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 website

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.com 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.

What's your background?

I founded moneysupermarket.com in 1999 which was then followed by travelsupermarket.com. Earlier this year I decided to step down at CEO of the business take the role of deputy Chairman. This gave me the time to commit to new ventures.

Why did you launch SimonSeeks.com?

The inspiration for the site came from my own passion for travel and my frustration at not being able to find travel guides that suited my requirements exactly. I wanted to launch a website which could offer quality information generated from a community of travellers. What’s more the information is available free to visitors and there is a powerful search mechanism which enables you to find a guide best suited to your requirements.

How many visits do you have per day?

Currently we have around 2,000 unique visitors a day. Visitors figures are growing daily and we have high ambitions to be one of the top 10 websites in travel within a year’s time.

Describe your average visitor.

We don’t have an average visitor – Simonseeks.com appeals to all age groups and travel interests from the budget traveller looking for tips on budget hotels in Barcelona, to those looking for inspiration for their next luxury holiday where money is no object. We cover all interests and geographical areas.

In what way has Simonseeks.com been affected by the economic downturn?

If you have a good idea you can still make it work whatever the economic position. A tougher financial climate will just make you drive harder to make this success happen. The market will be smaller to begin with but as things pick up you will be in good shape to make the most out of the upturn.

Who are your closest competitors?

We don’t really have a direct competitor as we are offering something totally unique to the web. We are different to Tripadvisor as our user generated content takes the form of detailed 800 word articles which are quality checked by our editorial team. In fact over half of the guides which are submitted to Simonseeks.com are rejected, however we hope to give constructive feedback to writers.

What is your biggest challenge?

Explaining what we do! We essentially have two different focuses: encouraging professional, amateur and celebrity writers to submit travel guides to us; and offering a great user experience to our visitors who are researching and booking their next trip. Because we offer something unique, especially the revenue share model with our writers, people have taken a while to fully understand the different ways in which they can use the site.

Where do you see the business going from here?

We have lots of exciting new developments on the way which will make sure we stand out as offering an overall platform for all travel research and booking requirements. Watch this space!

Visit www.simonseeks.com

5 November 09