This week, I conducted an analysis of Finxter.com, a website that I frequently use. Whether you’re interested in Python for basic web scraping or aspiring to work as a Python developer, chances are you’ve come across this site during your searches related to Python.
Finxter.com boasts an extensive collection of over 20,000 indexed pages, including courses, academies, puzzles, games, and much more. The site was initiated by Christian Mayer, a passionate developer with a Ph.D. in computer science.
This serves as yet another testament to the fact that building a business centered around your niche expertise significantly increases your chances of success.
This is what I cover in this report:
- Website overview
- Major highlights
- Competitor overview
- Easy wins to increase revenue and/or traffic
- Actionable takeaways you can apply
Let’s get into it!
✅ Website Overview & Highlights
The website has had amazing growth over the last couple of years since its inception in late 2018 peaking at 105,000+ pageviews/mo according to Ahrefs (most likely much more).
Ahrefs displays a consistent growth trajectory in its traffic, although there have been some recent hiccups. It’s worth noting that Ahrefs recently implemented algorithm updates, resulting in some inaccuracies in the traffic data.
The owner initiated the launch of an app dedicated to enhancing Python skills, which has since garnered a substantial user base actively engaged on the leaderboard.
As time progressed, a blog component was introduced, resulting in an impressive collection of precisely 3,864 technical articles over a span of five years.
Despite the presence of some activity in related niches, the primary emphasis has consistently remained on Python.
Although the site was developed by skilled coders, there is room for improvement in terms of design and SEO.
Highlights
- Nearly 4,000 meticulously crafted articles, authored by seasoned professionals
- An extensive collection of supplementary digital resources, including ebooks, cheat sheets, tutorials, videos, courses, and more, are available in abundance.
- Gamification of the “dull” niche with the incorporation of game elements such as levels, badges,, and leaderboards.
Why is this site winning?
- Having expertise in a particular niche significantly simplifies the process of consistently producing high-quality content on a large scale. Even if the content isn’t authored personally, identifying excellent content crafted by hired professionals becomes a way easier task.
- The sheer size and exceptional quality of the content showcased on the site naturally attract a significant number of backlinks from other websites, making Finxter an authority site for the Python niche.
- The revenue streams of Finxter have been strategically diversified, consisting of a range of sources such as display ads, digital products, premium subscriptions, and others.
Top 3 Competitors
Here are similar competitors targeting the majority of the same keywords.
- AskPython.com – A similar blog started in 2015, 140k peak traffic according to Ahrefs, 33.6% shared keywords with Finxter
- Datagy.io – Another similar blog, rather new (started in 2021), 100k traffic according to Ahrefs
- SparkByExamples.com – Blog centered around Apache Spark, 390k traffic according to Ahrefs
Let’s get into the easy wins to grow this specific website.
🔥 3 Easy Wins To Grow This Website
There are opportunities to significantly grow this brand. I break down the following easy wins:
- Implement the Pareto principle to the revenue sources
- Create a better homepage
- Improve on-page SEO on the blog
Let’s get into it!
➡️ Win #1: Implement the Pareto principle regarding the revenue streams
The site boasts a diverse range of revenue sources, including display ads through Mediavine, courses, ebooks, premium subscriptions, and the course academy.
While it is important to maintain revenue stream diversification, prioritizing the top earner is crucial. Upon visiting the site, it is challenging to identify the highest-earning digital product.
Hence, applying the 80/20 Pareto principle becomes imperative. Meaning that 80% of revenue will come from 20% of the revenue streams. I talk about the impact of Pareto principle in detail in this article.
In this case, focusing on either the premium subscription or the mentioned premium course ($497 LTD) would be recommended. I would do the following:
Emphasize Premium Subscription: Prioritize the premium subscription as the main revenue driver, as subscription-based models are preferred over lifetime deals (LTD).
Optimize CTAs: Reorganize all CTAs to prominently feature the premium subscription, ensuring it is the most visible and compelling option for users.
Freemium Model: Implement a freemium model that entices users to upgrade to the premium subscription. This could involve limiting access on the app to tasks and games above a certain threshold or offering the first few chapters of courses for free.
Strategic Promotions: Run periodic promotions throughout the year via email marketing, as well as leveraging platforms like Quora and social media to expand reach and drive conversions.
Affiliate Program: Establish an affiliate program where affiliates earn a commission of 25% to 50% for promoting the site. Leverage the site’s authority and reputation to attract affiliates eager to earn income while endorsing the platform.
➡️ Win #2: Create a better homepage
As you may recall, the owner first launched the app, and after a while launched the blog on a subdomain.
However, it is evident that the current appearance of the homepage is weak. Given that it attracts a significant portion of the overall traffic (at least 10%), it is essential to create an improved version.
There are numerous opportunities and advantages to be gained by developing a dedicated standalone homepage.
Firstly, it enables more effective promotion of digital products, particularly premium subscriptions.
Additionally, it provides visitors with a seamless gateway into the members-only area, enhancing their overall experience.
To address these issues, I would recommend designing a simple yet impactful homepage featuring a carefully planned top menu, a prominent call-to-action for the premium subscription, a leaderboard with a link to the app, and a streamlined blog section highlighting top and recent articles.
➡️ Win #3: On-page optimization
While the content is undeniably excellent, there is room for improvement in certain on-page elements. Enhancing these aspects would lead to a better user experience, ultimately translating into improved revenue.
Improve the FCP
I would start with the FCP (First Contentful Paint). I’ve labeled the image above and explain each below.
Label #1: The title size is way too large. (72px). No need to go above 36px.
Label #2: I would expand this part “by Chris” with a last name and a profile picture.
Label #3: No need for this part. It takes place for display ads or custom CTAs for digital products. The same could be said for a featured image, there is really no need for featured images in this niche.
Label #4: While it is not visible, there are two CTA’s on the sidebar with two different digital products promoted further confusing visitors.
Improve non-technical content.
There is a certain discrepancy between technical content and general content on the blog.
The technical content demonstrates precision and conciseness, whereas the general content pertaining to career development appears all over the place.
As someone with a technical background, it can be challenging to effectively convey ideas in non-technical subjects. Hiring an editor to review your writing can be beneficial.
Here are a few helpful tips I’ve discovered writing the content for my blog:
- Establish a clear heading structure before writing the content to ensure a logical flow.
- Minimize unnecessary fluff and keep the content focused and concise.
- Avoid artificially inserting internal links and textual CTAs for your digital products. Standalone CTA’s will work just fine
- Consider hiring a non-technical editor with a strong background in writing to review and improve your content.
Create publishing SOPs
Given the extensive volume of content and a decent number of content creators, establishing SOPs that cover the basics is crucial. These SOPs can encompass various elements such as heading structure, internal/external linking, paragraph sizes, multimedia usage, and more.
👉 Actionable Takeaways
Here are actionable takeaways that you can apply to your niche website today:
- While having multiple revenue streams is great, conflicts can arise when these sources start to interfere with one another. By applying the Pareto principle, it becomes essential to identify a primary product or service that becomes the major focus moving forward.
- Even if you already have a few well-designed landing pages, not having a standalone homepage is highly impractical.
- If you possess the resources, it is highly advisable to delegate non-technical writing tasks to experienced writers.
