Swim University

How Matt Giovanisci Turned Pool Expertise into a $1M/Year Business

Swim University is a blog filled with engaging and authoritative guides relating to hot tub, swimming and pool-related topic.

Founded By

Matt Giovanisci

Monthly Revenue

$83.3K

Score

Founders

Employees

3 (est.)

Profitable

Yes

Year Started

2006

Customer

B2C

Founded By
Matt Giovanisci: Monthly Revenue
$83.3K: Score
95

Founders
1: Employees
3 (est.): Profitable
Yes

Year Started
2006: Customer
B2C

Who is Matt Giovanisci?

Matt Giovanisci, the founder of Swim University, hails from New Jersey and has over three decades of experience in the pool industry, starting from his first job at a pool store at age 13. Although he didn't attend college, Matt's blend of hands-on experience and self-taught web development skills led him to create Swim University in 2006, turning his passion for pools and digital publishing into a successful online business.

What problem does Swim University solve?

For pool and hot tub owners overwhelmed by complicated maintenance, Swim University offers straightforward and reliable guidance, making pool care less of a mystery and more of a manageable task.

My image

How did Matt come up with the idea for Swim University?

Matt Giovanisci came up with the idea for Swim University from his years of experience working in the pool industry, a journey that began when he was just 13 years old. By the time he was in his early 20s, Matt recognized a recurring issue: homeowners often had questions about pool and hot tub maintenance, indicating a gap in accessible, easy-to-understand resources. Observing these repetitive queries, he asked himself, "How can I scale help for pool and hot tub owners?" This insight served as the foundation for Swim University.

To ensure his idea's feasibility, Matt utilized his web development skills, honed while creating a website for his band, to design an initial site. He validated his concept by gauging the strong interest from pool owners eager for straightforward guidance, as evidenced by customer interactions in his previous roles. Matt’s early challenge was overcoming the inertia of talking about his idea without taking action; it took a nudge from a friend to reignite his drive, leading to the site's official launch in 2006. His key lesson was the importance of leveraging personal expertise into scalable solutions, crafting content that transformed complex care processes into digestible, user-friendly advice for a niche but significant market.

How did Matt build the initial version of Swim University?

Matt Giovanisci built Swim University by leveraging his extensive pool industry knowledge and web design skills. He initially purchased the swimuniversity.com domain for $9 in 2005, focusing on creating a website that answered common pool care questions he encountered in his years in the industry. The development of the site involved custom-coded HTML files using Dreamweaver, and he later transitioned to more sophisticated tools like WordPress and Leadpages for improving site functionality and management.

Matt's process involved manually trial and error testing to refine the site, from content creation to technical adjustments, making it a comprehensive guide for pool owners. The early development phase was challenging, marked by the need to re-acquire the domain at $100 after initially letting it lapse and the transition from a general idea to a focused online resource, which took two years from conception to a fully operational site. The experience taught him the importance of marrying personal expertise with technical skills to build a successful niche business.

What was the growth strategy for Swim University and how did they scale?

SEO

Swim University uses SEO as a cornerstone of its growth strategy. The site meticulously targets keywords related to pool and hot tub maintenance, like "how to clear a cloudy pool" or "best pool vacuum." The team's been at it for years, so articles and guides have accumulated authority in search engines, boosting their rankings. They consistently update their content to keep it relevant and indexed by search engines, which brings continual organic traffic.

Why it worked: By focusing on a specific niche with high search demand and delivering reliable, in-depth content, Swim University has become an authoritative source for pool and hot tub care. This means they attract a large audience organically without spending a dime on advertising.

YouTube

Matt Giovanisci leveraged YouTube as a powerful growth channel for Swim University, creating educational videos about pool care. Their YouTube channel has grown to around 265,000 subscribers, providing visual, easy-to-digest information on complex pool maintenance tasks.

Why it works: Video content allows for engaging storytelling and demonstrations of products and techniques. YouTube serves as a search engine itself, so by optimizing video content for search, they attract viewers directly to their channel, which can then be funneled into subscribers or website visitors.

Email Marketing

Swim University has built a sizeable email list of over 175,000 subscribers, serving as a critical component for customer engagement and retention. Through email, they provide ongoing value through tips and product recommendations which helps keep the audience engaged and returning for seasonal advice.

Why it works: Email marketing is effective for nurturing leads and maintaining a connection with users. By crafting topical and seasonal content, they ensure that readers return to Swim University when it's time to prep their pools for summer, turning one-time visitors into regular users.

What's the pricing strategy for Swim University?

Swim University employs a diversified pricing strategy through a mix of affiliate marketing robust digital content sales, generating significant revenue from affiliate links and digital products like e-books and courses, while offering free educational content on pool care.

What were the biggest lessons learned from building Swim University?

Niche Mastery: Matt Giovanisci's success with Swim University demonstrates the power of mastering a niche market, focusing on pool and hot tub care to become a go-to expert and build trust with consumers.
Simplicity Over Complexity: Simplifying complex tasks like pool care into easy-to-understand content has been key. Matt's approach ensures that even the average homeowner can benefit from his expertise, enhancing customer satisfaction.
Resilience Pays Off: Despite setbacks, Matt persisted with Swim University, learning from failures and applying insights to new ventures. His journey underscores the importance of resilience and adapting strategies continuously.
Diversify Product Offerings: From digital guides to physical products, Matt learned to diversify revenue streams, ensuring financial stability even when faced with challenges like changes in affiliate payouts.
Strong Team Dynamics: Operating with a lean team of trusted individuals, Swim University's success highlights the importance of strong team roles and open communication to maintain a productive and positive working environment.

Discover Similar Business Ideas Like Swim University

	Idea	Revenue	Traffic	Revenue Per Visitor	Starting Costs
Starter Story	niche blog	$83.3K monthly	1.4M monthly	$0.06 per visitor	— to start
Stonemaier Games	game development	$1.73M monthly	151K monthly	$11.42 per visitor	$2.4K to start
Contact Any Cel...	niche blog	$30K monthly	— monthly	— per visitor	$100 to start
eBiz Facts	business coach	$21K monthly	265K monthly	$0.08 per visitor	— to start
No Idea Films, LLC	film production company	$5K monthly	111M monthly	$0.00 per visitor	— to start
The Modest Man	fashion business	$4K monthly	863K monthly	$0.00 per visitor	— to start
ryrob.com	online course	$40K monthly	362K monthly	$0.11 per visitor	$500 to start