How a Small Tech Site Found a New Way for Publishers to Get Paid

Five years ago, Brian Lam created a website missing a key ingredient for running a media company: advertising. Now, the biggest names in online publishing are following his lead.

Lam’s website, the Wirecutter, has become a Consumer Reports for the digital age, albeit with a unique model -- it posts in-depth reviews of gadgets, embeds links to buy them on e-commerce sites like Amazon.com, and takes a cut of the sales. The site has a staff of about 60 and posts only a few dozen articles a month, yet it’s profitable. Last year, the Wirecutter drove $150 million in e-commerce transactions, Lam said.