Blog server strategy

Would free source code generate clicks?

[mike73]

Hi everyone,

I run a free blog server, that I coded myself, with about 500 members, growing steadily each day.

Adsense is not working to well for me, though it has gotten better since I started using all the great tips I found here. Still, $0.75 a day is nothing.

I'm wondering, if you guys think I would get more activity from Adsense if I also gave away the source code on the site?

Since I don't put ads in the actual blogs (i.e. where the good content is), the majority of the ads relate to other blogs and such, which means I'm only getting clicks from pasers-by. In other words, I don't think my regular users click the ads.

Has anyone else had similar experiences?

Thanks in advance,
Mike

[DamonHD]

Hi,

I have my site source code on my site and it attracts almost no hits and zero clickthroughs (though in the past people have used my code!).

But maybe your code is better than mine, ie YMMV.

In any case, you'll be doing the world a small favour if you help solve someone else's problem, so give it a whirl. OSS = good, IMHO.

Rgds

Damon

[stuartc1]

Hi,

An option for you is to sign-up for an accout at sourceforge dot net - the worlds largest open source website.

You can add your own site as the demo site...

This may bring you in a lot more traffic at least... and hopefully more clicks!

I started a open source project a couple of years ago and average a few hundred extra visitors from there each day.

Just a thought!

[mike73]

Thanks for the tips :-)

I'm not really sure if I'm ready to take the open source step. I've been working hard on this baby for two years and it's kind of scary to just open it up like that. If I knew for sure I would be rakin' in the bucks, like some of the people around here, I would do it in a hearbeat. But I get the feeling it's more likely that I would just be giving away my hard work for only a few extra clicks.

Now that I think of it, I have a buddy that has a mail server project on Source Forge. It's one of the most popular projects there. I should get him to try adsense, and see if he gets any good results.

[incrediBILL]

Since I don't put ads in the actual blogs (i.e. where the good content is)

Then where are the ads if they aren't on your blog content?

This thread is making no sense to me.

[TheRookie]

I'd guess on the site's main page, like where he lists features and whatnot.

[mike73]

...yes, the ads are on the main page, the user list, and the user profile pages.

It's strange- I thought I would get the most hits on the profile pages and the user list, because they list the users' interests and create relevant ads, but I get most of my clicks from the main page.

[incrediBILL]

Try putting ads on some content, then maybe you'll see some money.

[Rado]

I run a free blog server too and have ads in blogs (nicely blended in the blog templates). There are about 500 blogs on my server, but the ads on content pages don't get too many clicks. The clicks ratio between the main frontpage to contentpages is about 80:20. Most days, the revenue is below $1 :(

[ClosedGL]

Mike73, don't put the ads on your users pages because that'll jack them off no end, but rather pull snippets of your users pages on the homepage of your site; then place some ads on there.

Two things will happen.

1) Nice ads from Google across a broad spectrum (depending on your user base), nice ads get people clicking because they get intrigued!
2) Nice content on your front end which draws more traffic because people 'sense' there is a live community that they too can be part of. More users = more content = more ads = happier Mike73.

You didn't give up your soul either. (And I'm an advocate of open-source!) Keep bustin!

[mike73]

ClosedGL,

Thanks, that's great advice! I'm going to do it right away.