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Archive - from May, 2004

Overview - May, 2004

By John Di

The most interesting threads from webmaster forums this month concern, as usual, revenue-related topics.

Favorite Popup Networks

In Geektalk's thread about banner and popup networks, popular choices included Fast Click, Tribal Fusion, Burst Media, Casale Media, and others. Late-breaking news on several of these networks can be found in the Afilliate News section.

Top Affiliate Networks

Another Geektalk thread included members' endorsements of the Top Five Affiliate Networks, in roughly the following order of popularity: Shareasale, Direct Leads, Commission Junction, ClickXChange, Web Sponsors, Click Bank, Clixgalore, Be Free, and Primary Ads.

Ad-Blocking Surfers

A long-running thread in the same forum is about dealing with popup-blockers. Moderator Jan offers an interesting counterpoint to the discussion by stating that At the risk of being shot down in flames, I would like to ask what is more important? Surfers or bucks? ...What you are doing is interfering with people's wishes to not view ads.

That is their choice. If you force them to view them with these scripts, you are going to lose them and lose possible referrals to their friends who maybe don't have adblockers.

However, much of the sentiment endorsed methods of blocking or redirecting ad-blocking surfers, as expressed by moderator Czar: I'd be willing to bet that most of the users of such [ad-blocking] software do not realise that what they're doing is wrong, and a threat to the free internet that we've all come to love. By directing such users to a page explaining that the site in question cannot survive unless they agree to view the ads (ie radio, free-to-air TV), or pay for the right to access the site (ie cable, press), one may win the user's empathy or, at the very least, understanding.

Methods for blocking unwanted spiders such as SpamBots and Harvesters were also discussed.

Alternatives to Adsense

An interesting SitePoint Forums thread on text ads affiliate programs in addition to Google Adsense turned up search programs like Search Feed, Revenue Pilot, Bid Clix, and Vibrant Media.

Related threads on Site Point listed Market Banker, Link Ad Age, Search123, Text Ads, Banner Boxes, and others.