Simonseeks.com was picked as The Good Web Guide's Website of the Year 2009. The new concept travel site launched in June 2009 and now attracts over 2000 unique visitors per day, with numbers growing. Founder Simon Nixon talks us through the business.Explain your business
Simonseeks is a new concept in travel websites, combining quality user generated content, in the form of detailed travel guides of approximately 800 words, and expert moneysaving tips with a comprehensive choice of booking options. Often described as the YouTube of travel, the site now features over 2000 guides written by celebrities, professionals and amateurs alike who share their favourite destinations and insider tips with the community.
What makes Simonseeks unique?
We are unique as we are the only user generated content website to share revenue equally and directly with our writers. This will encourage our writers to take an active interest in the quality and detail of the guides they write for us. This enables us to offer our visitors the very best travel guides free of charge, combined with expert consumer travel advice, moneysaving tips and booking options.
How do you make money?
The revenue comes from commission generated by people reading the guides, clicking through to travel partners’ websites and making a booking. Display advertising revenue is also generated. All the revenue from each guide is shared equally between the writers and Simonseeks.com and each author has a Simonseeks Paypal account and the revenue is generated is paid directly into this.
How much can contributors earn?
The amount will vary depending on the standard of accommodation booked, for example, and the length of stay. The more informative, interesting and easy-to-read a particular guide is, the higher its rating will be and the more income it will generate for the author. A guide is also more likely to attract readers if it looks appealing and has photographs to illustrate it.
To read the full interview with Simon Nixon, click here
