How-To Geek Reaches 1 Billion Views – What's Next?

A Milestone Reached: 1 Billion Pageviews at How-To Geek

After nine years of operation, How-To Geek has successfully delivered 1 billion pageviews to its readership. This represents a significant achievement, and we’re sharing the story of our growth and future plans.

The Journey to a Billion Views

For those unfamiliar, I am Lowell Heddings, the founder and owner of How-To Geek. My responsibilities have encompassed server administration, programming, and, until recently, the role of editor-in-chief.

The initial goal was simple: to provide clear, concise, and helpful guides for everyday technology users. We aimed to explain complex topics in an accessible manner.

Growth and Evolution

Over the years, How-To Geek has expanded its content coverage to address a wider range of technical subjects. This expansion was driven by the evolving needs of our audience.

Maintaining quality and accuracy has always been paramount. We’ve consistently strived to deliver information that is both reliable and easy to understand.

Looking Ahead: A New Chapter

To facilitate continued growth and innovation, a key change has been implemented. We have brought on board a highly skilled and experienced new editor-in-chief.

This addition will allow for a greater focus on content strategy and overall site development. It marks the beginning of an exciting new phase for How-To Geek.

What This Means for Our Readers

• More Content: Expect an increased volume of high-quality guides and tutorials.
• Enhanced Coverage: We will be expanding into new areas of technology.
• Improved Experience: Ongoing efforts will be made to refine the user experience on the site.

We are incredibly grateful for the support of our readers. Reaching 1 billion pageviews is a testament to your trust and engagement.

The future of How-To Geek is bright, and we are committed to continuing to provide you with the best possible technology guidance.

The Evolution of How-To Geek

The origins of How-To Geek trace back to the autumn of 2006, on a day that remains unique in my professional history – the sole instance of my arriving early for a programming position.

I was attempting to configure a Windows setting, but the associated Microsoft support documentation proved remarkably unhelpful. This led to the thought: "Wouldn't it be more effective to include a visual representation of the desired outcome? I am confident I could create a more user-friendly guide."

The Initial Spark

Following a brief ten-minute period of conceptualization, the domain howtogeek.com was secured, a basic WordPress website was established, and the remainder of the day was dedicated to content creation.

The initial logo was derived from a high school drawing that had been previously scanned. A small number of advertisements were integrated into the site, after which the project was temporarily set aside.

Unexpected Early Success

A few days later, curiosity prompted a revisit to the website to assess any potential earnings. To my astonishment, the site had generated $2 in revenue within just a few days.

This modest sum solidified my career path. It became clear that this endeavor would be my primary focus.

How-To Geek has since grown significantly, accumulating over one billion views.

The Long Road to Online Visibility

Establishing a website without significant financial backing presents considerable challenges. Numerous months were dedicated to intensive work, often exceeding 20 hours daily, involving article creation before and after regular employment. Access to the Windows Vista beta provided a consistent source of content ideas, fueled by its inherent frustrations.

By the time Windows Vista was officially released, How-To Geek distinguished itself as the sole online resource offering comprehensive articles addressing all of the operating system’s issues, complete with illustrative images. This unique offering proved invaluable.

Rapid Growth and Early Challenges

Immediately following the Windows Vista launch, website traffic surged from a few thousand daily views to tens of thousands. This rapid increase cemented our reputation as a reliable help resource. The upward trend continued steadily, though not without obstacles.

Several initiatives proved unsuccessful – examples include Productive Geek and the short-lived How-To Geek "Blogs" – while others, such as Geek Trivia and our email newsletter, achieved considerable success.

Currently, the cumulative effort is yielding substantial results: 20 million unique monthly visitors and a subscriber base of hundreds of thousands across RSS, Facebook, Twitter, and our email newsletter. The site has evolved from a personal hobby into a thriving business employing eight full-time staff and numerous freelancers.

We have navigated a competitive landscape, witnessing the rise and fall of other websites, while maintaining consistent growth. Reaching 1 billion page views represents a significant achievement, yet it is merely a stepping stone.

The Difficulties of Expansion

Initially, our coverage focused primarily on Windows and Linux, simplifying content management. However, the technological landscape has undergone a dramatic transformation, with the rise of mobile computing. This shift has necessitated a broader scope of coverage to remain a relevant general-interest tech site.

We now address iOS, Android, Windows, OS X, Smarthome technologies, applications, and various online services. This expanded focus demands greater resources and attention.

As CEO, server administrator, programmer, and editor-in-chief, my responsibilities are overextended. This limits my ability to prioritize the most important aspect: serving our readers and responding to their content requests.

Providing writers with the necessary feedback and direction is also challenging, and my personal capacity for hands-on technological exploration has diminished. The primary impediment to How-To Geek’s continued progress is, ultimately, my own limitations.

Acknowledging Areas for Improvement

Recent coverage of platforms like Android and Windows has been inconsistent, and feedback indicates a perceived imbalance in our focus, with some readers suggesting too much emphasis on Apple products. Concerns regarding insufficient coverage of Windows, Android, or Linux are also valid and acknowledged.

A New Chapter Begins for How-To Geek

The evolution of a thriving website necessitates strategic leadership. To propel How-To Geek forward, we’ve appointed an individual with a proven track record of success in the tech publishing realm – someone demonstrably more qualified for the role than myself.

This leader possesses a genuine passion for technology, evidenced by a habit of custom-building computers and optimizing older Android devices with custom ROMs. He embodies the spirit of a true tech enthusiast, coupled with exceptional writing and editorial skills.

Effective January 1st, Whitson Gordon, presently serving as the Editor in Chief of Lifehacker, will assume the position of Editor in Chief at How-To Geek.

Whitson will oversee all editorial direction, guiding us toward enhanced performance. His expertise extends to even the nuances of style, such as the correct capitalization of “editor-in-chief” – a detail I readily admit to being uncertain about. He was the sole candidate considered, and we are delighted by his acceptance of this leadership role.

Rest assured, the core identity of How-To Geek will remain intact, while simultaneously improving. What specific improvements can be anticipated?

• Expansion into new subject areas, including PC hardware, gaming, smart home technology, and cybersecurity, alongside continued, enhanced coverage of existing topics like Windows, Android, iOS, and Office.
• Increased responsiveness to current events – while maintaining our focus on in-depth explanations rather than breaking news, we aim to provide timely coverage of significant developments.
• Strengthened community engagement through our forum and social media channels, areas where we acknowledge past shortcomings and anticipate substantial progress under Whitson’s guidance.
• A comprehensive review and update of all existing articles to ensure accuracy and relevance, followed by a commitment to ongoing maintenance and updates.
• The launch of a redesigned and reorganized website in the coming months, facilitating easier navigation and topic-specific article discovery. For example, users seeking information on Windows security will be able to quickly locate relevant content.
• Notably, Whitson is a dedicated Windows and Android user, a contrast to my personal preference for Apple products – as evidenced by composing this announcement on an iPad Pro using the iOS Notes application.

Please extend a warm welcome to Whitson in the comments section, despite his official start date being several weeks away.

My own involvement with How-To Geek will continue, as we embark on several ambitious projects. I am incredibly enthusiastic about the future and, for the first time, I look forward to experiencing How-To Geek solely as a reader.

Here’s to achieving another billion views.