Free with Banners & Popups??

[Tyhe]

Hi,

I am very curious about something, I make websites, and I usually have to pay my ISP to get hosted. So, usually, I need money to support my website.
Now getting money through a website isn't easy, as most of you will know, and the hardest thing of it all, is to get your surfer to help you make some money.
Instead they complain about banners and popups.
Now what I am wondering is: what would you want?

[Marina]

I think that most surfers understand that the site owner has to cover his/hers expenses. I prefer banners to popups but think that they should be adjusted so that surfers from other countries don't end up looking at offers from stores that doesn't even deliver their products abroad. Advertisements are actually appreciated when they give information about stuff you are interested in!

[Tyhe]

Heya Marina,

You say that most surfers understand, but that doesn't mean that they do it...
And you are right about making it ineteresting, i agree, but to actually get people to click/vote/etc. for you, that's not that easy, unless you shove it in their faces.
In my experience most surfers just get what they need, and then leave...
a good example is book written by Stephen King online. You could download it all you want, but if you liked it, you had to pay. Ofcourse only a few people really paid the book.
Most surfers seem to have an attitude: "ah, I don't have to do this, others will. Let the rest do the work, I'll just take what I need and be gone". And since the net is so anonymous.. the surfers can....

Greetz

[Marina]

You are right. People are very self centered. That's why it's best to add banners that promote something that you actually think they might buy. (When they click on the banner and buy something you get comission, right?)
For instance, if your site is about web design or computers your visitors would probably be interested in good deals on software or hardware. Putting a banner linking to a garden supply store will probably not bring in more money.
I agree that you can't force people to click anything. If you have very interesting content to offer it may be wise to make them pay by credit card. Unfortunately there is so much free and good content on the net that people are used to not paying for anything.
By the way, I like your site design. You could try and squeeze in a banner in the upper right corner.

[Tyhe]

Heya,

thanks for the feedback!

Greetz

[Umair.ms]

I feel very alienated when I browse through websites and most banners displayed are targetted for the US people.

Believe me or not, I am one of those people who love watching TV Commercials, reading Newspapers Ads and Internet Banners.

The only problem with banners I feel is that they should not be targetted to a people of one country only and they must load fast! Fast loading banners never create problems, even if they are SkyCrappers.

[tscratch]

I actually do click on ads. I don't BUY anything, but on sites that I like or visit a lot I usually click a banner on the way out, or just open them in a new window as I go along and close them all when I'm done.
I think it's kind of odd to do it, but like I said, if I like a site it's worth the hassle to help out.

[Saz]

Everybody talks of pop-up and banner advertising and affiliate programs in order to make the money to fund their websites. Has nobody considered sponsorship instead??

I pay for my Postfive Website and am quite happy to do that in this instance because of the web topic. My husband, along with thousands of others world wide, gives up his free time to marshal so that motor-sport fans can enjoy the sport they love - be it spectating or actually racing. The site is aimed at bringing marshals together and also promoting this 'hobby' so I feel it would be wrong to make money from it. However, I've seen an opportunity to try to raise some money for the Motor-racing Safety Fund (something rather prominent at the moment with fatal accidents both last year and this involving marshals) via sponsorship from a company linked to motor-sport and the marshals in particular. I'm going to contact them today and ask if they would be prepared to provide me with some Postfive Website sew on patches which I can then sell in exchange for a 'sponsored by' banner on my main page.

Yes, it's still advertising and yes there will still be a banner on my website, BUT the company being advertised has a direct link with my site's content AND I won't be relying on 'click throughs' or whatever they're called to make the money.

This may or may not work. There's a chance that I won't be able to convince this company that sponsoring my site will promote their business, but I won't know unless I try.