It’s inevitable, advertisements will always be on the majority of sites and we should be thankful that they are. Strictly form a publishing standpoint, they keep free sites just that, free. Great, right? Well, let’s go with great-ish. With many free sites relying solely on advertising revenue as their only income source, their goals sometimes stray. It can quickly become a cash grab and credibility can easily be lost.
Beauty and the Beast
Before Google Adsense came along, there wasn’t much hope for small to medium sized sites to get anyone to advertise. It’s a fantastic tool to generate a little bit of revenue however it’s ugly as sin. It takes away from the professional look, it’s plain and it has no personality. My dad may tell me that I was hatched and that I’m funny looking on a regular basis, but I like to call it character. Something Google Adsense lacks.
Information Overload
The site that triggered this article was Forbes.com. It almost seems that I’m calling out the giants, but these are the sites where it’s noticeable and something that I see frequently. I truly like a lot of the content that’s on this site, I just cannot be forced to respect the site itself. The layout is another can of worms that I won’t open, but the advertisements themselves are crammed amidst a mess of information. If you have an abundance of information on your site, don’t add to the congestion. Set aside a reasonable amount of real estate on your site for advertisements and stick with it all while keeping a nice flow. If you’re going to get creative with advertisements beware. This brings me to my next point…
“I know you are, but what am I?â€
I don’t know anyone that enjoys pop up ads, if you do, I already don’t like you. Avoid bombarding your readers with this weak marketing ploy. It’s great if you have a pop up blocker, but then there are those little mini flash pop ups that occur on a scroll over of the mouse such as the ones they have at Stockhouse.com that pop up blockers can’t catch. Interruptive advertising is something that I recommend avoiding at all costs. The main page at Forbes.com is preceded by a welcome page to the first time viewer equipped with nothing but a little thought of the day and a giant advertisement front and centre. It’s my personal opinion, but when I Google Forbes.com and try to enter the site, I actually want to go to the site and not have to go through a sponsorship. I also suggest staying away from any ad that involves sound or cheesy animation. Another example of intrusive advertising is the ads that run before the video clips at TSN.ca. If I want to watch a clip of the Canucks game from last night, I have to wait for some ad to finish playing before I can watch the Canucks obliterate any team in their path….ok, just play along here.
Advertising can be a touchy subject for some sites. For a lot, it’s nothing more than an attempt to generate revenue. Don’t get me wrong, that is pretty much the point, but it’s the way that you go about doing it that can leave a better impression on your visitors. It’s not worth running the risk that your visitors will become aggravated and stop going to your site altogether. Yes, being picky about certain advertisements can seriously limit your revenue, especially if you have a small site with a small cash flow. It’s just a matter of how you want your viewers to perceive your professionalism or take you seriously. The more you grow, the more you can charge for your advertising real estate. Try starting with that. The way I see advertisements is that it should be made easily available to your visitors but not crammed down their throat at any given time in a feeble attempt to make an extra buck.
Has anyone come across any creative online advertising campaigns that don’t make you want to destroy your computer?
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