---
title: The Lucrative Business of Review Sites | Trends by The Hustle
description: Review sites offer a way to make money across industries as diverse as B2B, crypto, CBD, and tech with a simple business model that creates high-margin winners.
image: https://www.nlopchantamang.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/garagegym-Jun-10-2021-07-01-37-50-PM.jpg
---

# Here it is

[← ](https://www.nlopchantamang.com/investor-relations/news)

## The Lucrative Business of Review Sites | Trends by The Hustle

January 26, 2021

***Trendster Cooper Mitchell owns Garage Gym Reviews***

## Key Takeaways

- The product review industry has undergone significant change since OG *Consumer Reports* released its first print issue 85 years ago. The internet, affiliate marketing, and Google Search have played profound roles in reshaping the business.
- New trends in ecommerce, consumer online behavior, and influencer marketing are opening doors to new opportunities, with many companies making millions of dollars a year in the space.
- One testament to its growth: *BestReviews* was recently sold for $160m — $50m more than its purchase price in 2018.
- Amazon is the largest affiliate network. However, it has been consistently cutting commission rates, leading successful reviewers to forge new affiliate paths.
- We identified more than a dozen opportunities by evaluating the impact of new acquisition channels on existing high-performing affiliate products and uncovering new product opportunities in reliable distribution channels.
- Focusing on the one thing all consumers want will give new sites an edge.

## Introduction

“People don’t want a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole!” That’s what Harvard professor [Theodore Levitt used to say](https://hbr.org/2016/08/a-refresher-on-marketing-myopia). But as HBS students Momchil Filev and Ben Faw figured out, many people are actually looking for the best drill. 

Filev and Faw were wrapping up their MBAs at Harvard in 2014 and [saw an opportunity](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-this-harvard-based-st_b_8469402) to capitalize on the $40B of products that are returned each year by consumers who aren’t happy with a purchase.

### About HubSpot

HubSpot (NYSE: HUBS) is a leading customer relationship management (CRM) platform that provides software and support to help companies grow better. The platform includes marketing, sales, service, and website management products that start free and scale to meet our customers’ needs at any stage of growth. Today, more than 100,000 customers across more than 120 countries use HubSpot’s powerful and easy-to-use tools and integrations to attract, engage, and delight customers.

Named Glassdoor’s #4 Best Place to Work in 2021, HubSpot has been recognized for its award-winning culture by Great Place to Work, Comparably, Fortune, Entrepreneur, Inc., and more. HubSpot was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The company’s thousands of employees work across the globe in HubSpot offices and remotely.

Learn more at [www.hubspot.com](https://www.hubspot.com/).

### Press Contact

Ellie Flanagan

[eflanagan@hubspot.com![](https://issues.hubspotcentral.com/images/icons/mail_small.gif)](mailto:eflanagan@hubspot.com)

857-829-5301