Day 14 of the 30-day building in public challenge has been a busy one. I’ve received a few questions on my videos that I’m excited to address. To start, a big shoutout to Randy for always commenting and helping out. He brought up an interesting question about the potential for building Rank and Rent sites for local restaurants. Most sites like this focus on a specific service, but I think restaurants can work if approached correctly. Success might vary based on city size and competition, but it could be a worthwhile venture.
Another key question was about handling leads from a Rank and Rent site before securing a partner. Usually, leads just sit in an inbox, but reaching out to potential partners and offering leads for free initially can demonstrate the value and quality of those leads. Additionally, concerns about the impact of numerous WordPress plugins were raised. It’s crucial to keep plugins updated for security and to minimize the number of plugins to prevent site slowdowns.
Key Takeaways
- Building Rank and Rent sites for restaurants can depend on city size and existing competition.
- Handling leads from Rank and Rent sites can involve offering them free initially to partners.
- Keeping WordPress plugins updated and minimal is essential for security and performance.
30-Day Building in Public Challenge Update
Day 14 Update:
I’ve received a few questions on my YouTube videos and I’m excited to address them. First off, a big thanks to Randy for always commenting and helping with the YouTube algorithm. One of his questions was about the possibility of building a Rank and Rent site for local restaurants.
Rank and Rent for Local Restaurants:
Rank and Rent sites typically focus on a specific service niche in a targeted location. It’s possible to create a site for top restaurants, but expect more competition in larger cities. Smaller cities might make it hard for restaurants to justify spending. An existing niche site, like one with vegan recipes, can feature a list of top vegan restaurants in a specific city and charge for top spots. For smaller suburbs, less competition can be an advantage.
Handling Leads Before Securing a Partner:
When leads come in before having a partner, they’re generally ignored, sent to an email just to monitor incoming leads. One approach is to offer the leads to potential partners for free initially, proving the quality of the leads while pitching a partnership. Another option is using lead gen affiliate networks that connect with various service providers.
Concerns with WordPress Plugins:
Addressing concerns about WordPress plugins, having too many can pose security risks and slow down the site. Always keep plugins updated via the auto-update feature. There’s a plugin that tests site speed, identifying which plugin is slowing down the site. While some users reportedly run upwards of 300 plugins without issue, it’s best to keep it below 20. WordPress’s Gutenberg Block Editor can replace many plugin functions, offering more flexibility for building elements like product review blocks directly within the editor.
Q&A: Rank and Rent for Local Restaurants
Rank and Lease Approach for Small Markets
For local restaurants, Rank and Rent usually targets a specific narrow niche in one location, like service providers. Focusing on a particular type of restaurant could work, but it’s harder to get restaurants to invest in advertising compared to service companies. Smaller cities might offer lower competition, but getting restaurants to pay could still be challenging. Trying out the method is relatively cost-effective, though.
Utilizing Existing Niche Sites
Existing niche sites, such as a vegan blog with recipes, can benefit from Rank and Rent. For example, creating a “Top 10 Vegan Restaurants in Austin, Texas” list could attract some paid placements. This strategy works well in suburbs or smaller locales with less competition. Even with minimal traffic, it’s possible to convince restaurants to advertise.
Evaluating Competition and Market Size
Large cities may present more competition, while smaller cities have lesser competition but might struggle to attract advertisers. Weigh the cost of starting against the potential difficulty in securing paying partners. A few hundred dollars a month is a possible return, but success will depend on traffic and market dynamics.
Experimentation and Learning with Rank and Rent
Starting a Rank and Rent site is an affordable experiment. A domain name and hosting come at a small cost. It’s a valuable learning experience, even if the initial attempt doesn’t yield profits. One way to handle leads before securing a partner is to send them to an email to gauge interest. Offering leads for free to potential partners for a month can help demonstrate lead quality and build partnerships. Lead gen affiliate networks are another route, though experience with them may vary.
Q&A: Handling Leads Before Securing a Partner
Initially Ignored Leads
When starting out on a rank and rent site, it can be easy to overlook leads. Often, I just let them come into a dedicated email inbox. This helps track the types of leads received without taking immediate action.
Free Leads to Potential Partners
One effective strategy is offering free leads to potential partners for a limited time, like a month. This shows partners the quality and volume of leads they can expect, making it easier to secure a longer-term deal.
Affiliate Networks as an Alternative
Affiliate networks are another route. These networks can connect your site’s leads with various service providers, offering a way to monetize leads without needing a direct partner initially. While I haven’t personally used these, they are a viable option to consider.
Q&A: Concerns About WordPress Plugins
Security Issues with Add-Ons
Plugins can pose security risks if they aren’t updated regularly. It’s vital to activate automatic updates within the plugin settings to minimize these risks. Over the years, I’ve hardly encountered problems due to auto-updates. Failing to keep plugins updated can expose your site to vulnerabilities.
Impact on Performance with Many Plugins
Each additional plugin may slow down your WordPress site. It’s crucial to limit the number to those essential for your needs. Some sites may function smoothly with numerous plugins, but ideally, keeping them under 20 is advisable. A special speed-testing plugin can help identify which plugins are causing slowdowns.
Best Practices for Plugin Management
Effective plugin management includes ensuring automatic updates are enabled, regularly reviewing plugins for performance issues, and only installing necessary plugins. Building custom blocks using the Gutenberg block editor can help reduce the need for multiple plugins.
