Author Topic: Inline Advertising  (Read 29398 times)

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Offline Yorkie

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Re: Inline Advertising
« Reply #15 on: February 03, 2012, 04:12:54 pm »
Err!  Not sure the advertising links are working at all well, the only word it turned green was "breast" and even then the two adverts it shows are for Bankruptcy and Government Debt Advise.  I may be missing something here, but where does Breast fit into those categories?  I am VERY confused. :'(

You're confused?   All mine are in a b****y foreign language!  Until I get back to Blighty, I suppose!

How much do you want to clear this rubbish Dave?  I'll toss in £5.00 a year from my pension.
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Offline Nemesis

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Re: Inline Advertising
« Reply #16 on: February 03, 2012, 09:19:46 pm »
Can't say I am a fan of this-- it is a d********d nuisance.
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Offline martin

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Re: Inline Advertising
« Reply #17 on: February 03, 2012, 10:23:05 pm »
Can't say I am a fan of this-- it is a d********d nuisance.
I agree, it's like the difference between watching BBC without annoying ads, or ITV with annoying ads, one of the reasons I tend not to watch the commercial channels.

Offline DaveR

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Re: Inline Advertising
« Reply #18 on: February 03, 2012, 10:38:17 pm »
Send me a cheque for £200 to cover the year's hosting costs and I'll gladly remove the adverts.  8)

Offline Yorkie

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Re: Inline Advertising
« Reply #19 on: February 04, 2012, 08:25:14 am »
Posted August 1, 201 by DaveR:

I would like to thank everyone for their comments - if anyone else would like to comment, please feel free to do so. All views are welcome!

The cost of running the Forum is not really an issue - last year, the hosting costs were £167 and for that we do get a very good service from Heart Internet (we've used 118gb of bandwidth so far this year) .

Personally, I'd just like to see a few more of our members posting, so that we get some more varied opinions & ideas on whatever topic is being discussed.

There is also, perhaps, potential to expand into other areas - blogs, for example, such as Wordpress can easily be hosted on this website at no extra cost, so that members could have their own free blog here. Or maybe we could have one main blog and members could contribute their own posts as and when they felt the urge?

I've mentioned before about having more local news items on the front page - perhaps there is scope for local amateur journalists to contribute articles etc.

Perhaps a proper 'recommended businesses' section?

I'm also interested in building a 'Visitors Guide to Llandudno' mini-website, similar to the one that Noel Whalley did and which is sadly becoming a little out of date since his untimely death. There is a truly excellent guide to Chester at http://www.chesterwalls.info/ Perhaps a Llandudno version could be constructed?

There's also potential for us to have a historical guide to Llandudno, making use of all of our knowledge and old photos to have a street by street guide, similar to an online version of the Ivor Wynne Jones guidebook.

A few ideas there...anyone have any others?
Wise men have something to say.
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Offline Ian

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Re: Inline Advertising
« Reply #20 on: February 04, 2012, 08:45:16 am »
The current adverts would not be neccessary had the Google ads rermained in place. However, it's becuse someone on the forum clicked through the ads repeatedly that Google delcined to allow us to use them. The forum should be self-sustaining;  it's certainly attracting enough unique visitors and a significant core of regular users, but without paid advertising the only option is to charge a membership fee, to make it fair. Alternatively, we could charge for access to certain areas - such as the photo gallery. What we've been aiming for since its inception, however, is a forum using Google ads and generating enough income to help out local charities on a regular basis, as well as fund the operating costs.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline Yorkie

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Re: Inline Advertising
« Reply #21 on: February 04, 2012, 09:01:03 am »
What we've been aiming for since its inception, however, is a forum using Google ads and generating enough income to help out local charities on a regular basis, as well as fund the operating costs.

Is it essential for yet another group, firm or whatever to link its operation with the "charity" attachment?  I would imagine that many on the Forum already do a lot for local good causes;  St. David's, Air Ambulance, Heart Foundation, Ty Gobarth etc. etc.  I know that our family do, both with time and money.   A cat only has one skin!

My offer of a fiver still stands and you now only need another 39 people, or some may be prepared to pay more than others.

I think that the banner ad on the opening page is worth a good £200 a year on its own.    ;)
Wise men have something to say.
Fools have to say something.
Cicero

Offline Michael

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Re: Inline Advertising
« Reply #22 on: February 04, 2012, 09:31:16 am »
I thought I had better write something seeing as the "banner advert" has been mentioned. As those who read Dave rs post on this subject some time ago will know, I do pay something for this add, but nothing like £200.
As with all advertising, it is difficult to judge what is successful  and what is a complete waste. As a matter of interest, no one person has even mentioned my add to me.Never mind saying that is the reason they have come to play golf.
However, subliminal cuts etc play a part, perhaps the banner is at the back of some caravan park manager when he recommends to his visitor to come to me---I don't know.
Bearing in mind that a lot of readers login every day, and therefore don't even notice it, I think there must be a charge----but not a very large one. I would love to be mistaken, pay a high price and have a queue of potential new golfers, but I rather doubt it Mike

Offline Bri Roberts

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Re: Inline Advertising
« Reply #23 on: February 04, 2012, 09:39:50 am »
I think that the banner ad on the opening page is worth a good £200 a year on its own.    ;)

Yorkie, until recently I seem to think Caffe Nero had enjoyed that banner ad for some time.

However, I notice Great Orme Golf and Llandudno Emporium have suddenly reappeared or is it my imagination?

Have all the green lines now disappeared as well?

BTW, I will happily join Yorkie in donanting £5.

Where do I pay?

Offline DaveR

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Re: Inline Advertising
« Reply #24 on: February 04, 2012, 10:21:53 am »
Caffe Nero ad will be returning shortly. Mike's golf ad and the Emporium ad hadn't gone anywhere, they are in rotation with the other ads. Mike's golf ad has been displayed 456,847 times since it was set up. The inline advertising is operating as normal.

There's no point a couple of people paying £5, as we will lose far more than that in ad revenue over the year. If you can get pledges to the value of £200, I will gladly remove the ads.

EDIT: Having said that, it's just occurred to me that I can set each member's settings, so the ads can be hidden to them. Perhaps we should do that - pay £5 a year and you won't see any adverts?

Offline martin

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Re: Inline Advertising
« Reply #25 on: February 04, 2012, 10:46:23 am »
Caffe Nero ad will be returning shortly. Mike's golf ad and the Emporium ad hadn't gone anywhere, they are in rotation with the other ads. Mike's golf ad has been displayed 456,847 times since it was set up. The inline advertising is operating as normal.

There's no point a couple of people paying £5, as we will lose far more than that in ad revenue over the year. If you can get pledges to the value of £200, I will gladly remove the ads.

EDIT: Having said that, it's just occurred to me that I can set each member's settings, so the ads can be hidden to them. Perhaps we should do that - pay £5 a year and you won't see any adverts?
The EDIT addition you have done is a brilliant idea, so each member can decide if the adverts annoy them enough to pay the premium.  I think that an annual charge to all members, would, over time, result in reduced  member numbers, and the charge to view photos I really do not like at all.  I tend to dip in and out of the photo galleries, often just looking at a few photos, if there was a "pay to view"charge, I would not bother.  Anyway, those are my personal thoughts on charging.  I must say, until you brought it up, I had not considered the cost of operating the site, in my ignorance, I thought the only investment was your time, something we should all be grateful for, without all of you at the helm, there would be no forum. $good$

Offline DaveR

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Re: Inline Advertising
« Reply #26 on: February 04, 2012, 10:58:13 am »
Ok, so here is the plan...

Any Member can elect to pay £5 a year to become an 'Ad Free Member'. This means that no adverts (banner ads or inline advertising) will be displayed to them. Adverts will continue to be displayed to Guests and other Members.

The £5 payment can be made by Paypal or Debit/Credit Card (via Paypal). Any Member interested in this can PM me with their email address and I will issue them with a PayPal Invoice for the £5. As previously mentioned, payment can then be made by Paypal or Debit/Credit Card (via Paypal).

Offline Ian

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Re: Inline Advertising
« Reply #27 on: February 04, 2012, 11:24:15 am »
Quote
I must say, until you brought it up, I had not considered the cost of operating the site, in my ignorance, I thought the only investment was your time, something we should all be grateful for, without all of you at the helm, there would be no forum.

We don't mind putting the time in.  In fact, as it stands now, it doesn't take a lot of time; most of that was at the outset.  But it would be great if we could also give something to the various deserving community groups if for not other reason than we'd then be a true community forum.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline Bri Roberts

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Re: Inline Advertising
« Reply #28 on: February 04, 2012, 11:41:25 am »
Have you thought about funding from Llandudno Town Council?

Offline Merddin Emrys

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Re: Inline Advertising
« Reply #29 on: February 04, 2012, 12:13:16 pm »
Have you thought about funding from Llandudno Town Council?

I've a feeling that they may not be too keen ;)
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