Opening an "online reference" site and...

Would like any and all advice and opinions on the matter - I'm lost.

[Josefu]

I have been living in a certain European city since several years and just recently had decided to put up a site on the subject - the City - including images and historical and visual references. I've just completed it, but the thing is... I haven't the darndest how to sell the thing.

At first I thought to divide the site up into sections, have the most recent available for free, and have visitors pay for each other in the archives, but in today's web most users are most automatically "turned off" by anything they have to pay for - and nothing is more annoying than finding a snippet of the information you are looking for on Google and getting only "pay here" button when they arrive at the site. What's worse, a person treated such would develop an "refuse reflex" - if ever he recognizes my site's name in any other link, more chances than not, he won't click on it. And, to add to all that, there just aren't enough people willing to pay online because of security reservations and complicated proceedings. The web just isn't there yet.

So I decided to make my site free and hope for ad revenues. The subject I am treating is "niched" enough to be able to sell ads by CPM - but of this I am doubtful about the possibilities of worthy revenue. CPM - frankly it's so low I don't want it. For now I have AdSense.

I then began to mull over selling "subscriptions" but this site's content will develop only with time (though one day it will be HUGE) and I cannot, at least not yet, justify this charge.

In addition to any "magic formula" I find, I will always be selling print versions of my photos and pages.

How would you "sell" an "information" site? Do any of you have advice or perhaps experiences to share?

Any input would be much appreciated, thanks in advance.

[Matt Probert]

Yes I publish an information or reference site. You are quite correct, people will not pay subscriptions - in my experience.

We (as a company) both sell the data in e-book formats, which makes very little, and use advertising on the site, which makes enough.

Once your readership increases, look at using a real advertising agency like Fastclick or Casale. Though if the content is sufficiently narrow in scope you may (very unlikely, but you may) find that Adsense provides an acceptable income.

In any event, be patient.

Matt