Website Closers® presents a 14-year-established online business that has built a reputation as a leading content website, buying guide, and shopping blog covering the latest in Gear, Gadgets, Watches, Style, Technologies, and Gifts for Men. This website has become the ultimate destination for men seeking the latest and greatest in lifestyle products. In today’s fast-paced digital age, the demand for a centralized platform that caters specifically to men’s gear is significant. With a focus on being a comprehensive buyer’s guide, this business provides visitors with a curated selection of carefully chosen items to satisfy the most discerning tastes.
14 Years Building a Following …
The company stands out in the digital landscape by going beyond product recommendations. It serves as a gateway into the fascinating world of workshops and stores, offering readers a glimpse into the creative processes behind their favorite gear. By sharing stories about innovative brands and craftspeople, the site helps forge a connection between readers and the makers behind the products they love, or haven’t found yet, leading to higher sales and conversion rates.
Importantly, the website is not merely a marketplace or eCommerce website. One of its most critical missions is to entertain and inform its audience through a wide range of articles. From in-depth features on trending products and expert insights to interviews with industry insiders and lifestyle tips, the website offers captivating and informative information that piques readers’ interest.
Aside from its tremendous following and 14-year history, the company’s strength lies in its dedication to providing a seamless user experience. Its clean and intuitive interface ensures visitors can easily navigate the site and find the information they need. The articles are meticulously organized, making it effortless to discover new products or delve deeper into specific categories of interest.
Content & Distribution
Content is published daily on the website, which is optimized for mobile readership. The business does not use any specialized digital marketing tactics or spend anything on advertising. This is a huge value driver for this company – after 14 years of building content that readers love, there is no need to spend anything on paid media. The majority of traffic is derived from organic search, the company’s extensive email list, social media, and mentions or features on third party websites.
The company actively engages its followers on Instagram, posting the best products from what they have published. Additionally, everything published on the site is automatically shared on Facebook and Twitter. The site has attracted over 3 million users through organic search, 1.6 million directly, and 725,000 via email in the past year.
Revenue Generation
The business enjoys multiple revenue streams. The sale of Sponsored Ads account for approximately 78% of total revenue. These content ads are sold directly to small to mid-sized companies, primarily in the DTC field. A single, independent contractor who has been with the company for 3 years sells these ads in exchange for commission and closes around 45 advertisement sales monthly. Third Party Brands typically evaluate websites like this one on an ad-to-ad basis, and wouldn’t consider keeping the ads in place unless there was a strong response from the spend. The company works with D2C brands that generally have modest budgets, so they come in and out with campaigns periodically – but again – in order to receive repeat business, the sponsored ads must perform. The average deal size is $1,525, with a 66% repeat purchase rate, proving just how powerful advertising on this site can be for third parties.
Programmatic Ads (also known as Display Ads) account for around 12% of the company’s Revenue and are managed externally. Commissions earned from the sale of goods via Affiliate Platforms contribute the remaining 10% of revenue.
Operations
The business does not rely on seasonality but does enjoy peaks in the second quarter around Father’s Day and again in Q4 during the holiday and gift-giving season. Since one of the points of the website is to promote new and unique products, this is a great site to get gift ideas for that hard to buy for husband, brother, dad and son.
The typical website follower is a male over 45 years old. He enjoys consuming interesting content and discovering the latest gear, often purchasing based on the site’s recommendations.
Human Resources
After 14 years of working out the kinks, this company is now operating as a cash cow. The 2 owners work only need to work 2 hours combined on the business weekly. They focus primarily on product and content sourcing and monthly payroll and bookkeeping. Product and content sourcing is very easy to train and does not require any special skills – and to ensure a proper transition without hiccups, the owners are happy to remain involved as necessary after closing.
Several freelance employees work in capacities ranging from managing editor and ad sales to writing and graphic design. All such staff members will be happy to come along in the transaction and are valuable elements to the ongoing success of the company.
The Buyer …
A buyer looking to scale the business after purchasing the business would likely focus on building experience and/or additional team members to ensure content is developed as it has been for 14 years. A buyer will learn how to be proficient in managing a content creation team and can either handle the edits or outsource the editing process.
The buyer will be trained and given an understanding of the digital advertising space, search engine optimization, WordPress site management, and email newsletter publishing and marketing. If a buyer already has these capabilities, they will be a in great position to take the reins and run on day 1 after closing. As noted, the existing owners are motivated to assist a buyer with a thorough transition to set them up for continued success and growth.
Summary
This company is more than just a buyer’s guide; it’s a trusted companion for those seeking inspiration, knowledge, and access to the world of men’s gear. With its thoughtful curation, behind-the-scenes insights, and captivating reads, it has become an essential resource for any man looking to stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of lifestyle products. It is also an incredibly profitable business, primed for expansion under capable stewardship.
