$5K/mo from an ugly niche affiliate site

Look at this beautiful traffic graph:

It ain’t much.

But it’s enough to bring in an average of $5K/month.

Now, guess what this is:

If you guessed the homepage of the site, you’d be correct.

The site is diskprices.com.

The domain was registered in 2015. But the first snapshot of the site in the Wayback Machine is from 2017, which is also when the first bit of traffic started trickling in.

It’s been steadily growing ever since.

In this interview, the owner of the site, Jeremy Grosser, revealed that he makes about $5K/month from affiliate commissions and that the operating costs are very low. There’s no date on the interview, but after some digging, I found the figures are from October, 2023.

Based on the current traffic level, the site is still doing at least $5K/mo. Maybe even slightly more now.

This business model is amazing

What I love about this site is the extreme simplicity. It’s got a few filters, and that’s all it needs. You can’t even sort the list, as it’s automatically sorted by lowest price.

Most people launching a site in this niche would have used the typical blog format, writing reviews of individual disks, informational articles relating to disks, best of articles, comparisons, and so on. Aaaand they’d probably get whacked by Google for it.

But Jeremy made Disk Prices so much more user friendly. There’s no fluff. You get the info you need right away.

It’s literally a spreadsheet but in HTML format. Stupid simple.

And what’s even better is that it wouldn’t take as much upkeep as a typical blog. The prices are all automated and update every few hours, as they come directly from the Amazon API.

Jeremy doesn’t even do any “SEO” or marketing for the site. He lets everything happen organically.

Screenshots from the interview:

This is about as close as you can get to a true “passive” business model.

Other product types where a spreadsheet-style comparison site would work

Seeing the success of this site got my brain spinning with ideas.

I explained Disk Prices to ChatGPT and asked for a list of other product types where a simple spreadsheet comparison site like this would work.

It gave some fantastic suggestions. Here’s the list:

• Hard Drives and SSDs - Sorted by storage capacity, type (HDD/SSD), and price per TB.

• RAM Modules - Sorted by size (e.g., 8GB, 16GB), speed, and type (e.g., DDR4, DDR5).

• Power Banks - Organized by battery capacity (mAh), output ports, and price.

• Flash Drives/USB Drives - Sorted by storage capacity (e.g., 32GB, 128GB) and price per GB.

• External Monitors - Sorted by screen size, resolution (e.g., 1080p, 4K), and price.

• Graphics Cards (GPUs) - Organized by GPU model, VRAM, and price.

• Mechanical Keyboards - Sorted by switch type, layout, and price.

• Power Supplies (PSUs) - Organized by wattage, certification (80 PLUS), and price.

• Smartphone Screen Protectors - Sorted by compatibility (phone model), material, and price.

• Portable External SSDs - Organized by capacity, speed (e.g., USB 3.2, Thunderbolt), and price per TB.

• Wi-Fi Routers - Sorted by Wi-Fi standard (e.g., Wi-Fi 6), speed, and price.

• Motherboards - Sorted by chipset, form factor, and price.

• Surge Protectors/Power Strips - Organized by number of outlets, surge rating, and price.

• Laptop Docking Stations - Sorted by number of ports, compatibility, and price.

• NVMe SSDs - Organized by storage capacity, speed, and price.

• Ethernet Cables - Sorted by length, category (e.g., Cat 6, Cat 7), and price.

• PC Cases - Organized by form factor, features (e.g., RGB), and price.

• 3D Printers - Sorted by build volume, print resolution, and price.

• Printers - Organized by type (inkjet/laser), features, and price.

• Graphic Tablets - Sorted by active area, pressure sensitivity, and price.

• Streaming Webcams - Organized by resolution (e.g., 1080p, 4K), FPS, and price.

• Action Cameras - Sorted by resolution, features (e.g., waterproof), and price.

• Bluetooth Earbuds - Organized by battery life, features (e.g., noise cancellation), and price.

• Wireless Headphones - Sorted by Bluetooth version, battery life, and price.

• Desktop Monitors - Organized by size, resolution, and refresh rate.

• Smart Plugs - Sorted by compatibility (e.g., Alexa, Google), features, and price.

• Portable Power Stations - Organized by capacity (Wh), outputs, and price.

• Projectors - Sorted by resolution (e.g., 1080p, 4K), brightness (lumens), and price.

• Electric Scooters - Organized by range, speed, and price.

• Solar Panels for Homes - Sorted by wattage, size, and price.

• Dash Cams - Organized by resolution, storage capacity, and price.

• Portable Speakers - Sorted by battery life, wattage, and price.

• Robot Vacuums - Organized by cleaning power (suction), battery life, and price.

• Electric Toothbrushes - Sorted by brushing modes, battery life, and price.

• Standing Desks - Organized by weight capacity, size, and price.

• Office Chairs - Sorted by features (e.g., ergonomic, adjustable armrests) and price.

• Power Tools (e.g., Drills) - Organized by power source (corded/cordless), battery life, and price.

• Electric Kettles - Sorted by capacity (liters), wattage, and price.

• Portable Air Conditioners - Organized by BTU, coverage area, and price.

• Fitness Trackers - Sorted by battery life, features (e.g., heart rate monitor), and price.

Feel free to take one of those ideas and run with it. You could probably build this type of site in a single day. Especially if you’re a developer. If you’re not a developer (like me), ChatGPT is your friend. 😉 

Thanks for reading. I hope this was inspiring!

Ian

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