9 Product Ratings & Reviews Success Stories [2024]
A product ratings and reviews business involves providing a platform where customers can share their opinions and feedback about different products.
You can start a product ratings and reviews business by creating a website or app where people can browse and leave reviews for purchased or used items.
To make money, you can partner with e-commerce stores or manufacturers who may be interested in showcasing their products on your platform. You can also offer advertising space or promote affiliate products to generate revenue.
This low-cost business idea mainly requires setting up a website, marketing the platform, and managing user-generated content.
In this list, you'll find real-world product ratings & reviews success stories and very profitable examples of starting a product ratings & reviews that makes money.
1. Tooltester S.L. ($1.32M/year)
Robert Brandl, the founder of Tooltester.com, came up with the idea after struggling to find information about website builders online while starting his own travel blog.
He quickly recognized the demand for reviews and tutorials of web tools and launched Tooltester.com to fill that gap.
The business has since grown to generate around $120k per month in revenue and has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing European companies.
How much money it makes: $1.32M/year
How much did it cost to start: $200
How many people on the team: 9
Tooltester.com is a website that provides reviews and tutorials for website builders, hosting companies, live chat tools, and email marketing software, with a current revenue of around $120k per month and has made it into the Financial Times ranking of the fastest-growing European companies (FT1000) two years in a row.
2. ReviewsOnMyWebsite ($492K/year)
Motuz came up with the idea when he was looking for a widget to embed Google reviews into his friend's website. He realized that many business owners would find such a widget useful, and so he decided to invest his resources into building a profitable solution.
How much money it makes: $492K/year
How much did it cost to start: $2.5K
How many people on the team: 0
ReviewsOnMyWebsite is an online reputation management software helping small businesses collect, monitor, and display online reviews to establish trust and improve brand reputation, which has helped over 35,000 businesses convert more leads by simplifying the process of collecting feedback and displaying customer reviews.
3. Fin vs Fin ($480K/year)
Alex Goldberg, the founder of Fin vs Fin, started the business as a "dumb side project" with his ex-boss-turned-side-hustle-partner. They initially focused on comparing fintech startups, but pivoted to reviewing wellness products after noticing the influx of venture capital in the industry. With their first sale earning them a $10 commission, they realized they had a proof of concept and kept growing the business with high-quality content and partnerships. They went from making enough to cover their car payments to reaching $500k in revenue in just two years.
How much money it makes: $480K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 10
Learn how the founder of Fin vs Fin turned a "dumb side project" into a profitable media business generating $70k in profit per month, by committing to creating a "dumb blog" and consistently experimenting with strategies to attract and retain customers.
4. Zenmaster Wellness ($480K/year)
A pay cut at his job, and a friend's success in this niche inspired Matt to start during the pandemic.
How much money it makes: $480K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 0
Matt Oney quit his full-time job to pursue his side hustle full-time: an affiliate marketing-based content site called ZenmasterWellness that generates around 80k monthly visits and average monthly revenue of about $40,000 by leveraging SEO and affiliate partnerships.
5. Parkdale Brass ($120K/year)
Shawn Santiago, the founder of Parkdale Brass, came up with the idea for his business while working as a web developer for a digital agency that created cannabis websites. He noticed that most existing cannabis products had similar designs and were made from materials that often arrived broken. This inspired him to create his own brand, focusing on classic, luxury, and durable designs using brass. Since its launch in 2019, Parkdale Brass has gained recognition from prominent publications like Forbes and Weedmaps and has seen an average of 10k in monthly sales.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 1
Parkdale Brass specializes in mindful cannabis use and their high-end, vintage-inspired brass pipe, The Brockton Mk2, has been featured in Forbes and Weedmaps, with the company now seeing approximately $10k in monthly sales and focusing on expanding their product line and B2B sales.
6. SexualAlpha ($120K/year)
Dainis Graveris, founder of SexualAlpha, started his journey in the sexual wellness industry after working in web design and pursuing his passion for dance. While seeking ways to improve his own sex life, he realized the potential in helping others by providing unbiased sex toy reviews and sex education. With a website that now receives 900K visits per month and generates $10K/month in affiliate commissions, Dainis aims to continue expanding his company's reach and breaking the stigma around sexuality.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
How many people on the team: 8
SexualAlpha is a sexual wellness blog that provides honest sex toy reviews, with 900K visits per month and making around 10K/month on affiliate commissions, created by founder Dainis Graveris through intensive research and a strong passion for teaching people about sexuality.
7. Up The Gains ($67.2K/year)
While deep in debt, Sammie Ellard-King had a spark during a candid conversation with friends in Vietnam; months later, he'd self-taught his way to financial freedom and launched 'Up the Gains,' aiming to demystify personal finance for beginners.
How much money it makes: $67.2K/year
How much did it cost to start: $25K
How many people on the team: 3
Up the Gains Founder Sammie Ellard-King managed to turn a side hustle from her spare bedroom into a profitable content site in the crowded personal finance market, growing from zero to 44k page views monthly in under a year, with current revenue levels at £4.5k profit per month and forecasting £147,000 in revenue over the next 12 months.
8. Points Panda ($45.6K/year)
Freddy Lansky, the CEO of Points Panda, came up with the idea for his business after realizing the value of transferring points to airlines for discounted business class flights. He started by offering award booking services to friends and family before turning it into a full-fledged consultancy business. Through consistent content creation and strategic partnerships, Points Panda has steadily grown and aims to expand its team in the future.
How much money it makes: $45.6K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 5
Points Panda is a points & miles travel blog/award booking consultancy business that helps people maximize their points; the business began after CEO Freddy Lansky realized he could turn his passion for booking award flights for small “hassle fees” into a thriving business.
9. FeedLetter ($480/year)
Jens Boje, a software developer and mindfulness coach from Frankfurt, Germany, came up with the idea for FeedLetter, a feedback system for newsletters, after struggling to receive feedback from his readers. He combined a voting system with a follow-up question and built a version for his own newsletter before turning it into the first version of FeedLetter. Since its launch, Twitter and word of mouth have been the major acquisition channels for attracting and retaining customers.
How much money it makes: $480/year
How much did it cost to start: $20
How many people on the team: 0
FeedLetter.co, a simple feedback system for newsletters that started as a personal app, now has 14 customers and relies on Twitter and word-of-mouth for acquiring new users, with founder Jens Boje emphasizing the importance of focusing on publishing and growing your product instead of waiting to perfect it.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
