ad blocking and revenue
Discussion
Ad blocking can affect things in two ways. For campaigns measured by the number of times displayed, it means that it can take longer to deliver a campaign and ultimately means that there's less 'space' to sell. Popup campaigns are tightly managed to ensure (typically) one popup per session on the site. I think that's reasonable and not overly intrusive.
Blocking regular banner ads can simply make campaigns appear to be less effective and result in campaigns not being renewed.
I make a deliberate effort to keep 90% of the advertising on here directly motoring related so that it's as much part of the experience as reading the pages themselves. I do that in the hope that people find the advertising interesting and useful.
Given the number of pages that PH serves up these days, I could probably fill them all with adverts for Sainsburys, Expedia, Marbles Credit cards, BT, Sky etc and ultimately I'd probably make the same money. That's not what the site is about though.
I'd like to think that the type of advertising secured on here helps set the site apart from the mainstream.
I also refuse a large number of campaigns for popup ads because I care about the user experience of PH. If people could bear that in mind next time they let rip at me for hosting a popup ad it would be greatly appreciated!
I can sympathise with people blocking some ads, but blocking all ads on this site does peeve me. I've had some bizarre email conversations with people who claim that it's their right to use the site without being subjected to adverts.
There's no such thing as a free lunch. Particularly given the price of the sandwich I just had from Starbucks
Blocking regular banner ads can simply make campaigns appear to be less effective and result in campaigns not being renewed.
I make a deliberate effort to keep 90% of the advertising on here directly motoring related so that it's as much part of the experience as reading the pages themselves. I do that in the hope that people find the advertising interesting and useful.
Given the number of pages that PH serves up these days, I could probably fill them all with adverts for Sainsburys, Expedia, Marbles Credit cards, BT, Sky etc and ultimately I'd probably make the same money. That's not what the site is about though.
I'd like to think that the type of advertising secured on here helps set the site apart from the mainstream.
I also refuse a large number of campaigns for popup ads because I care about the user experience of PH. If people could bear that in mind next time they let rip at me for hosting a popup ad it would be greatly appreciated!
I can sympathise with people blocking some ads, but blocking all ads on this site does peeve me. I've had some bizarre email conversations with people who claim that it's their right to use the site without being subjected to adverts.
There's no such thing as a free lunch. Particularly given the price of the sandwich I just had from Starbucks
PetrolTed said:
There's no such thing as a free lunch. Particularly given the price of the sandwich I just had from Starbucks
There is if you know the right people, but then you stuff your face on Free Champers and Puke Everywhere
Seriosuly, I agree, people seem to think that 'its their right to view'
What a Society we live in, where its the 'a norm' to take without thanks, to demand without thought, and to complain without thought.
Roll on the Revolution.
PetrolTed said:
I can sympathise with people blocking some ads, but blocking all ads on this site does peeve me. I've had some bizarre email conversations with people who claim that it's their right to use the site without being subjected to adverts.
I block the popups, but that's because I block every popup from every site, not just advertising ones. I don't care about banner ads being displayed.
I'm guessing a blocked popup doesn't count in the hits? I was interested in how you measure something like that, wouldn't the client poll for the ad and that count on your server, isn't it the client that decides whether it gets displayed or not? Or is there a mechanism for the server to show whether the ad was actually downloaded in full, rather than just requested but blocked? Or isn't that how it works?
I can understand your frustration at times and I think that was a eloquent post to show why the ads are necessary for the site.
There's a need, I think, for a piece of software that would block pop-ups from being displayed, but pretend to the advertiser that the ad was shown.
Best of both worlds for Ted & us (but not so good for the advertisers).
Hmmm. Anyone fancy writing something, distributing it to PH-ers but keeping its existence a closely-guarded secret?
Best of both worlds for Ted & us (but not so good for the advertisers).
Hmmm. Anyone fancy writing something, distributing it to PH-ers but keeping its existence a closely-guarded secret? pdV6 said:
There's a need, I think, for a piece of software that would block pop-ups from being displayed, but pretend to the advertiser that the ad was shown.
Best of both worlds for Ted & us (but not so good for the advertisers).
Surely theres a way to hack the visible property of any given window?
Hmmmn...
pdV6 said:
Surely theres a way to hack the visible property of any given window?
Hmmmn...
Yeah - but you wouldn't be able to close the window if it was simply set invisible...
Yeah but if you had a TSR monitoring the current page in IE and what its spawned as new windows then you could take everything with it when the window closes...
pdV6 said:
There's a need, I think, for a piece of software that would block pop-ups from being displayed, but pretend to the advertiser that the ad was shown.
Best of both worlds for Ted & us (but not so good for the advertisers).
Not good for me. If you don't see an advert that might actually interest you then my click through rates will be lower and I'll jeopardise future business.
Lots of people don't like popups but lots of people clicked on the VX220 Turbo ad I ran last year. It did PH a lot of good that ad.
Plotloss said:TSR - years since I've heard that term
Yeah but if you had a TSR monitoring the current page in IE and what its spawned as new windows then you could take everything with it when the window closes...
All possible, and not difficult, it could simply monitor hidden (or 100% transparent) pop-up windows, allow them to open for 10 seconds or so, then close them. But if the advertisers got wind they'd be just a little upset and Ted would lose the funds he'll need to service the Cerbera!
In the long-term something like this could adjust the way web advertising is done, but we shouldn't risk PHs income doing it.
I've just spent a few days shifting a web application of mine to non longer use the technology referred to as "pop-ups" that it quite validly used because the client has shifted to XP SP2, people forget that some quite reasonable uses for them are out there...
zumbruk said:
I've had some bizarre email conversations with people who claim that it's their right to use the site without being subjected to adverts.
And it is. It's their computer, they can choose what they display on it. If this bothers you, go to a subscription model.
No,
its their right to use their computer assuming they have paid for all the software on it, its not their right to view any website. They do so at the sole discretion of the website owner, and subject to the Terms and Conditions stipulated by the website / owner.
If they do not agree to those t&cs then they simply don't view the website in question.
It is not their right to do so.
PetrolTed said:
Not good for me. If you don't see an advert that might actually interest you then my click through rates will be lower and I'll jeopardise future business.
Furry muff. It sounded like the cick throughs weren't as important as just getting the ads delivered.
FWIW I set my browser(s) to allow pop-ups from PH but nowhere else!
Regarding the comment about having the "right not to have pop-ups", one can always vote with one's (virtual) feet if its that much of a problem for one...
PetrolTed said:
I've had some bizarre email conversations with people who claim that it's their right to use the site without being subjected to adverts.
JamieBeeston said:
If they do not agree to those t&cs then they simply don't view the website in question.
in-open-mouthed-incredulity-that-anyone-could-think-differently...Some sites simulate popup adds by putting the advert in the page so it overlaps and hides the main document. I think this would probably overcome the average popup blocker. Nothing particular novel about this approach, its still moderately annoying but less intrusive than opening a new frame.
Something I haven't come across but which should be technically simple to do, would be to provide a page which had two layouts, one with a big ad and another with a small ad. Clicking on an 'OK I've seen that thank you' widget would shrink the big ad to a small ad. It might change itself back from time to time. The point is that even with the big ad layout you can still see the rest of the page and you don't *have* to do anything to dismiss or acknowledge it in order to enjoy the site.
What do you reckon, is this idea going to make me a millionaire? Or has the rest of the world been there and done that.
Something I haven't come across but which should be technically simple to do, would be to provide a page which had two layouts, one with a big ad and another with a small ad. Clicking on an 'OK I've seen that thank you' widget would shrink the big ad to a small ad. It might change itself back from time to time. The point is that even with the big ad layout you can still see the rest of the page and you don't *have* to do anything to dismiss or acknowledge it in order to enjoy the site.
What do you reckon, is this idea going to make me a millionaire? Or has the rest of the world been there and done that.
zumbruk said:
And it is. It's their computer, they can choose what they display on it.
1) It's also my computers that readers are using so I think it's entirely reasonable for me to dictate the terms of use. I give a choice - view PH warts and all or or don't view it.
zumbruk said:
If this bothers you, go to a subscription model.
2) It's very unlikely that a subscription model would generate sufficient revenues to run this site.
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