
  • Difficulty in generating traffic to the website
  • Challenges in making a profit from ads

Problems to Solve:

  • Need to understand the business model behind running a website
  • Need to find affordable and quality traffic sources
  • Need to learn SEO and content creation for attracting visitors

Potential Solutions:

  • Utilizing Reddit as a content channel and SEO asset
  • Implementing AdSense and affiliate offers once a certain level of traffic is achieved
  • Focusing on long-term growth and consistent content creation

GROWTH FACTORS

Effective Strategies:

  • Treating Reddit as both a content channel and an SEO asset
  • Layering in AdSense and affiliate offers after gaining initial traffic
  • Using SEO tools like SEMrush for content creation

Marketing & Acquisition:

  • Utilizing SEO and content marketing for organic growth
  • Building a community around the brand
  • Using social media platforms for free traffic

Monetization & Product:

  • Generating income via ads and affiliate links
  • Ensuring the website is set up for search engines
  • Creating valuable content that attracts and retains visitors

User Engagement:

  • Building a strong brand presence across the web
  • Engaging with the audience through consistent content creation