October 24, 2002
...fivetwentysix...
"Would you be interested in selling us some ad space on your site ?If not, maybe you would be interested in exchanging links or an affiliate program ?We are trying to experiment with sites in different categories. "Our site is http://www.genericgifts.com "Thank you."
I got this email today. My first response was, "Um, no." But really, why not? Is a banner ad really that bad? I'd never agree to a pop-up, but a banner is pretty harmless; they blend into the background like a display ad in a newspaper. They're little more intrusive than TextAds (and certainly less intrusive than BlogAds, which seem to insert both images and text), unless they're crazy-blinky. Hell, bloggers routinely place banners for other blogs on their sites (what do you think those "buttons" on your site are?), so why not commercial sites?
If I do this, I cheapen my site a little -- the quality and content of sites advertized on me3dia.com reflect directly on me. Do I want to be associated with genericgifts.com, or for that matter with the Levenger Catalog, MicroSoft, or anyone else who might approach me to advertise? If it's OK to allow ads on my pages, is it ethical to screen the companies that advertise on my site based on my values and interests? Or is that a prime difference between advertising on blogs and advertising on other media?
This has been discussed before.
I'd like to know what you, my readers think. Is an ad for a commercial website a sell-out? Or is it a sensible way to make a (very) little money off something I'd do anyway? Let me know.
Posted by Andrew Huff at October 24, 2002 04:07 PM
Note: the site in question, genericgifts, offers an affiliate program; I might go for that even if I turn down their ad offer.
(Not that I think it's likely many people would buy stuff because I linked to them.)
How about having everybody click on an ad that you allow on your site? The click-thru rate will be so high that you'll be able to charge premium prices for your space - maybe enough to quit your job and make sandwiches for the rest of your life.
Posted by: Peter at October 24, 2002 04:31 PMUh...yeah, right. More likely, the advertisers would accuse me of pumping up click-throughs and take their business elsewhere. If no one buys anything, click-throughs are meaningless. Besides, how would I get everyone to click an ad? About all I could do is say "Hey everybody! Click that link and make me some money!" I've seen other sites do it, and it doesn't seem to work. (Unless it's p0rn, and I'm not linking to porn here. ever.)
Posted by: Andrew at October 24, 2002 05:13 PMI think you've answered your own question: Allowing advertising on your site is accepting an opportunity - which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I do think the catalog/service/products should be something that you are willing to be associated with. I mean, lets face it, I think you might offend many of your readers if you were to have a Dildos-R-Us banner assail them at the head (n/p/i) of your website.
Levenger makes sense for you. As would ads for electronic newstands.
Posted by: bran at October 24, 2002 06:31 PMOr, an add for a store that sells spices.
Alton Brown commented on this, and he stand to make a lot more money on endorsements than you, but he said that he wasn't willing to join on with anyone that he didn't whole-heartedly support, believe in, and use. There are a number of knit-bloggers who have links and ads for yarn stores (online and off) and they risk linking to someone who is going to ruin their reputation as a stand-up knitter, so they're going to be careful, extra careful if they make a part of their living selling their knitted items, patterns, books, etc. So, if it was Tower (who gets a lot of your money) then I'd think it was a good idea. But, since it isn't, I'd say why?
Posted by: Cinnamon at October 25, 2002 12:35 PMLOL, I say go for it :)
...but then, I am biased in this particular situation, so don't mind me.
