Welcome to the ultimate eBusiness Institute updated review for 2026.

As you can see from the dates above, I first published this review almost 7 years ago! I was the first one…the OG if you will. 😉

I’ve spent thousands of hours auditing and reviewing the content from many online courses, including the popular $4,500 course from Matt and Liz Raad.

If you’re ready to get started and need to know:

➜ If their website investing strategy actually works

➜ Common criticisms of their training

➜ If you really can achieve results with their strategy

➜ The current pricing for their course

Then you’re definitely in the right place! 😃

Not only have I paid for their course, I’ve done a ton of research about this program before hitting the publish button.

Let’s jump straight in!

eBusiness Institute At A Glance

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Why You Should Trust Me

I’m Joshua Smith from Australia. I have been building profitable content sites since 2011. Today, in addition to growing and managing my own portfolio of blogs, I actively help others on their journey.

And despite being experienced, I still bought Matt and Liz’s course a few years ago:

I also attend their annual conferences online.

Now let’s be honest – course reviews are always a little biased but I aim to maintain neutrality and provide some realistic criticism through my own experiences.

Background

Introduction

This strategy works.

As a blogger, I actively implement their strategy.

What Matt and Liz teach hasn’t just worked for me, but for many others.

This is especially as the industry continues to grow during these times.

In fact, 2024 will shape itself to be my best year yet! 🙂

1,000+ Active Students

More than 300 have joined in the past year.

With the growth of their own portfolio and education business, Matt and Liz continue pushing forward.

This is unlike some other educators who play the short game. Often appearing briefly and are done in a year.

Matt and Liz are parents of two high-school-aged kids and their community consists mostly of fellow parents.

Common Questions

Can Websites Really Generate Passive Income?

Yes.

In most cases, students generate semi-passive income as opposed to true passive income.

In my experience, true passive income doesn’t exist as not even property investing brings truly passive income.

With removing or building profitable niche sites, the early days require a lot of work.

You’ll then need to do some maintenace work (updating articles/images) in the later stages.

Isn’t It Complicated?

Not really.

In 2024, everyday Australians can easily build a website from scratch WITHOUT any tech knowledge.

If you struggle with WordPress, then Wix, SquareSpace and Weebly are SEO-friendly and built for beginners.

Some upfront research is needed if you’re choosing to build niche sites, but this is covered in-depth.

But Isn’t It Too Late?

With ChatGPT, the timing is perfect.

Funnily enough, I didn’t think like this the first time I saw Matt and Liz present their webinar.

In 2013, I figured their strategy was redundant. Today, I have the audacity to admit that I was totally wrong.

Not only do I (proudly) follow their strategy closely, but I now have my own portfolio of websites.

Most people in the western world remain totally unaware that websites can generate semi-passive income.

That leaves us as website creators and investors perfectly positioned early and several years before it’s too popular.

Can you provide your own successful examples?

Absolutely!

My blog that you’re on – www.workwithjoshua.com – is a good example, but not quite what Matt and Liz teach. Although I did have 200,000+ page views (170k+ users) in March of 2023.

My best public example is www.jetskiadvice.com – a semi-passive income stream where I work 4 hours/month.

(It makes almost what a fully-paid-off $300k investment property does, with no bank loans or tenant issues)

I eventually sold this via Flippa in April of 2022, thanks to support from the eBusiness Institute community.

I like the portfolio model but do plan to sell bigger sites at the $100k mark and above.

I aim reduce competition so I can’t mention most of my profitable sites. In other words, I don’t want copycats.

Most students take this approach too by keeping quiet about the profitable sites that they’re actively building up.

Course Positives

Full A to Z Training for Beginners

The eBusiness Institute covers everything you need to move 100% online.

Unlike other courses that may tease students with tid bits of info, their courses are quite comprehensive.

There may be recommended tools or hosting, but the costs for these are quite minimal as is the promotion.

The main focus is on taking what appears to be complex topics into bite-sized chunks for beginners.

While helping students get up and going as quickly as possible with their first website build or purchase.

Genuine Care for Students

I feel that Matt and Liz genuinely care.

Many have found that Matt and Liz are passionate about the business model and their own community.

I personally appreciated the tools, resources, webinars, case-studies and blog posts before I signed ups.

They’ve been interviewed by some of the best Aussie influencers, including – James Shramko.

James sometimes promotes their training to his audience. If you know James at all, then that isn’t an easy feat.

Live Virtual or In-Person Events

Students get to mingle in the real world.

Most other course in the industry is online-only. This means that students aren’t able to be properly supported.

Matt and Liz run at least 2 student events in Australia each year, though 1 is reserved for their coaching clients.

At all events, students are encouraged to network in the breaks while the sessions highly student case studies.

This is complimentary for Digital Profits students though unsure if this also inclusive for other courses.

Family-Orientated Training

Families make up more than 70% of enrolments.

The eBusiness Institute focuses greatly on family enrolments with dozens of children learning with their parents.

Even Matt and Liz’s own children build their own basic websites in their spare time to upskill for tomorrow.

Not only are these teenagers inside building sites, but some are genuinely generating revenue from their efforts.

Non-Salesy Approach to Enrolments

Matt and Liz are experts, but their informational/sales webinar still feels human.

Unlike many educators spending a fortune on Facebook and Instagram ads, Matt and Liz have kept it low.

Their course and community has grown via referrals over the last 5 years as opposed to guru-ads on YouTube.

Even their own webinar didn’t resemble a sales pitch, but rather, I see how I could do it myself..

I’m still on their email list even as a student as they share a ton of case studies and interviews.

Common Complaints

Slow ROI for Students

Their strategy is a long-term play.

Their strategy is a long-term play.

For those seeking to make a fortune this year, skip this business model.

First, you’ll have to learn and then implement.

It’s a slow process, and slower still if building completely from scratch.

This is where you need to be genuinely committed to stick it out for several years at least.

This slow ROI can be a turn-off for those needing a quick income fix or those with capital but not much time.

eCommerce, while a great alternative, is best suited for those with more capital and less time.

That said – this turn-off is a turn-on for me as someone committed for the long haul.

Most of my sites have very little competition because people want things easy and fast.

At least, it’s slow in the early years.

The more you practice, the better you get and the faster you rank. 👍

Their Course Is A Little Pricey

$4.5k isn’t exactly easy money.

It’s understandable that some people are turned off by the price-point of their training.

Matt and Liz have done well from their businesses and investments, so understandabily, they know their worth.

I believe the price shows who’s commited and helps weed out those who would might do the bare minimum.

Keep in mind that the price also includes 1x live event and sometimes a coaching call.

Flippa As A Recommendation

The eBusiness Institute recommends Flippa…which isn’t the best.

In years gone by, Matt and Liz routinely referenced Flippa as a place to find cheap websites. Ideally, you’d renovate these for profit.

Today, they rely less on using/recommending Flippa as it can be a bit dodgy at times.

Think of it like the Gumtree or eBay for the website world. A lot of sorting is needed to find the diamonds in the rough.

For the total beginner, it’s easy to be buy a dud on Flippa or elsewhere. Digital Profits goes into depth on how to avoid these.

Today, Empire Flippers and FE International are highly recommended as they curate their own deals, though Flippa does pop up on occasion.

Lack of Recent Examples

Matt and Raad don’t provide recent examples of their own success with limited success of their students too.

In fact, one of their best examples is my sale of JetSkiAdvice last year. Not much since.

I’d love to see them highlight at least one example of their own website success, but I understand that they don’t want to disclosure domain names.

It can be hard to be an educator with 1,000+ students who may copy your own success.

Additionally, September 2023 and March 2024 has seen 2 absolutely MASSIVE Google updates that has decimated thousands of sites, including some of Matt and Liz’s own students. (and yes, including mine, but not all!)

The future viability of this business model remains in question by many in the blogging fraternity, given these underlining concerns and fear in the market. However, this also makes an excellent time to purchase a site for a lower multiple.

Courses At A Glance

WebDev Accelerator Program

Best for: Learning to build websites.

The WebDev Accelerator is best for those who want to build their first website for themselves or a client.

You’ll also learn the basics of SEO and foundations of the portfolio model, though it isn’t quite in-depth.

Digital Profits Program

Best for: Portfolio site builders like me.

This would be my pick of the bunch if you’re seeking to build out a portfolio of websites for semi-passive income.

The training covers how to buy or build websites with essential due diligence frameworks to avoid troubles.

A strong focus is on spotting opportunities such as upping the traffic, revenue or improving the layout.

Digital Marketing Kickstarter Course

Best for: Learning basic online principles.

This course doesn’t quite have the substance of the two previous courses as it’s designed for total beginners.

If you’re seeking to learn the principles of how this ‘internet thing’ works, then this is for you. Much less technical.

Champion Masters Program

Best for: Those who want regular help from Matt and Liz.

This program is only offered occasionally and is designed for students who need assistance on the journey.

If you’re new and need regular support/encouragement to keep going, then this coaching program is for you.

First, you’ll need to have finished one of their trainings – either the workshop or Digital Profits – before applying.

With 10 years of experience behind me, I didn’t feel I would get much more with this coaching program.

For the total beginner who’s committed to get results, I’d recommend it if you’re in a good position to do so.

Final Verdict

Growth-Focused Industry

Matt and Liz teach a trending business model where I’m also a practitioner.

Current students can easily take advantage of the growth, while new students are still early to the game.

It’s only in the last few years that corporate buyers have come to the table looking for large deals to purchase.

Not just that, but individual investors are seeking a better ROI on their investment that a niche site can provide.

Very Genuine Training

Even if they don’t share their own recent success, Matt and Liz have covered all bases.

Their training focuses on not just renovations, but digital marketing skills if you wanted to start an agency.

Plus – they’ve had great success with their own digital business having started more than 10 years ago.

It’s clear they want to help the older generation upskill and the next generation learn skills for the future.

Focus on the Long Game

This business model requires commitment.

And this is the sub-section

Now, you may get some quick wins through flipping websites or selling high-priced websites as they teach.

Yet overall, you’ll need to play the long game with their strategy. That’s what I personally continue to do daily.

Their training and active Aussie (and now international) community really can equip you to build digital income.

That said – this still takes work, or capital if you prefer to outsource much of the work to others.

In the early days, it can be slow-moving but over the long-term, all those early inputs can really pay off.

Catch you on the inside. 👍 Your welcome email will look like this… 👇

Join With Joshua

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