BuildingGreen Bucks the Trend By Charging for Web Content

BuildingGreen, a media company that provides information on environmentally responsible design and construction, has a very different business model than most Web-based companies. Rather than relying on advertising revenue, BuildingGreen’s websites are supported by subscribers.

The company got its start in publishing a newsletter, launching Environmental Building News (EBN) in 1992 as the first North American publication focused on green building. While still offering EBN, the bulk of the company’s revenue today is derived from online content delivery. BuildingGreen.com is a subscriber-based website of green building and product information aimed at architects, designers, builders and others in the construction industry. Subscribers pay an annual fee to access most content. Included in that content is the entire archives of EBN, the nation’s leading directory of green building products, GreenSpec, and the country’s largest case studies database of high-performance buildings.

The company’s commitment to a paid content revenue model runs counter to the belief among many in the media industry that readers will not pay for content online. Most newspaper, television, and magazine websites distribute content without charge and rely upon advertising to generate revenue.

BuildingGreen launched its first website in 1996, and shifted to a paid-access model for some content beginning in 2002. Since that time, BuildingGreen.com has seen a steady increase in subscribers—including individuals, companies, agencies, and universities. Company founder Alex Wilson credits the site’s success to the quality and reputation of its content. “Our readers have come to depend on BuildingGreen’s depth of research and objectivity,” said Wilson. The fact that EBN and BuildingGreen.com don’t carry advertising adds to their credibility. “The architects and builders who subscribe to our resources rely on our content and are willing to pay for it,“ he said.

Encouraged by the success of BuildingGreen.com, in 2008 the company teamed up with Connecticut-based Taunton Press, publisher of Fine Homebuilding and other resources, to launch a second paid-content website, GreenBuildingAdvisor.com.

Unveiled in January, 2009, GreenBuildingAdvisor.com targets the residential construction and remodeling market. Subscribers pay a monthly or annual fee to access the site’s comprehensive encyclopedia of green building knowledge, an archive of over 1,000 downloadable construction details, detailed case studies, checklists, and articles on how to build and remodel green homes. The site’s news updates and expert blogs are available to all visitors at no cost, but drilling down into the nuts-and-bolts requires logging in.

BuildingGreen publisher Bill Tine said GreenBuildingAdvisor.com has been well received. “There’s no other resource like this online,” remarked Tine. “Given the public’s growing interest in all things green and homeowners’ desire to reduce energy costs, I am confident we will continue to see subscriber growth.”

About BuildingGreen

BuildingGreen, LLC, has been providing the building industry with quality information on sustainable design and construction since its founding in 1985. BuildingGreen’s publications include Environmental Building News, the GreenSpec® Directory of green building products, BuildingGreen.com, and GreenBuildingAdvisor.com. In early 2008, BuildingGreen entered into a partnership with The Taunton Press. For information, visit www.BuildingGreen.com, or call 802-257-7300.

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