Monetizing My Site

[FredAt]

Hello All! I have just joined this forum. I have a site dedicated to programming that is a few months old. It is rapidly gaining in popularity and visitor numbers. Sometime within the next few months I plan to start monetizing the site.

Given that I have decided that all site content should always be free for all users I have only one possible revenue stream - advertising. I am quite sceptical about the Google AdWords route.

• I often find that such ads are hilariously wrong - I don't want to irritate my viewers with that
• I am dealing with a highly technoliterate community - I doubt that they would click on such ads so no revenues for me
• I'd rather be in control of my earnings

All that said, I have no experience of selling site advertising. I would much appreciate any tips and advice members of this forum might be able to offer on the dos and donts when doing this. In particular

1. Are there any guidelines I could use to determine pricing?
2. How, apart from "Advertise with us" links on my site, can I make advertisers aware of the opportunity?

[cldnails]

Sounds like a program like Adbrite would work well for you or Text Link Ads. These programs give you total control over what ads show up on your site, through an approval and que method. In addition, through Adbrite you can set your pricing based on the criteria you set, like views, clicks, etc...

[FredAt]

Originally Posted by cldnails

Sounds like a program like Adbrite would work well for you or Text Link Ads. These programs give you total control over what ads show up on your site, through an approval and que method. In addition, through Adbrite you can set your pricing based on the criteria you set, like views, clicks, etc...

Thanks!

[f1rm]

Originally Posted by FredAt

Hello All! I have just joined this forum. I have a site dedicated to programming that is a few months old. It is rapidly gaining in popularity and visitor numbers. Sometime within the next few months I plan to start monetizing the site.

Given that I have decided that all site content should always be free for all users I have only one possible revenue stream - advertising. I am quite sceptical about the Google AdWords route.

• I often find that such ads are hilariously wrong - I don't want to irritate my viewers with that
• I am dealing with a highly technoliterate community - I doubt that they would click on such ads so no revenues for me
• I'd rather be in control of my earnings

All that said, I have no experience of selling site advertising. I would much appreciate any tips and advice members of this forum might be able to offer on the dos and donts when doing this. In particular

1. Are there any guidelines I could use to determine pricing?
2. How, apart from "Advertise with us" links on my site, can I make advertisers aware of the opportunity?

If you understand the way your visitors think, why not monetize your website as an affiliate? Simply pick certain products you believe in and they will find useful and promote them, it's as easy as that.
Alan Johnson

[FredAt]

Originally Posted by f1rm

If you understand the way your visitors think, why not monetize your website as an affiliate? Simply pick certain products you believe in and they will find useful and promote them, it's as easy as that.
Alan Johnson

I assume you are suggesting signing up with one of the many companies that offer such services for publishers and advertisers? My biggest concern is that given how technoliterate my audience is the chances of them actually clicking on ads are virtually nil. So it has to be a route that puts money in the bank just for showing the ad, not showing the ad and then waiting for clicks.

That said, I might try affiliate advertising just for starters to get things moving.

[MatthewC]

AdBright is the best Send me a PM I would like to help you out!

[Educator]

I have to admit to being a conservative chap. So, if I am not sure about something I go with mainstream.

I also have to admit that Adsense ads on my site are VERY targeted to my intended audience. For example, my blog is on our family's person home renovation experience. I know it's not in the traffic volume of most folks here who seem to be high volume sites (we get only around 20 visitors per day ).

However, if I have articles on windows or doors, I only see windows and door ads on the page. If there are articles (I only have 2 on the main page, the rest are in categories) are on painting, they I only see ads related to painting products and services.

So, perhaps it is key words not being used that are creating Adsense to place non-related ads?

Just a thought from a newbie.

[weilies]

You can pay a visit on my web marketer blog
http://press.tonghuat.com/

Hope everybody enjoy making money form Ads

[Educator]

Originally Posted by weilies

You can pay a visit on my web marketer blog
http://press.tonghuat.com/

Hope everybody enjoy making money form Ads

Hey weilies,

Thanks for this. I'm curious about the optimal placement. The post within the link indicated the top banner as well as the upper right side.

Why the upper right side? For sites in English, English is read left to right so I thought that having the ad on the upper left, not the upper right, would be preferrable.

Any thoughts on this from anyone?

Thanks very much!

[greenfinger]

Many sites have their login and navigation systems on the top right. So putting ads here can be quite effective if people are not blind to this area of the website.

There are actually arguments contradicting this placement of ad in the top right, I read it somewhere here, unfortunately I forgot where on this forum it was

Anyway, it really depends on your site design and functionality on where the best placement is. The worst place I suppose, would be on the top right if there is a left column as well.

[weilies]

Sorry for the late reply. I have been busy for my PPC Ad Network currently.
k, the reason we install our Ad Spot at right top portion, is "this is the portion to feed in"

Standard website vs Member behavior
- First, we need to study from Social Network, Google, Yahoo login, it's a norm that trained your visitors "right top corner" is login section
- again, you will find left top corner is where MOST CTR happen there. Coz it's always "profile edit", "site navigator bar" there.
- and the middle section is the content.

So, the only suitable area, is the top+right top corner will get your Ad best feed

[knslms]

what about ebay and amazon? They ussually have some type of software that is closely related.

[AndrewRae]

Yep, but eBay or Amazon pay cents these days..not worth it IMHO unless your site is really BIG and you've got lots of traffic.

[shoaeeb]

Text link ads should work good for you.

[holyground]

there are many ways to monetize your blogs, adsense, chtika, wiget bucks, payperpost,
reviewme, affiliate marketing are all the ways to monetize your blogs, you can also sell links but bear in mind to add rel="nofollow" to that link to avoid passing page rank. .. and so on....

[s-i]

why wont you sell private ads on your website. maybe you can charge them by impression.