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We know that comparison sites are becoming more and more popular and in this article, we will be looking at the best practice to set one up with high potentials.
As the internet is continuing to evolve so are comparison websites that are now very popular in the UK. They have become the first port of call for savvy online shoppers when looking to buy both products or services online. However, how difficult is to set up a comparison site and can a small start-up afford to run one?
Well, it depends what you are looking to achieve but, provided you keep your overheads low, you can create a very profitable comparison site from home, and maybe one day it will become your full-time job. Below we have done a small guide on how you should go about when creating a comparison site.
Choose what you want to compare
Choosing the product to compare is the most crucial part, and you should spend some time as it does require some analysis. Although you can go into an already mature industry, it is better if you can spot a gap in the market where there is either little competition or lack of consumer information. Alternatively, you can also go into a growing industry like apps or 3D printing where you believe the need to compare will increase soon. ‘
When we started our casino comparison bonus site we did on the back of our own experience’ said John Pentin, CEO of a leading Casino Bonus Comparison site. ‘We loved to have fun at online casinos, but we were getting lost with new operators coming up every day. We felt there was a need for a reliable casino comparison site that will guide us through so that we could immediately take advantage of new offers and products that were coming up in the world of casino’.
As you will need traffic, it is important to compare products or services where there is strong demand. In this way, you will not need to spend money educating about the product, and all you will need is to create a pleasant and functional site that will help the customers to make the final buying decision. Industries that have high demand are insurance, betting, loans, holidays, clothing, mobile phones, cosmetics and so on.
When you have selected the industry, you would need to find a good name for your site which hopefully will explain what the service you provide is. Including the word ‘compare’ or ‘comparison’ is advisable if possible.
Creating a website
Now that you have picked the industry and you have a name you will need to build the site. You don’t have to spend millions in doing that as with the improvement in technology there are now many ways to create a good website in a low-cost way.
If you are using WordPress, for example, you can buy some template that fits and then pays a developer to make the site looks perfect. The good thing about WordPress is that has its content management system, so you will be able to make changes to your website on the go and without asking for coding support.
It is vital that you think about how you are going to compare the products when you are building the website. Are the consumer price lead or they care about locations or the speed at which they receive the product? Having a bright idea of what you are comparing it will help to decide if you are going to use a simple comparison table or if you are going to need a form or more functionalities to help visitors navigating and exploring the results.
Generating Leads
Now that you have an excellent website and that you know what you are comparing you would need to start thinking about how to attract traffic and leads. There are different ways you can do so: Google Ads is one of the most effective method but also social media advertising should be considered depending on the product you are comparing. If you have a limited budget, you can start with something like £10 per day and start building your audience slowly to see if you are making some conversions.
Make sure you also spend some time to look at how to optimise the site for search engines: if you do that correctly and you add content to your website regularly you will have a perfect chance of ranking on Google organically which will in return give you free traffic. Once you are up there you won’t be paying for clicks so this will virtually be free traffic.
Another way to get some attention without paying anything is to post on social media like Instagram (great for food and retail) facebook and twitter. If you smartly do this, your content might well go viral, and if that happens, you will capture thousands of users overnight without spending a penny.
Earning commission
Commercially there are many ways to make money from your website. The first thing you will have to determine if users will be buying on your site or if they will click through to another company to complete the process. Given that you are comparing products from other companies you should apply to their ‘affiliate programmes’ so that your traffic will be tracked and you will get a commission if the sale does happen.
Commissions can range from 0.5% up to 50% depending on the programme, and as you grow, you will be able to negotiate higher returns. Amazon, for example, has a great affiliate programme. Some companies will also pay to receive enquiries by phone or email so in this case all you will need to do is give your users a specific email or telephone number. It is critical to approach companies and get deals, but before you are getting some attention, you will need to work hard to build up a good user experience and a steady level of traffic.
