Maybe it is time that "we" create our own ad network

[Peter_S]

Happy New Chinese Year !

I was just thinking that may be "we", the webmasters should team and create our own ad network.

Collectively, we have a huge experience, as Internet users, Web developers and Designers, Content publishers and also Ad buyers.

Collectively, we master all the aspects of the Web ( isn't it why we are called "webmasters"? :-) )

We would certainly be able to set up something fair for everybody.

A system which could be transparent, respectful of the users, and deliver targeted ads fast.

And together, we certainly represent an inventory of billions of page hits per month.

Just a thought :-)

ps: we could create our own search engine too, together we have the skill and knowledge to do so but the costs might be too expensive.

[birdbrain]

...or we could just get a life. :)

birdbrain

[graeme_p]

Problems:

1. Network effects
2. Funding

[iamlost]

We' already have in the sense of one to several webdevs with complementary sites forming private advertising or marketing companies and selling direct ad space and/or affiliate presell presence on their sites. I've done this for over a decade, know of a few others, and suspect several more.

It's not something that anyone is going to detail as, when done well, it is a significant competitive advantage to both the sites and their advertisers. Also, as the efforts are constrained and specific the ads themselves as well as their delivery may be quite quite different than with current mass market third party products.

Google et al are successful at scale only because they largely remove human quality control, once that is reinserted costs skyrocket (the impetus for ads.txt is ~10 ads/second programmatic fraud; solution cost offloaded to publishers). Small doesn't have that problem. Competing with the third party ad networks is similar to competing when WalMart et al come to town: "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. The hands can't hit what the eyes can't see" aka do not emulate, do not go head to head; slip, slide, go niche, and specialise. Small does, however, have the problem of proving and selling it's value; not something that happens overnight, it took me 2-years to get my first client, granted it should be much easier these days as advertising is far more part of the web environment.

Of course the sites, singly or in aggregate have to be of sufficient content depth, breadth, and quality plus traffic quality and quantity that one has sufficient 'product' value to offer target companies' marketing managers/ad agencies and convince/reassure at C-level.
Note: while the technical and business requirements are significantly beyond copy and pasting javascript so is the revenue potential.

Or, as per birdbrain, we could just get a life. :)

[Future]

Maybe tooo late, kids/money lenders/brokers/harvesters/ on MAJOR BLOCK active.
But without talent.. ! (they know to mint money easily)
But really helping the real world/technology for years (talented people are booted off from G+/FB)
As G+/FB raise a competition (and money wins always over talent) ;)

Thats digital life.... G+/FB are generating so-called MARKET on AI intelligence...
Which should fail someday..

[tangor]

Are you kidding? That would me we'd have to deal with the scammers, fraudsters, hucksters, villains, bad actors, crooks, thieves, and bandits all by ourselves!

I got a life, don't need a headache!