A quick community poll on a new type of banner ad (read the post before taking the poll)

Sean · Aug 20, 2023

Hi All,

Due to our level of page traffic, we've been offered an opportunity to double our total site revenue by having a banner ad that is anchored to the bottom of the site. I have always been anti-invasive ads, keeping our ads to the outer edges. I've never used pop-ups, pop-outs, auto video-playing ads, etc. I must admit this is hugely tempting. It could build quite a war chest for Photrio that would take us in new directions, funding a variety of improvements that would no longer be an issue. Some things that come to mind... larger feature requests being built out such as a comprehensive portfolios system for our members that rivals other options in the market, original paid articles, videos or reviews, marketing/advertising/influencer opportunities, upgrades, interesting new photo app developments, compensation for our moderators and a lot more.

How irritating do you think this banner would be for you? Here is a bit of a mockup:

My main problem with this type of ad is how they are stuck to the page, no matter how you scroll. High-resolution screens would probably not notice it, very low-resolution screens might be more affected. For mobiles it would scale to a tiny mobile ad size. I would love to hear your thoughts on it. Is it worth trying it out or is it a 'don't go there'? I have included a poll as well.

Thanks!
Sean

Don_ih · Aug 20, 2023

Ads are part of the online experience. The banner you're considering is nowhere near as annoying as those video boxes that autoplay and follow you as you scroll - or those ad boxes that slide out from the side to cover the text you're reading. If you want to see an annoying website, go to The New York Post.

You should be maximizing the ad revenue while keeping an eye on potential loss of traffic. That will be the real indicator of whether or not you should keep it. You'll likely only get support from people responding to this thread.

I should mention that I have never seen a banner ad at the top of any Photrio page, in spite of not having any ad-blocker software running. The only ad I ever see is the ebay ad at the bottom of the page. I use Firefox on a pc.

halfaman · Aug 20, 2023

Hi Sean,

Can you add a mockup for mobile/tablet vertical orientation?

Molli · Aug 20, 2023

I'm using a mobile phone and tablet, both with Android operating systems and using Firefox browser to access Photrio's mobile platform. My PC/laptop is, for all intents and purposes, dead.

Your mock up gives the impression that the banner will sit within the thread itself, not beneath it. Does this make for the possibility of obscuring either the last post or the reply window with no further scrolling available to get the banner clear of them?

That is the sum of any concerns I might have - a purely practical one. (Oh, and the type of video ads and blinking, flashing nonsense that stalks you down the screen.... .:shudder:.)

I am in full support of however you choose to run YOUR site, Sean. Knowing how few people subscribe, I'd be happy to know that a mere visit might pop some money in the kitty for you!

Alan Edward Klein · Aug 20, 2023

Is this banner going to have different ads or the same one all the time? IF it's the same, we ought to be able to shut it off after logging on or it should shut off automatically after a minute, time enough to read it once.

I wouldn't want ads at all but it's your site and money talks. Please don't make it too obtrusive.

koraks · Aug 20, 2023

Alan Edward Klein said:
Is this banner going to have different ads or the same one all the time?

They'll probably be changing ads (i.e. a different one every time you click a page/link) unless one company buys up all ads at some point. I don't really see that happening.

Alan Edward Klein said:
we ought to be able to shut it off after logging on or it should shut off automatically after a minute

I think the point of ads is that they're visible. So I don't see it happening that they disappear by themselves, or after logging on. It's just like the side bar ads, I think.

Alan Edward Klein said:
I wouldn't want ads at all

As far as I know, @Sean's intention is to keep it the way it is now, in that paying subscribers don't get any ads. I'm sure he'll correct me on this if that's not correct.

Molli said:
Your mock up gives the impression that the banner will sit within the thread itself, not beneath it.

It looks like a hovering banner to me, that will be at the bottom of your screen regardless of how you scroll etc. So it would remain in the same place on your actual display (relative to the bottom edge of your browser window) all the time. It's also the type of ad that can be closed by clicking the blue cross in the top right corner. I don't know if the mockup is representative in that way as well, but it would seem sensible to me, given the type of ads that are common today.

grahamp · Aug 20, 2023

If it is going to float over the bottom of the thread, it has to be possible to get to the bottom for replies, etc. Otherwise it would break the functionality.

I'd prefer to lose a strip at the bottom and cover everything behind the ad. I really hate having content partially masked. I'm too OCD, I suppose.

koraks · Aug 20, 2023

grahamp said:
If it is going to float over the bottom of the thread, it has to be possible to get to the bottom for replies

Looks like there's going to be this:

MattKing · Aug 20, 2023

grahamp said:
If it is going to float over the bottom of the thread, it has to be possible to get to the bottom for replies, etc. Otherwise it would break the functionality.

I'd prefer to lose a strip at the bottom and cover everything behind the ad. I really hate having content partially masked. I'm too OCD, I suppose.

+1
If it is in a defined, fixed location and there is nothing behind it, the net result is a smaller page available for content, but no disruption for that content - that is something I can live with.

Molli · Aug 20, 2023

MattKing said:
+1
If it is in a defined, fixed location and there is nothing behind it, the net result is a smaller page available for content, but no disruption for that content - that is something I can live with.

Yes, as long as it doesn't cover content or make functionality inaccessible (e.g. the reply window), I wouldn't be even remotely bothered.

I'm also well able to click a corner if I need to do so, though.

Subscribing has never been about avoiding advertisements, for me. When I've been able to do so, it's always been a token of my appreciation for what Sean has created, maintained and evolved. (Side note: I've not seen the Moderators' Tip Jar for some time - speaking of appreciation!)

Photrio is a living archive and ever growing resource. It's to be treasured and, I hope, preserved.

I'm not going to begrudge Sean an income, particularly when the number of subscribers seems unlikely to even cover costs.

Don_ih · Aug 20, 2023

Ads that "float" on the bottom are like the headers that do the same at the top. They act as the bottom and top frame of the page. So, content that would normally be at the bottom of the page when you scroll to the bottom will be above the floating ad, not behind it.

MattKing · Aug 20, 2023

Don_ih said:
Ads that "float" on the bottom are like the headers that do the same at the top. They act as the bottom and top frame of the page. So, content that would normally be at the bottom of the page when you scroll to the bottom will be above the floating ad, not behind it.

That would be my hope - but Sean's "mock-up" gives the impression that there is content behind the bottom banner.

albada · Aug 20, 2023

@Sean, on my Linux Mint PC, your post says "Page not found" in Firefox, but works fine in Chrome. Other posts are fine in Firefox; only yours fails. :-(
Anyway, I'm okay with an anchored ad at the bottom, as long as it doesn't cover content.

Mark

koraks · Aug 20, 2023

Don_ih said:
Ads that "float" on the bottom are like the headers that do the same at the top. They act as the bottom and top frame of the page.

No, that's not what's commonly meant by "floating" content containers. They are overlayed on top of/across the content. What you said also exists, but it's not how the kind of ad displayed in the mockup behaves.

logan2z · Aug 20, 2023

koraks said:
As far as I know, @Sean's intention is to keep it the way it is now, in that paying subscribers don't get any ads.

That's not the way I see it now as a paying subscriber. I have banner ads at the top/bottom of every page, the left sidebar, and sometimes in the middle of a thread.

logan2z · Aug 20, 2023

koraks said:
No, that's not what's commonly meant by "floating" content containers. They are overlayed on top of/across the content. What you said also exists, but it's not how the kind of ad displayed in the mockup behaves.

As long as the page content can be scrolled above the floating ad then I'd be ok with it. Obviously if it blocks content from being accessed then that would not be a viable option.

fiddle · Aug 20, 2023

Im fine with it. A small ad annoyance is worth it to keep the site advancing.

BrianShaw · Aug 20, 2023

pentaxuser said:
... Not having the best of luck with this thread

Actually, you are having great success with this thread. Your post is repeatedly repeated. You just can't see at the moment how successful you are!

koraks · Aug 20, 2023

logan2z said:
Obviously if it blocks content from being accessed then that would not be a viable option.

Yes, I agree. I think it would make sense to extend the footer area of the forum template so it's at least possible to scroll far enough to make the ad drop below all content.

koraks · Aug 20, 2023

pentaxuser said:
will it re-appear on the next page and have to be cleared again?

I'd count on it, yes.

pentaxuser said:
I fear that in return, the "bannerman/men will have a lot of control of and our options will be limited

I don't see that happening at all. Ad sales generally don't involve control over site membership, functionality etc apart from the occupation of some screen real estate and undoubtedly some data collection through tracking (assembling personas, viewing statistics etc). I don't see how these new ads would be different from the present ones.

As to your other questions: I can't speak for Sean but if it were my website, I wouldn't publish the financial details just like that so that visitors can vote if they want to change that. But again, that's firmly up to Sean to decide.

pentaxuser · Aug 20, 2023

koraks said:
They'll probably be changing ads (i.e. a different one every time you click a page/link) unless one company buys up all ads at some point. I don't really see that happening.

I think the point of ads is that they're visible. So I don't see it happening that they disappear by themselves, or after logging on. It's just like the side bar ads, I think.

As far as I know, @Sean's intention is to keep it the way it is now, in that paying subscribers don't get any ads. I'm sure he'll correct me on this if that's not correct.

I hope Sean makes your middle point clear and whether once the ad had appeared that you can use the device that you mention that clears it. However will it re-appear on the next page and have to be cleared again?

What worries me is that it would seem this ad banner will bríng in substantial revenue based on what Sean has said and if so, I fear that in return, the "bannerman/men will have a lot of control of and our options will be limited

If we are genuinely being asked for our views as we seem to be then I don't see how we respond responsibly until we know the cost to the site v how much extra revenue the sire gets and why this is needed

It is not clear to me if the revenue is needed to keep the site going much as it is now and what happens if we say NO collectively or is not needed but will allow the site to offer other facilities that we or Sean would like to have

As things stand a poll looks premature to me I just tried to send this but can't. I get the Oops we ran onto some problems. Initially all I got was a black screen when I clicked on the thread but that then cleared Not having the best of luck with this thread

pentaxuser

pentaxuser · Aug 20, 2023

BrianShaw said:
Actually, you are having great success with this thread. Your post is repeatedly repeated. You just can't see at the moment how successful you are!

Thanks Yes I can now. It was posting each time although it kept on saying Oops we ran into some problems I had to completely reverse my steps and when I did I saw that my reply or 1 million replies were there despite the Oops etc

pentaxuser

Molli · Aug 20, 2023

koraks said:
As to your other questions: I can't speak for Sean but if it were my website, I wouldn't publish the financial details just like that so that visitors can vote if they want to change that. But again, that's firmly up to Sean to decide.

Ditto. None of my business. That, like this entire site, is Sean's business. Even taking a poll is a kindness which is not owed to any of us.... but very much appreciate by many of us.

As always, Sean, whatever works best for you and your family and your hopes for Photrio, I'm very happy to support.

MattKing · Aug 20, 2023

Your word for the day - repetition ).
pentaxuser - I think I've deleted all your extra attempts to post that - I left the last one in.
And I can't see Sean letting the advertisers control the content of the site, although if they register to post, they certainly would have the same influence on the site that any of our interested members do.
This is what I understand "floating ad" refers to:

koraks · Aug 20, 2023

MattKing said:
This is what I understand "floating ad" refers to:

Exactly. Thanks for looking up that example
It's one of the common ways today of serving up ads. I had guessed that everyone would have come across them by now.

A quick community poll on a new type of banner ad (read the post before taking the poll)

Anonymous poll: Could you live with a sticky ad at the bottom of every page? Sentiments below:

I won't like it, but the opportunity for the community is a no brainer, we'll get used to it

It will not bother me one bit

This would be an outrage, don't you dare, things are fine the way they are

Subscribers should not have to view it (unless they opt in)

I don't care either way

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