Nowadays, it’s becoming more and more common to use websites as a profitable side business. However, plenty of ideas with no less potential than eCommerce sites are still left unexplored.

Once you have the right business concept, it’s time to start making money online, and building a website is the first step of your business venture.

Therefore, we have compiled a list of the best website ideas to inspire you. In this article, we will explore both conventional and unconventional business niches ‒ all of which are profitable. Not only that, but we will also examine each website idea and provide tips to improve your chances of success.

23 Most Successful Website Ideas to Make Money in 2022

Nowadays, it’s becoming more and more common to use websites as a profitable side business. However, plenty of ideas with no less potential than eCommerce sites are still left unexplored.

Once you have the right business concept, it’s time to start making money online, and building a website is the first step of your business venture.

Therefore, we have compiled a list of the best website ideas to inspire you. In this article, we will explore both conventional and unconventional business niches ‒ all of which are profitable. Not only that, but we will also examine each website idea and provide tips to improve your chances of success.

What Kind of Websites Are Profitable?

Profitable websites come in different forms. For example, here are five website types with excellent potential for launching a business:

• eCommerce websites ‒ avoid the hassle of having a physical store. Have the option to sell your own products or become a dropshipper.
• Blog websites ‒ ideal for people with a particular passion and who love producing consistent content.
• Business websites ‒ use it to promote your online business by improving SEO and expanding customers’ knowledge of your brand.
• Forum websites ‒ provide the space for people to interact with one another over a specific topic. For example, job boards and product discussions are two of the most profitable forum types.
• Portfolio websites ‒ help professionals to attract potential clients and employers by displaying their work online.

Most Profitable Website Ideas in 2022

After figuring out the type of website you want to create, it’s time to decide your niche.

To help you with that, we composed a list of the top website ideas that make money. In the following section, we will uncover these ideas and much more in greater detail.

• Launch an eCommerce website
• Start a blog
• Create an online portfolio
• Create a membership website
• Develop a dropshipping website
• Review products online
• Resell web hosting
• Start a podcast
• Create a fitness website
• Sell online courses

We will discuss what it takes to make each of these profitable websites and offer tips on doing it efficiently.

1. eCommerce Website

Starting an online store is one of the most popular ways to make money online. Functioning like a physical store, an eCommerce store provides a space to sell products. Your profits depend on the number of sales you make.

Fortunately, many eCommerce platforms like Zyro and Shopify offer an easy way to build an online store website. In addition, these platforms provide all the tools needed to ensure optimal customer experience and conversion rates ‒ ideal for aspiring entrepreneurs with limited technical skills.

All that’s left is to decide which products to sell and market your business.

If you’re interested in becoming a retailer, keep these tips in mind:

• Find a specific niche. Like blogs, it’s easier to sell and market products within the same niche. Plus, doing so will open more opportunities for upsells.
• Research eCommerce platforms. That’s because each platform comes with different sets of features, business tools, and payment gateways.
• Embrace online marketing. Don’t be afraid to explore various eCommerce marketing strategies, such as email and social media marketing.

2. Blog

Blogs are one of the most popular website types and can be very beneficial for building a personal brand. Not only is it a great outlet for self-expression, blogging can also be a source of income.

You can monetize your blog with ads, sponsored posts, or a paid subscription system. Another excellent strategy to make money from blogging is through affiliate marketing.

Affiliate marketing is a business model where an affiliate earns profit by advertising a merchant’s products and services. In addition, the affiliate creates targeted content to drive traffic to affiliate links.

The amount of money you generate depends on the number of purchases and traffic originating from your site.

Some of the most popular affiliate programs include Fiverr Affiliates, NordVPN Affiliate Program, and eBay Partner Network. In addition, plenty of affiliate marketing platforms are also available to connect independent affiliates with advertisers, such as ShareASale, CJ Affiliate, and FlexOffers.

The workflow of affiliate blogging is similar to starting a blog. It’s straightforward and simple, even for complete beginners. First, begin creating blog posts that place the targeted products and services in good light and make sure the affiliate link is accessible.

To accelerate your affiliate blog’s growth, follow these tips:

• Stick to a specific affiliate marketing niche. Promoting topics that interest your audience base helps to attract more sales and traffic.
• Use good SEO practices. Getting your web page to rank high on search engine results pages (SERP) will improve your brand exposure, potentially leading to more sales.
• Create a blogging schedule. Consistently producing and publishing blog posts helps to build an audience base.
• Research affiliate marketing programs. Consider the niches, commission rates, and availability before making your choice. Some platforms and networks charge membership fees and implement a minimum sales goal, not ideal for beginners.

3. Portfolio Website

Compiling visual work takes a lot of time and effort. Having a portfolio website will solve these issues and give you access to an entire world of job opportunities. What’s more, a portfolio website’s design and content are easy to modify.

Plenty of website builders offer the tools needed to create an online portfolio at an affordable price. WordPress also provides a selection of page builder plugins and portfolio themes to streamline your work. And if you are just starting with portfolio creation, you can start your journey with Hostinger’s free website hosting and upgrade it in the future.

Here’s a couple of tips to make a great website that leaves a lasting impression:

• Brainstorm website ideas. Browse through creative web portfolios like Slava Kirilenko’s and Laura Bize’s for inspiration.
• Use your name for the site’s domain name. Doing so helps increase your brand exposure and memorability. If you’re having trouble with domain name availability, you might want to check out domain name generator.
• Provide a contact form. Allow people to reach out to you as easily as possible. Don’t forget to add social media icons and a business email address to your portfolio site.

4. Membership Website

Membership websites gain profits by restricting access to exclusive content, like higher quality posts, discount codes, and video tutorials. Many blogs and forums choose this website type as a marketing strategy to improve their brand values.

There are plenty of WordPress membership plugins to help you create a membership website code-free. Some of the most popular options include Paid Memberships Pro and Restrict Content.

When looking for the best membership plugin for your website, remember to:

• Pick the plugin best suited to your needs and budget. While premium membership plugins provide more features and better tools, the free ones offer lower-risk investments to help you get started.
• Research the supported payment options. Ensuring that members can easily make transactions on your website will help encourage more subscriptions.
• Consider inclusions. Pick a membership plugin that offers content dripping features, reliable support, and integrations with popular tools.

5. Dropshipping Website

Dropshipping is one of the best website ideas for people who don’t want to deal with inventory management and shipping. Instead, create a website to promote products, and then let your dropshipping partner take care of the rest.

Despite generating less revenue than a traditional online store, a dropshipping website requires low investments to get started.

If this website idea interests you, consider building a dropshipping website in WordPress with WooCommerce. This open-source plugin is highly scalable, offering abundant free and paid extensions to extend your website’s functionality.

Before jumpstarting on starting your dropshipping business, take a look at these tips:

• Collaborate with reliable dropshipping partners. Your partner’s work ethics will reflect on your brand.
• Sell trending products. Keep an eye on the current surge in trending products related to your niche.

6. Product Review Website

This website idea can turn into a profitable side hustle for people who like to tinker with gadgets or try new products. The goal is to inform people about the quality of products that interest you or are currently popular in the market.

Many bloggers use this website idea to promote their affiliate links. All you need to do is build a review site, pick a niche, and then find products to write about.

Once your website gains more popularity, it’s possible to grow your brand into something bigger, even becoming a trendsetter within a niche industry.

Alternatively, let customers post their reviews on your site, such as G2, and gain revenue from advertisers.

7. Web Hosting Reseller

Reselling web hosting is a practice of renting and reselling a portion of server space and resources to other users. It can be a profitable side business for web developers.

This business idea lets you bundle a custom web hosting plan with your web development project. In other words, you get to make extra money while providing your customers with additional services at the same time.

8. Podcast Website

If you don’t like making blog posts, consider launching a podcast instead. Record yourself talking about products or other topics, and then publish the files in episodes.

This website idea has a lot of monetization potential, including affiliate marketing and sponsorships. It also makes for great content for a membership website.

Plenty of WordPress podcast themes and plugin options are available at different price points. Alternatively, subscribe to a podcast hosting platform like Buzzsprout or Castos for more straightforward publishing and analytics processes.

There are a couple of factors you need to consider to start a successful podcast:

• Invest in the right equipment. Getting started with your laptop’s built-in microphone may work, but upgrading your recording tools ensures better sound quality. Some additional audio equipment is also worth investing in, such as an audio interface or a pair of studio headphones.
• Be consistent. There’s no need to record your podcast a few times per week. However, sticking to a broadcasting schedule is essential so listeners know when to tune in.

9. Fitness Website

If you’re into fitness, consider monetizing your skills by creating a fitness website. Workout video tutorials, diet tips, and exercise equipment reviews are among the many content ideas to work on.

A lot of fitness websites generate revenue through sponsorships and consultation charges. Once you build a solid audience base, expand your business by launching a merchandise store or marketing your own workout supplements.

Jennifer K. Wellness and Blissed are two established fitness websites to take inspiration from.

After deciding on the type of content, build a website that caters to it. For example, if you’re going to offer coaching services, make sure the site has a booking system. Opting for WordPress may be the best way to do it, as it has various booking plugins to fulfill this need.

If you only want to promote your gym or fitness studio, use a website builder to create a simple company website or a fitness blog. Plenty of website builders offer appealing website templates specifically for fitness studios.

10. Online Learning Website

This excellent website idea is suitable for professionals and educators wanting to share their knowledge online. Many job seekers apply for online courses and certifications to improve their employability, so this is an excellent business opportunity.

However, hobbyists and non-experts can also create an eLearning site for practical and crafting courses. As long as you apply value to your courses, people will see your brand as a credible learning source.

Many WordPress learning management system (LMS) plugins are ready to help set up your online learning platform.

For example, Sensei by WooCommerce lets you design and monetize lessons without coding.

Other popular WordPress LMS plugins include LearnPress, LifterLMS, and LearnDash.

A reliable learning management system should provide:

• Course builder. It lets you design courses and attach necessary files to them.
• Content dripping. Release specific courses based on membership tiers or according to scheduled dates.
• Payment gateways. Make sure it supports your desired currencies and is available in the countries where your target audience resides.
• Student management. Track students’ progress, payments, and registrations.

11. Events Website

Creating an events website is one of the best website ideas for marketing purposes. As most of the revenue depends on the number of visitors, making an event’s information available online will help improve its exposure and conversion rates.

What’s more, an event website can support registrations, distribute marketing materials, and promote upcoming events.

Not only that but having an event website creates another stream of revenue. Sponsorships and merchandise sales are the two most common monetization methods for events.

Some examples of well-designed event websites include Coachella and Life in Vogue.

When creating a website to promote your event, remember to:

• Pick a suitable website template. Make sure the design aligns with the event’s niche or reflects the brand colors.
• Set up an event calendar. If you build the website on WordPress, using a calendar plugin with booking capabilities will further improve the visitor’s experience.
• Provide payment options. This only applies if the website provides online event ticketing or has a merchandise store.

12. Online Forum

As you may already know, a forum connects people with similar interests. Some business websites have online forums to encourage customer interaction and improve people’s knowledge of different products.

Some forums make money by applying for Google AdSense and joining affiliate programs. However, it’s common to incorporate a forum into a business website to build an audience base and answer customers’ inquiries.

Forum software tools can help you create an online forum hassle-free. Some of the basic features include a text editor, user role management, and moderation tools.

Quora, Reddit, and Stack Overflow are a few of the best online forums in the world to take inspiration from.

13. Nutrition Website

Many seek health and nutrition tips as more and more people strive to live healthy lives. Starting a website that provides these insights will create the opportunity to gain revenue through advertisements as your audience base grows.

The content may range from healthy recipes and alternative medicine to discussions about food safety and metabolic diseases. Start a blog if you prefer to publish them as texts or create a podcast with each episode focusing on a specific topic.

As this website idea promotes the world of healthy living, be mindful when giving out tips. Do your research carefully to avoid making false statements that might cause harm to other peoples’ health.

Some well-established nutrition websites include Livestrong, Examine.com, and Nutrition and You.

14. Job Board Website

Setting up an online job board is one of the most profitable website ideas today. This website type generates high traffic volumes as workers and employers worldwide look for job opportunities and people to hire.

Monetize your website by selling memberships to job seekers and rent space for businesses to promote their job listings. Increase your website’s value by adding job searching features, company reviews, and forums.

Take inspiration from popular job board websites like Glassdoor, Indeed, and AngelList.

15. Food Blog

The culinary world never runs out of topics to cover, making it an excellent niche for blogs. This website idea includes a wide range of content, like recipes, food journals, and food reviews.

As many food blogs are passion projects, you don’t have to be a culinary expert to create a food blog. Brainstorm ideas for your website, and then start producing blog posts consistently.

Optimize each article for search engines to generate organic traffic and boost your brand awareness.

Once you gain followers, monetize the blog with advertisements and affiliate links. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll sell your own cookbook too.

Fit Men Cook, Minimalist Baker, and Pinch of Yum are some of the most popular food blogs, with a massive audience base.

16. Service Website

Creating a service website is one of the best website ideas for freelancers and companies selling services instead of physical products. For example, our site counts as a service website since we sell web hosting.

The website serves as a platform for promoting services such as marketing consultation, website maintenance, and content production. Therefore, it conveys details about each service you offer, the pricing list, and contact information.

Service websites owned by freelancers may include a portfolio section to showcase the owner’s skills and credibility. In short, this website idea is a great marketing tool to increase brand awareness and conversion rates.

Design an attractive landing page with an informative copy to attract potential customers. Use a content generator to produce SEO-friendly copy if you don’t have the budget to hire a copywriter.

17. Fashion Website

Similar to a food blog, you don’t have to be a fashion expert to start a fashion blog. Models and fashion enthusiasts may use it to showcase modeling portfolios, offer styling tips, and even create an online boutique business.

A fashion website is one among many website ideas that rely heavily on the latest trends. Therefore, make sure to monitor your website traffic periodically.

Consider adding Google Analytics to your website to get better insights into its performance and how your audience responds to each blog article published or product sold.

Several reputable fashion websites to get you inspired include Hello Fashion, YOYOKULALA, and Duc DuBois.

18. Web Design Website

If you’re a web designer, having a web design website will boost your online presence. It can serve as your online portfolio and even function as a service website if you work as a freelancer.

Web design plays an essential role in optimizing user experience since it only takes 2.6 seconds for users to form their opinion on a website. With companies seeking web designers’ help to optimize their site, monetize your skills with this website idea.

Alternatively, starting a web design blog and covering the best ways to design a website can inspire other web designers.

19. Selling a Website

Selling a website is a common exit strategy for people losing their interest in a current site or pursuing a new business venture. While the price may vary between one website and another, selling the site is better than leaving it unattended.

Online marketplaces value a website based on its type, revenue, and traffic generated. Therefore, websites with a steady income stream are generally worth more than those relying on traffic-based monetization methods.

If the time to sell your website comes, do so on reputable marketplaces like Flippa and Empire Flippers or find a website broker to help you secure the best deal.

20. Travel Website

Starting a travel or adventure blog is a perfect website idea for people who frequently travel. Make money by sharing travel tips and reviewing tourist spots, all while doing something you love.

Many travel bloggers find success through sponsorships and becoming an affiliate, promoting travel kits and tour packages. If you’re lucky, your travel blog may even land you sponsored trips from hotels and travel agencies.

Once you monetize your travel website, use the acquired revenue to fund your next trip.

Before starting a successful travel blog, make sure you pick a niche first. For example, the Legal Nomads travel blog owner focuses on food tours, covering different types of food she discovered during her many trips.

Additionally, consider investing in a good camera and writing tools to improve your workflow and blog posts’ value. Don’t forget to use social media platforms to promote the blog and increase traffic.

21. DIY Crafts Website

Etsy, a popular marketplace for selling handmade crafts, had 81.9 million buyers in 2020. Since it has a massive audience, many aspiring artists think it’s easier to generate sales there.

In reality, the saturated market makes it harder to stand out. What’s more, the platform charges listing, transaction, and payment processing fees.

Creating a website to market your business will help save money and build your brand’s credibility. Customize your store however you like without being limited by the marketplace’s rules and umbrella branding.

Start a blog to increase your website traffic and make passive income. Depending on your niche, the blog content can focus on craft tutorials, tips, and ideas.

MoonKo and Helen’s Closet are a few of the many artists who independently established their craft business.

22. Photography Website

Like setting up a craft site, having a photography website helps photographers save money and gain complete freedom to monetize their work. Generate net revenue with each picture sold and own the copyright to all of your shots.

Print your pictures in different mediums, like pillows, mugs, and pins, and then market them as your brand merchandise to generate even more money.

Alternatively, sell photography equipment and presets if photo editing and technical photography are something you’re interested in.

Like the sites owned by Jen Huang Bogan and Brandon Woelfel, a photography website can also serve as an online portfolio. In that case, use the space to promote your photography services.

23. Self-Help Website

Starting a self-help website is an excellent way to make money while improving other people’s life quality. This website idea covers some key sectors, including personal care, healthy eating, and workplace wellness.

Create blog posts about various life hacks, motivation and personal goals, and mental health issues. Medical professionals and motivational speakers can create a membership system or a podcast, both of which can help generate steady income.

Take inspiration from established self-help blogs like Lifehack and The 4-Hour Workweek.

Similar to owning a nutrition website, make sure to back your site up with proper data and research.

Additional Website Ideas

We believe that there’s no such thing as too many ideas. Thus, here are 14 additional website ideas to start a side hustle and make extra money.

1. Restaurant Website

Create a website to promote your restaurant and have the opportunity to improve customer experience and conversion rates. The website makes for a cost-effective marketing tool that boosts your brand image and local SEO.

Having menus and customer testimonials online may also boost the revenue of restaurants that offer takeout and delivery.

2. Music Website

Having a music site can strengthen the brand image of artists and songwriters. As most music streaming services have a saturated market, this site idea will also give you the freedom to advertise, monetize, and utilize your music however you like.

3. Statistics Website

Providing valuable insights for other businesses is one of the best website ideas to monetize. Pick a market to focus on and start researching vital topics, like sales growth and trends. Make sure to fact-check everything to maintain your credibility.

4. Poetry Website

Compile your poems on a poetry website and make them accessible to other literature enthusiasts. Besides providing people with the opportunity to give feedback, a portfolio website can help sell poetry writing services and improve your credibility.

5. Humor Website

Polish your skills as a comedy writer and start a humor site. The content formats vary from memes and social media posts to visual media. Once the site generates high traffic, rent advertising space to Google AdSense and start generating revenue.

6. Online Pet Store

Grow your pet supply business by launching an online store. Consider embedding a blog that focuses on pet care to the site to improve its ranking in search engines. With so many people owning pets today, this website idea can help you make serious money.

7. Fan Club Website

Create a website to share news about fans’ favorite celebrity, musician, or sports team. A fan club or celebrity site may also function as a forum, connecting fans across the world. Apply for Google AdSense to monetize the traffic.

8. Meditation Website

Starting a meditation site is one of the best website ideas to make money while promoting wellness. Offer meditation sessions as well as tips and tricks on how to improve productivity and focus. Consider selling exclusive training courses through a membership system.

9. Video Game Website

With tons of video game titles being released every year, the chance to make money in the gaming industry is higher than ever. Start a gaming website and post video game reviews, wikis, or even tips and tricks.

Posting video game commentaries is another common way to make money online ‒ perfect for gamers who love being in front of a camera.

10. News Website

Here’s a great website idea to work on if you aspire to become a journalist. Create a website that covers essential events worldwide and gives people a platform to voice their aspirations. Remember that a credible news website is free of bias and opinion.

11. Movie Review Website

Help people decide which movies to watch by starting a movie review site. Discuss movies’ plots, ratings, and casts. Making a list of movies to watch based on their genre will help generate even more traffic.

Pay attention to new movies as people will more likely look for opinions on them.

12. Beauty Website

Start a website focusing on beauty tips and products to accompany your fashion blog. Plenty of beauty specialists also create makeup tutorials to attract traffic and sponsors.

Optimizing each article for search engines and following the latest beauty trends will help you stand out from the crowd.

13. Sports Website

Create a website that tracks sports events, promotes local tournaments, or covers sports news. Gain revenue by selling ad space and merchandise and promoting affiliate links. This website type generally produces sponsored content promoting certain events or sports teams.

14. Finance Website

The world of finance is important yet hard to explore without any guidance. Create a website that offers explanations on financial terminologies and basic personal finance tips. Take it to the next level by publishing articles about the stock market and cryptocurrency news.

Conclusion

Developing successful website ideas takes time and effort. However, it has the potential to become a profitable side business in the long run.

Here are five of the many website ideas we have presented that can generate a steady source of income:

• Launch an online shop
• Start a blog
• Create a membership website
• Develop a dropshipping website
• Launch a portfolio site

While there are many website ideas to explore, consider your interests when choosing one. Don’t be afraid to try different things and learn from those who have turned their website into a successful business.

We hope this article helped you think of the best website ideas. Now that you have the idea down, have a look at some of the web design inspiration and start working on it! If you have any more questions or suggestions, feel free to leave us a comment down below.

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