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(this has been bought up on tilers so I made this thread, I've replicated it here, I haven't actually read feedback here about it.... yet... been busy with other things. But hang in there lads it will be minimal-ads soon)
I'm aware of the fact that at the minute there are a large amount of adverts on the forum being delivered via Google.
I've been doing some testing over the past month or so.
The idea is to eventually show ads to nobody but the people that click on them (so largely unregistered or new members) and only in the places they click on them.
So over the years we've moved forum software over, changed the style of the software we've ended up with, and yada yada yada. And I've ended up with old stats that don't work revenue-wise, and don't work for the members either.
So I've been running a lot of A/B tests (where the forum will run styles side-by-side) to work out what's working for the forum/revenue, and what's working for the members.
Some people have mentioned the ads, some have been more polite and just mentioned 'the style' or whatever. Thanks either way.
Couple of more weeks to go. And then I'll be able to finalise some settings. So that those who never click on ads, hardly ever see them, and the type of person that does, will see some.
It actually earns us less revenue when people see ads lots and never click them (I'm that kind of web user, I clock an ad a mile off and never click one, ironically) but for us to work out what the total ad-views would be if all saw ads, to then work out what the 'Goldilocks zone' is revenue-wise is, to then work out what amount of ads to view to which member is which would mean we earn less money, we need to do some testing. And this is usually ongoing.
So I thought I'd make this thread, which I'll lock, I don't want feedback about this, you haven't got the stats as one individual user reflecting the actions (not opinions) of hundreds of thousands of users, to explain what's going on.
Eventually, if you never click on ads, and post to the forum, you wont see Google ads.
However, you will always see sponsors ads. They're the guys that often offer discounts or have been recommended by the forum or whatever.
If you view the forum on a computer, as most do (despite what mobile-only users think, that's still the most used device on our websites) the sponsors banners are in the sidebar and not intrusive. If you're a mobile-only users they're below the main content, also not intrusive.
So please, when giving feedback about the forum and its layout, keep in mind that it's not complicated, it's just diversifying and trying to earn money to stay free for the members. And as a one-man-band, to work this shizzle out, it takes a bit of testing which we all have to 'suffer' (deal with).
Thanks
I'm aware of the fact that at the minute there are a large amount of adverts on the forum being delivered via Google.
I've been doing some testing over the past month or so.
The idea is to eventually show ads to nobody but the people that click on them (so largely unregistered or new members) and only in the places they click on them.
So over the years we've moved forum software over, changed the style of the software we've ended up with, and yada yada yada. And I've ended up with old stats that don't work revenue-wise, and don't work for the members either.
So I've been running a lot of A/B tests (where the forum will run styles side-by-side) to work out what's working for the forum/revenue, and what's working for the members.
Some people have mentioned the ads, some have been more polite and just mentioned 'the style' or whatever. Thanks either way.
Couple of more weeks to go. And then I'll be able to finalise some settings. So that those who never click on ads, hardly ever see them, and the type of person that does, will see some.
It actually earns us less revenue when people see ads lots and never click them (I'm that kind of web user, I clock an ad a mile off and never click one, ironically) but for us to work out what the total ad-views would be if all saw ads, to then work out what the 'Goldilocks zone' is revenue-wise is, to then work out what amount of ads to view to which member is which would mean we earn less money, we need to do some testing. And this is usually ongoing.
So I thought I'd make this thread, which I'll lock, I don't want feedback about this, you haven't got the stats as one individual user reflecting the actions (not opinions) of hundreds of thousands of users, to explain what's going on.
Eventually, if you never click on ads, and post to the forum, you wont see Google ads.
However, you will always see sponsors ads. They're the guys that often offer discounts or have been recommended by the forum or whatever.
If you view the forum on a computer, as most do (despite what mobile-only users think, that's still the most used device on our websites) the sponsors banners are in the sidebar and not intrusive. If you're a mobile-only users they're below the main content, also not intrusive.
So please, when giving feedback about the forum and its layout, keep in mind that it's not complicated, it's just diversifying and trying to earn money to stay free for the members. And as a one-man-band, to work this shizzle out, it takes a bit of testing which we all have to 'suffer' (deal with).
Thanks
