I received an email from a new subscriber this week asking that question, and it’s not the first time subscribers and people in the industry have asked it, so maybe it’s time for an answer.
I just came across your website on Google. I like it, but it’s a very slick site and you have no ads or subscription charges, so how is it funded?
- Click-throughs to vendors?
- Selling your subscriber list?
- Freebies from wine makers?
Then came the big question: What’s the catch?
I guess it’s a sign of the times that we’ve come to expect a catch. We all know the saying: If something is too good to be true, it usually is, and there are lots of websites and businesses out there that make big promises which turn out to have endless strings attached, or pages of fine print that turn the promise into a very limited offer with a dozen dependencies.
An example of this is Dan Murphy’s promise to match any competitor’s prices, which has a lot of limitations in very fine print – see our post Nobody Beats Dan Murphy’s?. On the other side of the fence, we have independent wine merchants like John Cox of Bond’s Corner Fine Wines putting a sign outside his shop saying he’ll match any price at Dan Murphy’s. There’s no fineprint and no catch here except that John doesn’t sell any of the wines Dan Murphy’s sells.
Our Business Model?
We’ve had affiliate offers – commissions on sales made by subscribers clicking through to wine merchants’ sites, and offers for advertising. We’ve rejected both to safeguard our independence, which is one of BWU$20’s distinguishing features. Another subscriber commented on the fact that we sometimes put the advice AVOID in our reviews, saying he’d never seen that before.
We want to retain our ability to say: AVOID this wine, it’s poison. We do accept samples from wineries and retailers, but we choose most of the samples, and we still buy many samples of wines we want to review because we want to have some control over the wines we review. Otherwise we’re just like other reviewers who review all the samples that land on their doorsteps.
Yes, there is a catch but not for now
Those of you in marketing will be familiar with the saying: the money is in the list. We’re building a strong list of subscribers, that is true, but we have no intention of selling it to anyone. We love what we’re doing here, and the terrific feedback we get from so many of you. Instead, our plan is to ask you for a small contribution down the track – around $20 – $25 a year – to continue receiving the weekly mailer, and to have access to our BEST lists and Billboard.
This site is a lot of work, and we have big plans which need solid funding long term. In the meantime, please continue to enjoy everything we offer for free.
Kim