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One of the most persistent Internet myths is that you can't charge for content.
It's true you can't charge for most content. It's also true that when you charge for content you cut your audience, lower your potential ad revenue, and cut the "premium" portion of your site off from incoming links.
But there is content that people will gladly pay for. Information on which people base investment decisions is valuable. Databases of legal documents have value. The Wall Street Journal has succeeded with its online subscription model.
The problem for the Journal is that until now it could only sell long-term subscriptions to its site. There wasn't a way to sell on a per-day or per-copy basis, until now. At a conference sponsored by Jupiter Communications in New York this week, Qpass Inc. of Seattle launched its Qpass Content Transaction Network. Through a single registration, customers can access all content protected by Qpass, which takes a small cut of revenues from companies like the Journal, which for the first time can now sell its site on per-day basis. (Other offerings in the initial roll out are the Morningside mutual fund research service, IDG's Industry Standard magazine and the U.S. Department of Commerce STAT/USA Internet service.)
Making money directly from readers is not a slam-dunk. You have to offer something that is truly valuable, something readers can profit from directly, and you have to market it effectively. Hoover's Inc., Austin, Texas, which is not yet a Qpass site, has done this effectively by offering portions of its database through online brokers like Schwab, by offering a free weekly newsletter on its site, then by selling member access to the whole database starting at $14.95/month.
If you've got a business model that works, in other words, or you're willing to take the risks of charging for premium content, you can now sell it on a daily or per-use basis.
What do you think? Let's talk about it.
