In life, even with the best aphrodisiacs currently available, everyone will encounter various problems, and when problems arise, they need to be solved. For example, how to make a Portobello mushroom cheeseburger? How to cure lower back pain? How to apply nail polish more suitably? How to clean your pet dog's ears at home? How to teach your children to interact with the opposite sex? How to help your child with their math homework? Or even how to boil an egg?... Some of these questions can be directly asked to friends, some require consultation with professionals, while others must be resolved independently.
There is a website that focuses on practical application, helping people solve all kinds of issues in life and work. Its sole mission is to help users practically solve their problems. It features content such as text, images, and videos, all providing specific steps for solving problems in a hands-on manner.
This website was founded in 1999, later securing $30 million in investment, but it was eventually sold due to lack of profitability. It currently boasts hundreds of thousands of professional articles and videos, assisting people in handling various matters in daily life.
From a traffic perspective, it currently ranks 107th on Alexa, with over 100 million monthly visitors, indicating a vast user base and substantial traffic. Its value stems from the usefulness and professionalism of its content. Initially, it relied on contributions from experts across various industries. To expand its content, it also encourages user-generated contributions. Users can pose any question, explore specific solutions, or share their own problem-solving experiences with others who face similar challenges.
To maintain user engagement, it has mechanisms to incentivize users, especially high-quality contributors, by allowing them to become part of the editorial team, publish original articles, and earn some income in return.
Currently, the site primarily focuses on lifestyle-related areas such as family, food, health, income management, and fashion. Additionally, it covers other fields like business, law, sports, career, automobiles, and computers.
Its main revenue stream comes from advertising fees. Even though it’s an English-language site, ads from Chinese manufacturers can be seen, likely matched automatically based on the visitor's IP address. These ads are often product recommendations related to the browsing questions. For instance, when a user is interested in how to clean their pet dog's ears, it might recommend veterinary clinics or cleaning products. When a user is concerned about how to treat lower back pain, it might suggest relevant hospitals or care products. When a user looks into how to correctly cook eggs, it might recommend where to buy green eggs...
From its business model, achieving this scale of traffic makes it possible to develop into a professional e-commerce guide platform. Currently, its development in this area is not fully explored. In today's era of developed online shopping, where users are often confused and hesitant when selecting products, such a platform holds significant guiding value. The high-quality articles on the site could more easily assist users in making decisions.
Is there a similar website in China? Is there a website that consistently strives to contribute high-quality content? The biggest issue with this model is that it requires continuous investment before reaching a profit-balanced state. This is why it doesn't attract investors and entrepreneurs as easily as other business models, making it another classic case of a slow-growing company. (By Huang Liangxin)