Building Websites, Traffic, and Income
No More Banners Here
I decided to take the banners off the site. They didn’t help with the view. And unless my traffic increases exponentially here soon, I am not going to lose any money by doing it. What I am going to do is not look so much like a walking billboard.
Some clothes make you look like a billboard. And you pay a premium.
Cars don’t come without the car maker’s logo.
But no one owns this blog, but me. So, no ads.
I did accept one paid post in this blog’s lifetime. It was for a product that I was going to write about anyway. But it still made me feel like a whore. So, none of those either.
I will sell on my other blogs. But here, I need the freedom to say any type of crazy shit I feel like. And price tags don’t allow me to do that.
I do have Entrecard and that works. I have run into some great blogs through the service and it does bring traffic and get my blog out there.
This blog’s domain is my name. I am considering any ads like I would consider putting a tattoo on my forehead. And my forehead goes all the way back to the base of my neck. Lot’s of space, but that doesn’t mean I want to paint a billboard up there.
10 Responses to No More Banners Here
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Since I run several blogs and I own a web development company I never feel the need to explain what I do on my blogs. At one time I did and I felt bad if I did a paid post or if I had certain ads or whatever… now I don’t- I blog for myself whether it is to make money or post on junk I want to post on.
I am not knocking your post at all- I am just saying I have been doing blogging long enough know that I don’t care too much what other people think on any of my blogs. Although I understand where you are coming from because our own personal branding is the one we take care of the most.
I probably would have left them up if they made me any money. But most of the visitors to this blog are banner blind. So I figured if I really liked something, it could be a featured post, like the one I did for Zen to Done instead of having a banner. Plus, I am not quite sure where this blog is going to tell you the truth.
“Plus, I am not quite sure where this blog is going to tell you the truth.”
I’ve been there and then taken a break from blogging for a month or so- while I regroup.
I think everyone is banner blind- I heard somewhere probably at Affiliate Summit in Feb- that banners are the least effective form of advertising online.
The reason I am blogging up a storm is not to make money from the blogging- I see it as a great marketing tool. For my vintage brand (I sell vintage jewelry mainly on eBay), it also is good for my web dev business although my husband is backlogged right now. But the main reason I am blogging a lot now is I am self publishing a book in early fall- so I am going to try and market it off of my blogs.
You’ll figure out where this blog is going- there are a million good ideas out there- it’s the people who move on them that get some where.
I do make money on other sites, so I really don’t need it here. It’s my free for all site with a focus on the tools for making money online and a little bit of a portfolio. I write about how to do things I have done.
Fair play to you Stephen for taking banners out of your blog
There are too many blogs, with too widgets, banners etc that it’s sometimes hard to actually find the content.
Perhaps I should take a leaf out of your book and ditch some of my banners, especially adbrite – grrr
Why do I get a stupid ad on my sidebar – ah well. We live and learn
SolReka
Brighter Energy Solutions
SolReka’s last blog post..9 Reasons Why the World Will End in Dec 21 2012. Part 1
I figured I could eventually sell my soul, but the price tag would have to be right.
Wow, this really inspired me. I want to start a blog for myself, but I was caught between the option of making money and at the same time of being myself and not letting my blog be filled with ads.
I guess this was the push I needed to go in the right direction.
As far as this site goes, I make a few dollars but I make most of my money through affiliate programs and writing about products, so although I took banners off, I do continue to promote products. I just find that banners ad very little. There is a lot of banner blindness, especially when everyone in the same niche uses the same banners and many readers jump from blog to blog in the same niche. I just figured I might as well take them off.
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Thanks for the great info, I will definitely be back!