Which website model is the best for revenue?

Which of these popular niches has the best potential these days to make money?

1. Arcade
2. Proxy
3. Forums
4. File Hosting
5. Blog/Adsense blog
6. Affiliate Site
7. Directory

 

1. NOT mentioned above:
flat files hand made - quality content of technical nature - howtos, etc
2. blog
3. forums fully SEO'd = NOT of vB type !

 

Assuming for #1 you mean static HTML pages with good content?

As far as SEO'd forums go, I've received mixed messages on exactly how much SEO helps. I mean, search engines can index dynamic URLs. Seems like the content is more important to SEO than the URL. Right? Wrong?

 

URL can become part of SEO and hence help to improve SERPS and thus traffic.
in addition to SEO - a forum would need a truly adsense optimized look - that's why i said forum NOT of vB type as vB forums and similar lookslike DP forum are about maximum DE-optimized for adsense.
if most ppl make little revenue on forums then because many forums are just flooded with small talk like in a chat room. hence nothing of value to index by SE and thus no valuable keywords for adsense or similar advertisement plans.

I am very happy with my forums for adsense - and also excellent results for my blog - as well as for the static pages.

hence a key factor is the topic you write about. no matter how much you optimized and validate - if the topics are boring or OUT of the market needs - then you get either no advertisers or cheap ones.

demanding tech howtos of any tech topic may give more work but also lots of traffic and high paying advertisements

 

My forum is actually very niche with great high-content posts....I don't make much from adsense but I do make money from direct advertising by companies selling to my niche market....its an automotive board.

But was just wondering more in general about the prevailing business models on the web and which ones have the greatest potential.

 

One thing you didn't include is sites selling a product.

Sites can make as much as you can. Take Google - it's not on your
list, but is worth huge amounts. YouTube? MySpace? The one's
you've listed will never make huge amounts unless you manage to
sell a large user base, because they're not original or attention
grabbing.

A real, useful site with real content has much more chance to make
decent money than any AdSensed proxy.

 

I run a forum.. and its fun I like it.. but does not make anything..

 

Potential to make the most revenue or the most profit?

 

Well, If you ask me
I think Affiliate sites can make the most money if you do the right things.
Chose a good market, a good product and then advertise it as much as you can.

Its Quick & good money.

 

I think > 6. Affiliate Site has the potential to make big $$$$

 

Affiliate sites and selling your own products.

 

I voted for forums. I know of a few that bring in > $20,000 a month. Though I guess there are blogs, affiliate sites, and file hosting sites that bring in that much revenue.

 

Drig, you care to share url's of these?

 

digitalpoint.com (If I remember correctly)
http://forums.somethingawful.com/
Im sure http://www.sitepoint.com is pretty close

Unknown, but Im sure its VERY high:
pbnation.com, offtopic.com,

 

Well i think any site has the potential to make it big.It's just how effective you market it.

 

Ive voted for affiliates too because it is the easiest perhaps, the others have money but take more work.

 

using existing votes we can conclude that affiliate forum is the website model which is the best for revenue.

 

that conclusion may in no way be correct as the graphics say nothing at all about the amount of revenue made. good money may mean a few hundred $/m for some while others may mean a few k$/m.

hence a more valuable question would be which web site model allows you to conduct a happy and comfortable life including all family and professional and social expenses/welfare ...

since no precise income amounts are mentioned in the graphic - its just one of many graphics that reflects how people prefer to earn money ... independent of the amount or lifestyle

 

i voted for blog, good content rich blogs with regular updates surely can mind $$
forums are always there though you need a lot of investment to get returns, blogs don't need that high investments