subtlest, most effective adverts

[billyboy]

Hi

I am about to embark on a rework of an existing web site promoting holidays for international students, or rather i am going to be giving the web site builder a spec of what we are trying to achieve.

I want the pages layout to be a bit on the arty side, but with a simple layout to display informative to the point text and photos, so no offence, not as utilitarian as this site for instance.

In order to finance it in the long term, i am looking at generating advertising revenue. I have looked up about Google Adsense and the google search window, which look like potential money earners if you have decent visitor numbers. However the bar or block set ups seem a bit intrusive, as in overly commercial, relative to the design of pages i have in mind.

Anyone come across any clever workarounds that advertise without jumping out the page, (impossible in theory it seems to me) and more importantly, somehow bridge the gap between needing people to stay on our site to take a good look at what we have to say yet directing them to companies that will drop us a penny here and there for the visit.

Thanks for any clues.

 

[Applespider]

There's also Tradedoubler.com where you can pick and choose the ads and retailers that you promote. They've got a good Euro presence in terms of having 'local' names that might be recognised.

Some of the 'niche' sites that use it can make a fair amount when they really target the companies. I know there's at least one 'breastfeeding' site that makes a fair amount by advertising the nursery ecommerce site.

 

[mac-help]

Subtle advertising

I have been researching this myself and have started a website about it, in a round about fashion. I also would recommend tradedoubler.

It's still a work in progress but you can check it out if you want, adverts are best placed as text links within text. Advertising site

If you want to discuss further let me know

regards

Ric

 

[slightly]

Ric:

I came across this thread while searching on how to get advert placement on a site I'm developing.

You may well have some excellent content on your help site, but if it's there, I lost the patience to find it somewhere around page 11. On every page you give a couple of sentences before giving the "Tell me more!" prompt, and this gets very frustrating very quickly. I'm sure you don't intend it, but it really does give the impression of the kind of site that leads you through endless introductory pages promising information just around the corner, which, nevertheless, never materialises.

It would be far more useful to the user to put more information on each page, and I would certainly recommend placing a menu on the main page, with direct links to each subject that you mention (eg - banner advertising, affiliates, selling your product, and so on).

Just my 2p.

Matt

 

[mac-help]

Subtle ads

Slightly:

I agree with you, it is only a work in progress, I will probably change the design to just a few pages more like a blog.

Just something I am messing about with.

regards

Ric