Back in my uni days, hunting down exam schedules or any useful info was like searching for a needle in a haystack. It never crossed my mind to solve this mess by building a website, let alone making money from it.
But guess what? A computer science student from Nigeria (who chose to stay anonymous) not only thought of it, he did it! And today, we're diving into his story to see just how he pulled it off.
"I realized that students like me needed a central hub for exam updates and school news," he explained.
Building the website from scratch
He wasn't exactly a web design expert, but he was determined to make it happen. He started learning online by watching YouTube videos and searching on Google to figure out what he needed to know.
"I didn't know much about web design when I started back in 2021,' he admitted. 'But with the help of online resources, I built the site and kept improving it," he shared with pride.
He packed his website with valuable resources – exam schedules, study tips, and the latest school news. But building a website is only the first hurdle – he needed to attract visitors and keep them coming back for more.
Growing his audience
Instead of spending money on ads, our publisher focused on organic, community-driven strategies:
"I share the important school stuff and exam updates on my Telegram channel, WhatsApp groups, and Facebook groups. I don't use paid Facebook ads."
He also used Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to help students find his website easily:
- SEO: He used relevant keywords in his content, made sure his site looked great on phones, and built helpful links to other websites. This made it much easier for students to discover his site when searching online;
- Social media: He built a strong community on platforms like Telegram (over 30,000 subscribers!), WhatsApp (over 21,000 subscribers), and Facebook (5,500 followers). He shared regular updates and valuable content, keeping his audience hooked. A typical Telegram post gets around 7,000 views, and his Facebook posts get 20-30 likes, showing a really strong level of engagement.
Monetizing the website
With a growing audience, it was time to turn all those visitors into income. He used three ad formats to do this:
- Popunder Ads: Ads that pop up in a new window when someone clicks a link;
- Smartlinks: Links hidden in website buttons that redirect people to relevant offers;
- Vignette Ads: Small, non-intrusive ads displayed on the website.
The results
The numbers don't lie:
- Nigeria was his top earner, generating over 1 million impressions and earning over $4,000;
- The United States and Ghana also showed strong results in terms of earnings per impression;
- His website generated impressive daily profits, with some days reaching up to $450!
Peak performance and profitability
The website saw huge traffic spikes, especially around big events like exam results:
- On May 21, 2024, a massive surge of 112,359 impressions led to over $450 in profit, likely because of the release of West African Examination Council exam results in Financial Accounting.
- The CPM (Cost Per Mille, or cost per 1,000 impressions) varied, hitting a high of $15.52 on May 25, 2024, showing the incredible earning potential of the website.
Understanding his audience
The website is specifically designed for students who need educational resources:
"Our audience is mostly students looking for school updates and exam information," shared the publisher. "They love content about exam schedules, study tips, and school news."
Most of his users come from Nigeria and other African countries, with traffic peaking during exam periods and major school announcements.
Google Analytics showed super high user engagement during peak times, with over 2,600 users visiting within just 30 minutes on certain days!
Key takeaways from his success
Success wasn't served to our publisher on a silver platter; it was a journey. Here's his valuable advice for anyone dreaming of building a successful website:
- Deliver amazing, relevant content: "Make sure your content is useful and interesting to your audience," he advises. "Keep your website fresh with new information to keep users engaged." For educational websites, this means providing the latest exam schedules, study tips, and school news that students need;
- Master search engine optimization (SEO): "SEO is super important for getting people to your website naturally," he emphasizes. Optimize your website by using relevant keywords, creating high-quality links to other sites, and making sure your site is easy to use on all devices;
- Make use of social media: "Share your content on platforms like Telegram, WhatsApp, and Facebook to reach a wider audience," he recommends. Social media is a fantastic way to build a community and keep users informed;
- Use analytics to make smart decisions: "Track how your website is performing and what your users are doing using analytics tools," he advises. "This data helps you make smart decisions and continuously improve your site." Analytics can show you what content your audience loves and highlight areas where your website could be even better.
Conclusion
So, if you're not like me, who, at the time, didn’t have any useful business ideas, and you're thinking of creating your own educational website (or any website, really!), keep these key takeaways in mind:
- Prioritize creating high-quality, relevant content that your audience truly needs and wants;
- Make sure your website is easy to find by optimizing it for search engines;
- Build a strong social media presence to connect with your audience and keep them engaged;
- Track your website's progress using analytics – it'll help you understand what's working and make smart decisions to improve.
