Forum Moderators: skibum
Some simple ideas:
text links - using affiliate programs with text links allows you to work the ad in with your content, while remaining in context. Simple, out-of-the-way text links somewhere on your navbar can also draw curious clicks.
buttons and odd-size banners - these tend to draw better than the standard 468x60 vanilla banner, and you have more placement options (like right next to/below your nav buttons - good place for CPC)
newsletter/ezine - in addition to retaining visitors, you can plug new sites, pages, or affiliate programs as ads or as content messages. If you don't have an ezine, start one. You can always just send it once a month with site update notifications and an ad. Good to use a redirect on your site with some of the (CJ,LS) longer URLs, for email.
Get creative - Let's say you have a site about widgets. Maybe you sell widgets, or you have an info site all about widgets. Why not add a "Recommended Reading" section with a page or two leading to books about widgets and their care at Amazon. You get a larger commission for directly linked products at Amazon. There are even scripts available which query Amazon's database, showing the item on your site before the user clicks through to Amazon, resulting in (hopefully) higher commission. Similar strategies can be formulated with other (not necessarily books) media.
Any thoughts on these?
Who else has some good tricks/ideas? Lets slice 'em and dice 'em.
Links: Use the target="_blank" tag on all your links and banners. You don't want people to leave your site now do you?
(I know I'm going to get quartered for this but....)
Exit consoles! - It might annoy some people but if your affiliate allows you to use an exit console, take the risk. But, just one exit console is enough. If users really like your site they will put up with an exit console on your main page. You won't be disappointed with the heavy load of extra cash rolling your way.
Seriously though, I think they CAN have their place (IMO):
Hit-and-run sites, yes.
Serious content sites with loyal visitors, they may put up with them for the free content.
Trying to get a new site started, or a site having trouble retaining visitors - use with extreme caution. (read - forget it)
I personally hate them, but then again, I ain't the average surfer.
One type I have had good luck with, and is not nearly as annoying - a "popunder" entrance console. You can use a random link script pointing to a flat file of your favorite affiliate programs. Call the script via JS onload, and use a cookie so it only pops once. Set the focus so the popup pops "under." The visitor may not see it until they leave your site, or close that window. If they do see it, they may think it was an exit console from the referring page.
AARRGH! Personally, I would much rather a site use target=_blank than hide an ad window under my main browser window. At least target=_blank is giving me a page I *asked* to see. Popunder pages have the same screen cluttering effect as _blank does, only without my consent!
It's like the site is saying "we know you hate popups, but we'll sneak one onto your desktop anyway... you'll never notice!"
I agree, these are not the best ways to earn with site advertising. Some are sneakier than others, and some are downright nasty. However, with current times, we have to explore possibilities. None of them are right for all kinds of sites, some are only right for a certain kind of site. Some of them have NO place, in many people's opinions.
But, I think some sites have to do what they can to survive, if doing nothing but paying the hosting bill.
Added - just to clarify, I was comparing the popunder to the exit console, not opening a new window onclick.
Anyone have any not-so-sneaky tips/tricks/ideas?
Very true... I just absolutely abhor having things appear on my desktop without asking. Generally, I'll *grudgingly* accept pop-ups at a entertainment/commerical type site... pop-unders really get me though, no matter where they are.
I think text links and opt-in newsletters are the least offensive form of online adverts, and the fact that people have to click the link or subscribe to the newsletter to get the advertising avoids the resentment "forced" advertising can cause.
Whether you actually sell ads in the newsletter, or put them as related links, I've found that quite a number of links I put in my small newsletter do get followed... but none of them are 'revenue enhancing' links yet.
I'm exploring the possiblity of a new revenue model for web sites and am looking for some feedback.
Would anybody be interested in a subscription/micropayment model where some of your content would be placed in a non-commercial area of your web site and available only through some type of viewer payment? This content could have no advertisements, no pop-ups, no interstitials, no text links.
But first make a big assumption. Assume that this model is easy to implement, that viewers would be willing to pay, and you would make at least as much as your current advertising revenue.
Any interest?
The problem is, most things on the web are free. If it is not free at one site, chances are you can find it free somewhere else. So, unless everyone switches to this model in a certain timeframe, I don't think it would take off.
Now, certain excellent content sites could make this work, and probably easily. For example, I would pay whatEVER the price to visit webmasterworld daily. It is an invaluable resource. But on the other hand, who is going to come to a free-stuff site and be willing to pay when there are thousands of other freebie sites, probably most of which will never go to micropayments.
I don't see this as a widespread solution, but could work for the right sites/audiences.
