Ask about Buying the ruralroutes.com Database and Affiliated Web and Map content.
Written January 2024
The principal for this web and print content business is retiring and would love to offer it to someone keenly prepared to learn on the fly and who has a passion for marketing rural small business. Strong skill sets in sales, web integration and digital graphics innovation would be needed.
There are 3 drivers to cash flow which have evolved over almost 25 years of development.
1) Database
The primary driver is the SQL database that handles page requests entered anywhere in the 10,000 pages of content. Hosting by Amazon Web Services and engineered in Ottawa, ruralroutes.com and .ca have enjoyed tremendous traffic over the years, from the original seeding in 2000 with the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association. to the mobile platform launch in 2010.
Shifting the focus to cell phone computing has been a challenge for the rural geographics, however the future implies full speed ahead for universal access and need for "always on".
Below are examples of editing modules available to your client base.
Keep in mind there is a master intranet module for administration and html addons.
2) Hardcopy map advertising
Ontario is an amazing province, and I've had the great fortune of dealing with 100s of rural based businesses. One way to keep subscribing clients is through some sort of value added content that gets renewed on an annual basis. I get the privilege of visiting dynamic small towns, while at the same time reworking my client portfolio, updating content in the main database and gaining inspiration for new initiatives. Print advertising has certainly changed, but with certainty it has not disappeared!
We have been using mi5print.com Print and Digital Mississauga for years and covet their competence and quality after many years of stumbling about for a partner. A fabulous relationship!
3) Website development and nameserver / email administration
Why is a TLD (top level domain name ie ruralroutes.com) important?
Credibility and Professionalism: The choice of TLD can impact the perceived credibility and professionalism of a website. Common TLDs like .com are widely recognized and trusted by users. A professional and relevant TLD can instill confidence in visitors.
Brand Identity: A TLD is an essential component of your online brand identity. It helps users remember and associate your website with a specific domain extension. Consistent branding across your domain and TLD reinforces your online presence.
Following logically, there is the business model of website development and hosting on top of our ruralroutes.com "yellow pages" approach to regional tourism marketing. They all work together, and presently we have close to 100 TLDS that we would like to sell as well. These are the registrar / hosting brands we deal with and they have been great to work with over the years.
The step to managing POP3 emails for clients takes a step of courage, but it certainly is a way to retain long term relationships, and with the proliferation of webmail, sophisticated integration is very straightforward.
Conclusion
This is a TURN KEY Home Based operation.
I would love to see a Canadian take this model to the next level. The database has been field tested for 20 years and is managed by a professional engineer in Ottawa. It is fine tuned for Ontario but the ruralroutes.com brand could be replicated anywhere.
I will be printing the Rice Lake edition publication for delivery to the Sportsman’s Show in Toronto in March 2024. I would be delighted to coach any potential buyer into the driver's seat. The brand would be a profitable adjunct to any print/web/advertising business.
Call or email anytime: Clive at 613 475 4637
Clive Nickerson
Consider ramping up your DMO online business.