Forum Moderators: skibum
Chitika just announced that they are eliminating "curiosity clicks" from our revenues. Great. Who gets to decide what differentiates a "curiosity click" from an advertiser whose site just sucks and can't convert? Not us, that's for sure.
I spent probably a hundred hours putting up highly targeted ads on most of my pages. CTR and revenues were building nicely, then this. Whack! CTR cut in half, revenues by more than that. And just a casual blog post from them to announce it. Ho hum. Just another scam. Back to YPN!
I'm staring at another 100 or so hours to remove them all.
I, for one, forgive you--you've made me so happy I stuck with AdSense.
Personally, in the few days since the changes my revenue with chitika is up substantially.. Doesn't mean anything.. Just like the day and half since they made this changes is not a valid sample for people who are dropping the program.
People need to settle down a bit and understand what happened and why. Not just flip out.
I would rather have them remove aspects of the program that create a substantial number of non-converting clicks than just have advertisers bail completely or lower their pay-per-click to a much lower level.
Ummm.... there are several stages in the buying cycle, the first being window shopping - which is very valid. Is that now considered "curiosity" clicks? It doesn't affect me at all, I've stuck with AdSense and had a wait 'n see attitude about everything else. I'm just curious about clicks in different stages of the buying cycle and what kind of mind-reading act it takes to know who is who.
I can see how someone who had spent a lot of time placing code would have hard feelings about the change in revenue. I can also see how people would be upset by the manner in which Chitika announced the changes (goes towards credibility as a company).
What I don't understand is how it isn't understood that the payout publishers were earning was evidently out of line with the benefit the advertisers were getting. In one of these WW threads someone stated something like "how is it that a Chitika click is worth four times what an Adsense click is worth". Well clearly it isn't, hence the changes.
This whole Chitika thing makes you realize what a special thing Adsense is (not that they haven't yanked publishers around with smart pricing and such). But hopefully Chitika can iron out their problems and get settled down with a product that can provide us publishers with another revenue source, not so much to replace YPN or Adsense but simply to let us diversify our income sources. I love the idea that Chitika lets me define the specific products I want advertised.
Chitika needs to get their act together and get an adformat going that clearly displays something right up front that a person who would want to make a purchase would identify as a link to click (like the Adsense text does). I don't run page top banner CPC ads because I know that a poorly designed banner generates few clicks but still provides branding for the advertiser (hence the publisher ends up running the ads for free). In my opinion an ad that generates a large percentage of "curiosity clicks" describes a poorly designed advertisement. Figure it out Chitika.
Some people have ove-reacted to these changes... People need to settle down a bit
fact many had experienced, that Adding chitika decreases ur ADSENSE revenue by almost 30%
Many? I don't recall one person saying that here. You have some threads you can link us to? Or is this largely fiction?
It's been a long time since I've seen someone use "ur" for your in this professional webmaster forum.
I also fear that this AUDIT may cut a lot of revenue due to the “curiosity clicks” policy
There isn't a curiousity clicks policy. Or have you not been following the thread? ;)
I'm always hesitant about anything that's being super-hyped by MLM types when there's a 2nd Tier advantage for them building a downline.
Spoken with the wisdom and commonsense Marcia typically displays. I have Chitika referrals code on my site but my advice has always been that Chitika is not for everyone. If you realise it doesn't work well on your site make sure you're doing it properly. If it still doesn't work then chuck it - use something else. But, for those sites/webmasters for whom it does really work well it still turns out several multiples of what Adsense does. And, if you have a site that's ideal for Chitika it's your own loss if you don't have the smarts to check it out (at least in a small corner of your site). Suck it and see - before you spend 100 hours replacing code - is advice I find it very reasonable.
The "hype" about Chitika now is very much like the hype was about Adsense when that came out. And Chitika was being "hyped" before there was a referral program.
The only point I can reiterate is that the type of site really does matter. One of my sites that attract a middle-age audience had a CTR drop so drastic that I haven't made anything since the changes. A second site that attracts teens to 30 year olds had a little CTR drop and finally dropped out of the double digits. My only concern about that site is the audit, I hope those 'kids' converted.
If they brought back the clickable image I'd be happy, I don't want my visitors to have to work too hard to make me money :-).
I have switched all but my highest paying pages back to YPN, I'll make a decision after it leaves beta. I just don't think that a company with an ad product as great as this could screw it up so badly, change to adsense and ypn and wait for them to see what they did.
I don't believe you have a case for this 30% figure. I believe it's arbitary and without any foundation. But, I'd be delighted if you had something to back up the assertion that many experienced a drop of 30% in Adsense earnings when they started Chitika. It would be even more useful to the discussion if we could have the earnings from Chitika that compensated them for that lost Adsense earnings (if indeed they did lose).
dont you think you are OVERREACTING, its ok my friend
Thank You, and I hope you understand what I want to say and dont misinterpret it as Chitika bashing, I still love Chitika :-)
that Adding chitika decreases ur ADSENSE revenue by almost 30%Many? I don't recall one person saying that here. You have some threads you can link us to? Or is this largely fiction?
I don't know if it's "many" but it is not fiction. I am one of the ones whose Adsense revenue dropped almost 30%. But I haven't give up on Chitika.
My mistake was not thinking more about where I placed the new code and I definitely replaced too much AdSense code. So I've been making changes and am beginning to find a nice balance. Adsense revenue is back where I expected it to be and I'm making a little money with Chitika.
Chitika is not a "get rich quick" scheme for publishers. To me, it is a unique advertising vehicle for potential revenue. That is not to say I will continue using it if I don't make a reasonable income for giving them real estate at my site.
Like most, I was shocked to see the drastic change in Chitika income in just a few days, but it is a beta program and we all knew it when we got into it. Maybe some of us just got a bit greedy, having unrealistic expectations.
As mentioned, by reducing Chitika ads and rethinking placement, I've actually started doing better. IMHO, using too many Chitika ads will really contribute to ad blindness, not to mention boredom on the part of site visitors.
I hope more publishers will stick with Chitika and give it time. I like their ad concept, it can work well on many sites and, with our help, they can succeed and we will all profit.
A screenshot of your Chitika account doesn't provide anything meaningful. Your express claim was a near 30% drop in Adsense earnings. For many publishers. If there are facts (or a lot of threads) to back that up I've yet to see them. Besides, the 30% doesn't mean anything. If people found Chitika profitable enough to replace ALL their Adsense ads then they'd lose 100% of Adsense income and we have: Most publishers lose 100% of their Adsense income when they put Chitika ads on (but forgetting to add that every single one of them is completely delighted). Doesn't your post look like it was meant to deceive (even if that wasn't the intention)?
I don't own Chitika and I don't have to not "stand a word against Chitika" to be an affiliate. But wild claims, made-up stats, fictitious drops in Adsense earnings, and insisting that the moon is made of cheese are all a bit silly.
Chitika is not a "get rich quick" scheme for publishers.
But wild claims, made-up stats, fictitious drops in Adsense earnings, and insisting that the moon is made of cheese.
I don't know if it's "many" but it is not fiction. I am one of the ones whose Adsense revenue dropped almost 30%. But I haven't give up on Chitika.
OK, maybe all those who put Chitika on and had a near 30% drop in Adsense can tell us why they think their Adsense earnings dropped.
1) Google tracks who's got Chitika and penalises you because you're mixing Adsense with a different program
2) You're giving Google less impressions but the eCPM hasn't gone up sufficiently to keep your Adsense earnings unchanged
3) The moon is made of cheese
I'm always hesitant about anything that's being super-hyped by MLM types when there's a 2nd Tier advantage for them building a downline.
Unlike AdSense or YPN, in which successful participants will if anything shut up about it if they're smart, Chitika affiliates have a huge motivation to spin everything, even revenue drops, in a positive way for the program.
successful participants will if anything shut up about it
You mean like Adsense publishers who don't discuss Adsense? :) Or have Adsense affiliate banners on their websites for the $100 referral fee i.e. MLM types when there's a 2nd Tier advantage?
It'll be interesting to see what theory you have for why Chitika got rave reviews before the affiliate program came out. In any case it's naive to make assumptions about a product based purely on the fact that a referral program exists ... and I know you're way smarter than that.
If you're against spin then you really should denounce the OP ;) - this thread is about:
Chitika just announced that they are eliminating "curiosity clicks" from our revenues... Who gets to decide what differentiates a "curiosity click" from an advertiser whose site just sucks and can't convert
I haven't seen that announcement, it's a rumour, and I make no apologies for pointing that out.
OK, maybe all those who put Chitika on and had a near 30% drop in Adsense can tell us why they think their Adsense earnings dropped.
In my case because I replaced too many Google Adsense ads with Chitika...without first discovering how Chitika would work best on my site. More is not necessarily better. Experimenting with ad positioning is important.
I've made changes after studying my stats and really thinking about ad placement. My Chitika report is in for yesterday. Nice. REALLY NICE. Pleased with Google too. Think I may be on to doing something right.
[edited by: digicamhelp at 6:01 pm (utc) on Nov. 19, 2005]
You mean like Adsense publishers who don't discuss Adsense?
Anyway $100 is a fairly trivial figure, unlike 10% of the revenue each sub-affiliate makes in a year, which could obviously add up to a fairly large amount if Chitika successfully takes off.
which could obviously add up to a fairly large amount if Chitika successfully takes off.
Crikey! There's actually a chance of that happening? :)
I replaced too many Google Adsense ads with Chitika
thanks!
Chitika was being "hyped" before there was a referral program.
You can almost spot the perps and connect the dots between some in the clique by the heavy hype and the smiling faces on banner ads. ;)
After all, Chitika relies on publishers for their revenues as well. If my sites are any indication, a roughly 60% decline in clicks and revenues has to be hurting Chitika a lot too. And I can only assume that many other publishers will be like me and conclude that Chitika simply isn't worth having on my pages now that they don't produce enough income to justify taking up valuable space.
