Ads on the site - a way of monetising those who adblock..?

[Funk]

There have been many instances of users hating the adverts on PH including the new 'follow-the-scroll' adverts such as the Sainsbury's one. I understand why it's been done; it stays on the screen no matter which part you're looking at, thereby increasing 'exposure' times.

I understand PH is ad-funded but with the myriad pop-over ads, ads that cover the whole screen and ads that make noises I've been a long-term adblock user on both home and mobile devices; the ads are simply not relevant and are too intrusive to the browsing experience.

So I'm effecvely using the site for free, PH don't make any money from me (other than getting a referrer fee for links I click through from in the main forum posts etc) and I feel a bit bad about it. Not bad enough to subject myself to irrelevant adverts, but bad enough to consider an alternative.

PH must know the average annual value of a user, ie. what ad revenue they get from clicks and views. It would seem to make sense to offer a subscription-driven ad-free version of the site (on both desktop and mobile) which equates to the average revenue earned from user who sees and clicks on ads.

I'd like to support the site, I just can't bear to use it with adverts. I'd be more than happy to subscribe annually for a certain amount, that same way I used to for magazines. PH has been improving leaps and bounds in terms of editorial content (especially with the likes of Chris Harris' contributions) and I understand the issues with running a large forum/site - been there, done that!

Given that users who block ads bring no revenue from that avenue (and never will), would it make sense to offer those of us who are happy to continue financially a way to do so without having to see or click on ads we don't want? It would bring in revenue that otherwise would never reach the site as it currently stands.

Perhaps memberships could include a PH sticker for the car (used to do that for focusstoc.com) and perhaps a forum for subscribers? Just chucking ideas around really.

Happy to pay to be here but not enough to live with the ads!

[whoami]

Good luck with that.

[Funk]

You'd be surprised. On STOC around a third of the active member base paid an annual membership fee.

[Deva Link]

I Adblock everything too and I'd be willing to pay but only if the moderation was given a pretty massive overhaul. It seems close to random at the moment.

[paulrussell]

I'm sure Stuart has said that PH will not be a subscription site. I'd of thought adding a subcription section to the site would cost a lot, and wouldn't be profitable.

[Silent1]

Subscriptions tend to make people think they have more right to be on a site and make things difficult when they get binned/banned