Ad based site vs Subscription based site

[BlogQueen]

I thought I started a new topic, I guess I didn't according to the yellow icon? I'm lost and confused...anyhow, reposting:

I'm new to this site and am learning a lot. I want to turn my MySpace blogs into revenue-yielding content. Can anyone tell me what's the best way to go: Ad-based site (AdSense) or subscription-based site? Or can I do both?

[edited by: lorax at 4:01 pm (utc) on May 6, 2010]
[edit reason] removed specifics [/edit]

[lorax]

I'm curious if anyone has an answer or can share some insight on this. It's not direct eCommerce but I can see possibilities.

[HRoth]

I've considered doing this with my ecommerce site because it's content heavy and I am working on writing as another income stream. If that works out, I'd like to try converting my shop to either subscription or ads. But the subscription sites I've looked at in my niche are huge. They present themselves as something like schools. Subscribers can subscribe to various groups of content. I could see how I could do this with my site but mine is so much smaller than these guys. I don't know how breaking up into chunks would work on your site.

I thought it would be better to go with ads than subscriptions, since the latter means that you have to accept cc payments in some form and with ads you don't (one less layer of bloodsuckers). And since I have long seen my site websucked and thrown up on all kinds of torrents, making it subscription seems like asking for that even more. But again, I don't think my site at 500+ pages is big enough to make that worthwhile, especially because I keep reading about how Google ads aren't paying as much as they were, etc. I still go back and forth about this and hope others who have tried it will say something.

That said, if instead of a shop it were a blog, I would try the ads. You don't really have anything to lose with those.

[jhartwell]

I just started a blog and am using ad based revenue. I believe that ads are the best way to go with blogs because it allows for more people to see your content and become exposed to it (which is always great) and it doesn't require much of anything on the users end.

Personally, I wouldn't pay for a subscription to any blog (that's just me though). If your niche is very into the subscription, then it is a possibility. The problem with that is, once your audience feels that they aren't getting their money's worth, it may be a hard time getting them back and getting them to pay. On the flip side, it is torture not getting any clicks on your ads (I know first hand!).

I would definitely say go with the ads. I just believe that it is too much of a risk to your reader base to make them pay to see your information (after all, isn't the internet meant to be a place for free information)? On top of that, AdSense is cheaper to operate than any subscription service and you don't get any of the profits taken away from credit card service fees.

[dpd1]

The only sites I know of that do subscription, are sites that have been around for a very long time and they really dominate. I think it would be difficult to start one new. But you never know. Anything is possible. But I've seen very good sites go from membership to ads in the last few years, so that kind of gives an indication. One site I know that does seem to do OK with members, also offers site space to members.

[Luxoria]

It seems like, based on the above posts, it's simpler to begin as an AD site. I guess after running for a while you can talk to viewers and crunch the numbers to see if it is worth going to a pay site. Besides, it will take a while to fill content and have brand presence and if people sign up and realize there is not much to offer they will leave and never want to return.

For me personally the only pay site I would join is for trading forex, but that is something entirely different and the market is absolutely flooding with junk pay sites. Besides, if you know where to look the amount of quality FREE information is staggering for that particular topic.

One other paysite I guess I would register for is a site related to furthering my education, I don't mean those cheesy learn from home and get your doctorate, but geared in a way it is learning group for advanced hobbiest and professions. But that would be a club and structured completely differently.

My point is the information you provide, if for subscription, better be the best in it's field, always updated, and easy to access. But when it comes to a blog... hmmm, IMO, if I pay for a blog it better be an 'investment' of some sort. Spiritual growth (humor), mental health, business advice, etc. even then I am sure I can find all that for free.

rambling over.