How to monetize a website that's already getting traffic?

Hi everyone,

A few months ago I launched a website which quickly began attracting organic traffic due to low competition and high search volume in the niche. On average it receives about 18k sessions per month. I'm finding it difficult to monetize so far because the intent behind the terms I'm targeting isn't transactional. Apart from that, most of the traffic comes from a tier 2 country. So far, I've explored:

• AdSense - my rough estimate is $60 per month which imo is not worth placing ads
• Affiliate - I tried applying for a few programs but had no luck, probably because most of the traffic goes to a single page and the rest of the site isn't that well developed yet. Also opportunities are limited due to location and niche, e.g. Amazon isn't used much in this country.
• App / Subscriptions - so far this seems the most viable to me, but it's tough to validate ahead of developing an app and can be costly. Basically, I'd be adding some features with a subscription.

I am collecting emails which could be useful, but so far I haven't utilized them for monetization.

Any ideas are welcome and will be appreciated. Thanks!

Have you considered partnering with local businesses in that tier 2 country for sponsored content or advertising? They might be more relevant to your audience. Also, leveraging those emails for a targeted newsletter could open up new revenue streams through sponsorships or affiliate links. You could also start offering digital products like e-books or guides tailored to your niche. Keep experimenting, there are plenty of ways to do it you just gotta try em out and see which ones get you the best results. Good luck on your journey brother.

goodbyehooray said:

App / Subscriptions - so far this seems the most viable to me, but it's tough to validate ahead of developing an app and can be costly. Basically, I'd be adding some features with a subscription.

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Poorer countries are less likely to subscribe for anything. Your app must be so good they can neither find an alternative nor live without it.

Nevertheless, still give it a short.

If niche can be redirected into another website to get sign ups or something, monetize yourself!

Make a forum, create paid memberships, get more traffic and more money.

Best answer = Look at what your competitors are already doing.

I know you mentioned affiliate, but have you tried high ticket affiliate marketing from sites like Clickbank or Warrior Plus?