The reference materials market is enormous. We discussed this a great deal over the last year. It is something that is being overlooked when it comes to Hive.
Here we have a very simple business model that can utilize Hive as the decentralized database it is. Someone only needs to develop the database, couple it with a website, and we have an instant business.
Of course, this will enhance the entire ecosystem, as a project that is build on Hive driving traffic can only enhance the exposure. When people ask what the blockchain is used for, here is one answer.
Hive powering websites is obviously one of the most powerful use cases it can present. It is not the base layer that becomes important in terms of the utility. Instead, using this approach, it is similar to Amazon Web Services. We can look at the Podping project to see how this works. Hive is a repository of information. It is either posted to, or drawn from, the blockchain and feed to an outside source. In Podping's case, it is fed to podcasting applications.
So why does this hold so much potential? The answer lies in the fact that we are dealing with billions of clicks per month.
Reference Sites
Some reference sites are heavily visited. These are ones that people return on a regular basis. Since people are able to extract information, they consistently use them. Also, the way many are set up, we can see how the clicks keep growing as people travel around.
To illustrate, the top reference sites according to Similarweb.com are:
- wikipedia.org
- quora.com
- merriam-webster.com
- definition.org
- britannica.com
Of course, this data is all centralized. Web 3.0 is moving this type of information away from the control of single organizations. If it was placed on a blockchain, it would be free for anyone to utilize.
So what do some of the numbers look like?
In the past, we mentioned International Movie Database (IMDB) as an example of what can be constructed on Hive over time. It is a fan review site that, unfortunately, is owned by Amazon. This is a smart move by the company because not only do they control the data (and presumably the reviews) but it is a huge traffic generator.
Here is the Similarweb stats for that site:
The site get 497.3 million visits in a month. That is just shy of half a billion. What gets really interesting is when the pageviews are taken into account. At an average of 4.66, this means there are 2.3 billion pageviews each month on IMDB.
Not bad for information that is simply placed on a database.
Of course, this is not simply a reference site. It is a review since fans can vote and leave their reviews. Here we see the interactive nature of the site. This is true Web 2.0. Of course, we can see how it can be gamed.
Pointing to some of the top sites on the Internet might not be a realistic comparison. It does, however, illustrate the potential that exists. Sites that get a lot of traffic are very valuable. In turn, if built on Hive, this will have an impact that the level also.
Let us take a look at one more, Merriam-Webster. This is nothing more than a definition site yet it does rather well.
Nothing like the other sites yet a cool 204 million pageviews per month. This is very good for another site that is simply one way communication.
Approaching All Angles
The numbers pale in comparison to what social media sites do. This makes sense since they are all about engagement. However, Hive is already approaching things from this perspective with the different aspects of social media showing up.
Nevertheless, let us take a look at some of those numbers for comparison. We will deal with the big fish since they are known by all.
Let us start with YouTube. This is the top video platform and they have impressive stats.
Here we have a whopping 386 billion pageviews in a month. Is it any wonder that YouTube provides Google with enormous advertising dollars?
Elon Musk and Twitter see their numbers trailing the video giant but it is still strong.
These 67 billion pageviews in a month should get the juices flowing.
Of course, people on Hive generate a lot of pages. Let us look at a favorite amount the community, Discord.
That generates over 7.7 billion pages.
Obviously, overlooking the social media aspect of things is a mistake. The point is we already have that covered. It is a matter of people getting more involved with what is presented here.
At the same time, approaching this from different angles is how we expand. While everyone is focusing upon Facebook and Twitter, the reference centers are overlooked. Hive as a decentralized database has enormous power.
Consider all the databases that can be built. How about one for recipes? Would that be something that could garner some traffic? Could it be the basis for a business?
Let us look at one more:
Baseball-reference.com is a site with nothing more than stats from both the major and minor leagues. This is obviously very focused upon the United States since it is a regional sport for the most part.
However, it doesn't do bad:
We are looking at hundreds of niches like this. We are only limited by our imaginations. Almost anything that is information or data can be built into a database.
In Conclusion
Pageviews do add up and they are all being counted. We need to get the numbers of those tied to Hive up dramatically. This cannot be done simply by us posting an article or two and moving onto other social media.
Engagement is key obviously. However, driving traffic in all ways is vital. It allows us to show off the talent we have on Hive and what is being built. For this, reference sites or databases can be very valuable.
It is amazing how many in cryptocurrency complain about the centralization of data yet consistently show up on those sites that are just that.
Perhaps it is time for Hive to focus upon building these solutions for ourselves. If we do that, others will likely follow.
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