Website Ancillary Income - Why Your Website May Benefit From it?
A solid aim for any web business has to be ancillary income, this is income that is outside of the key business model, for example a hotel may sell travel insurance through an affiliate link or guide books from an Amazon link.
To give a great example of financial returns in 2009 Ryanair.
com had ancillary revenue of ?598 million, compared to a total revenue of ?2,942 million.
You only need to look at their website to see how important this is to the business model, on the site itself you can see both paid adverts and 'affiliate' links.
The paid adverts will be simply that - a company paying for its advert to be shown on the Ryanair website - and don't be surprised by this British Airways have also been carrying Jaguar Car adverts for quite a while now.
The affiliate links however will see Ryanair getting a commission on items sold, be it car hire or hotel bookings.
So could this for your business? Make no doubt this isn't a one size fits all for sure, I have listed 3 different types of business and ancillary income you 'may' wish to consider.
Small B&B - maps, guide book links of the area - Amazon is great for this, you've booked your stay now read more before you come.
Also holiday insurance is applicable for all overnight stay websites...
Car Repairs/Mechanic - motorsport books, motoring clothing, historical prints/artwork, maps - again all from Amazon.
Estate Agents - links for insurance (you'd make commission), maps of the area - Amazon again, possibly hotels and B&B's if people are coming a distance, restaurants and eateries, basically thinks that your clients probably do already BUT you have an opportunity to make some ancillary revenue from.
Do bear in mind that a customers wants the product they are buying to work before they will go onto trust a company for buying any other services which are themselves provided for by someone else.
Then a huge part of making this ancillary offering work is to involve your own staff in designing, developing and delivering the offerings.
This means getting your staff on board with what you offer in house and what you offer only through your website.
There is nothing that will destroy your well intention efforts faster in this area if your own staff are not aware what additional services your businesses is offering.
To give a great example of financial returns in 2009 Ryanair.
com had ancillary revenue of ?598 million, compared to a total revenue of ?2,942 million.
You only need to look at their website to see how important this is to the business model, on the site itself you can see both paid adverts and 'affiliate' links.
The paid adverts will be simply that - a company paying for its advert to be shown on the Ryanair website - and don't be surprised by this British Airways have also been carrying Jaguar Car adverts for quite a while now.
The affiliate links however will see Ryanair getting a commission on items sold, be it car hire or hotel bookings.
So could this for your business? Make no doubt this isn't a one size fits all for sure, I have listed 3 different types of business and ancillary income you 'may' wish to consider.
Small B&B - maps, guide book links of the area - Amazon is great for this, you've booked your stay now read more before you come.
Also holiday insurance is applicable for all overnight stay websites...
Car Repairs/Mechanic - motorsport books, motoring clothing, historical prints/artwork, maps - again all from Amazon.
Estate Agents - links for insurance (you'd make commission), maps of the area - Amazon again, possibly hotels and B&B's if people are coming a distance, restaurants and eateries, basically thinks that your clients probably do already BUT you have an opportunity to make some ancillary revenue from.
Do bear in mind that a customers wants the product they are buying to work before they will go onto trust a company for buying any other services which are themselves provided for by someone else.
Then a huge part of making this ancillary offering work is to involve your own staff in designing, developing and delivering the offerings.
This means getting your staff on board with what you offer in house and what you offer only through your website.
There is nothing that will destroy your well intention efforts faster in this area if your own staff are not aware what additional services your businesses is offering.
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