A lot of bloggers admit they blog in their pajamas, however, today’s post is not about the state of dress we’re in when we write.
Today’s Lesson
Maybe it’s just the blogs I visit, but what I see is many of these sites are naked.
Devoid of advertisements.
Although many bloggers admit to wanting to make money blogging (me, included), for some reason we don’t discuss it and certainly don’t want our sites labeled as “spammy”.
Truth be told, most fellow bloggers expect to see ads on our sites.
Like you, they also hope to make money and understand why the ads are there.
Take a look at these popular websites. They all have ads, too.
Granted, the popular sites are where advertisers want their ads displayed and willingly pay these large corporations big bucks for their website “real estate”, but the ads are there, providing a passive income for these businesses.
If you look at these websites, you’ll notice the ads blend in with the copy and/or photographs.
As bloggers we can learn from that.
That said, the one thing these large websites have which most bloggers don’t, are high traffic numbers.
Without traffic, all the ads in the world will not make us rich.
So does that mean we should stay naked for now?
Or include some ads and hope for the best?
Today’s Assignment
Are you a naked blogger (no ads on your blog), or does you blog have some bling?
If you land on a blog which has advertisements, are they a distraction or have you become blind to them?
If you do show ads, are they profitable?
Care to share?
~Barbara
I have no ads on my blog. But if I did…based on my readership, I think I could make a 2-figure income.
LOL Friar,
A 2 figure income? At least you didn’t say “1”. 🙂
Hi Barbara.
I am a naked blogger. Mainly because I am not fussed about making money through my blog. I make money elsewhere through my web design freelancing. Though I do have an ad banner on my blogs header but in no rush to fill it, if someone applies for the space then its an added bonus to pay for my hosting.
But I must admit I don’t like browsing blogs which have too many advertisements on them, which makes the layout looks all crammed in. I also don’t like popup ads like Popup Domination… Those annoy me pretty bad.
Thanks for the interesting article! 🙂
Hi Phil,
I just clicked over to your blog. I like how it looks so “clean”.
Like you, I also hate those pop up ads. And the ones that have a video which automatically starts as soon as the page opens are annoying, too.
5 years later (yeps! I’ve had my personal blog for that long), I reverted my blog to minimal (bare / void of ads) and just created some side (product based) blogs and plaster them with related ads. Here’s a couple:
– iProtectify | ZAGG invisibleSHIELD – http://iprotectify.com
– Rugsify | Persian, Oriental and Contemporary Rugs blog – http://rugsify.com
While I did make 4 figures (short of a couple hundred to reaching 5 digits) on my personal blog last year, they are from consulting (more towards creating sites for others) + ebooks, with the former being the better one.
Assignments
—
I gravitate towards blogs with less ads (ZenHabits, Think Simple Now), unless they are “bigger” blogs such as the ones on the Envato network (tutsplus) or Smashing Magazine.
Cheers Barbara!
Hi Daniel,
WOW! 5 years! You’re a year ahead of me. I’ll soon be entering year five of blogging.
I was just looking at your blog. You’re right. It is VERY minimal, but it looks awesome. Whatever you’re doing is paying off. Nearly reaching a five figure income is a commendable accomplishment for a blogger. Keep up the great work.
I’m a naked blogger. I tried ads but since I didn’t have the traffic, it didn’t work.
I’ve found reviewing ebooks I’m an affiliate for works much better. Still, it’s not a regular income and it depends on how awesome the product is.
I think I’ve become blind to ads on other blogs. I certainly haven’t clicked on any in months!
Hi Samar,
It’s great to see you, It’s been awhile. I’m happy to see you’re still blogging.
Reviewing books appears to be a good way to generate a little income from our blogs. As long as the posts are search engine friendly, we’re bound to get a few clicks. Every little bit helps, doesn’t it?
P.S. Like you, I’ve also become blind to ads.
Hello Barbara,
I am an ad-free blogger only because I’ve heard about how annoying it is to certain readers. I have been contemplating whether to put one up, but I know that it would definitely have to camouflage with the rest of the blog, and not just stand out like confusing ads that have little to do with the content of the blog. I was able to put up images of websites that I support (an alternative to putting up a blogroll) but I don’t get paid by those websites.
There is something to be said about the fear itself though. Are we afraid to make money? We make money in part-time or full-time jobs where we put in an honest day’s work, right? Blogging is no different, and there is much more work that goes into writing, designing, and maintaining a website. Maybe not putting up ads should scare us (and me) a little more. Thanks for bringing up this important topic, Barbara. Take Care!
Hi John,
You’re right. Blogging is like another job for us and we shouldn’t feel guilty if we have a desire to make money doing it. After all, we’re giving information away for free, and in some cases, the information we share is something people are willingly pay for when they buy books.
Personally I see nothing wrong with having ads on a blog. I use ads on other blogs of mine as a way to hopefully generate enough income to cover my overhead. That said, I think as long as the ads are tastefully done (blend in) and our content is helpful for the visitor, they won’t opposed to seeing the ads. I know I don’t mind seeing ads on the big named sites as long as they’re not flashing or too glaring.
I have a few ads – mostly for products I use and have written about. The book reviews used to make me some funds, now they really do not.
The blog does not bring in more writing business.
I do not have enough readers
I am not naked but I do not want to promote stuff that is not representative of me. I have bought things off others blogs, especially their books.
I am attempting to make money in other areas of my life
Hi Patricia,
You’ve raised a good point. When we choose affiliate ads, they should be in line with our beliefs. Not only can we attest to the quality of the product, but it would make our blogs appear more authentic, as well.
I have AdSense ads and get enough from the ads to pay for everything I do online, including any supporting software and new computers every three or four years. I do endeavor to keep the ads on the side and out of the way where most readers would expect to find ads.
I’ve pretty much stopped dinking around with the ads and pursuing online income, though, since I’m working another multi-month contract. A very large share of my time is spent with my Daily Observations from The Civil War blog, http://dotcw.com , blogging through the sesquicentennial with diary entries, letters and other written at the time. I’ve even stopped tracking what the ads are earning.
When I have the time, some time in the future, I may take a fresh look and strip the ads from those blogs and pages that don’t earn much of anything.
Hi Mike,
That’s one thing about AdSense. If we set up the ads to blend, they just kind of sit there and hopefully produce an income. You’re going great if you’re covering your overhead, plus.
Sounds like you’re busy again with your contract job. Hopefully you’ll have time to travel again this year and share your photos with us.
That’s right. This time, I’ll be working at least until September, perhaps longer — people continue to retire and the department is still having difficulty getting authorization to fill the vacancies in a timely manner. Travel will be limited this year, but I’m still gradually working through photos from last year and earlier trips.
Hi Barbara-Until about a week ago, I was a naked blogger. But one of the many reasons I recently upgraded my blog and did a redesign was so that I can run ads. I do feel a bit weird about it but as you point out, why? It’s a perfectly legitimate – and rational – form of passive income. When I told a business/journalism friend of mine that I hadn’t been running ads, she thought I was nuts. So here I go!…
Delia Lloyd
http://www.realdelia.com
Hi Delia,
You new site is BEAUTIFUL. I love the colors you’ve chosen, as well as the layout.
I agree. Having ads on our blog is not a bad thing. In fact, I think most visitors expect to see them.
This is the way I look at it: What traffic do I get? Not very big. Does it talk about consumer products? Not often. What money would I make if I put ads there? 50 cents? 2 dollars? Instead of that, how about I just pay that amount (sort of) so me and the five readers don’t have to look at ads? Sounds good to me.
Hi Kelvin,
Good point. Some blogs aren’t conducive to ads. In that case, like you said, it’s best to leave the pages naked so your readers can enjoy the content.
However….if you were to write a book about puppetry, your blog would be a great place to promote it. 🙂
Hi Barbara .. I don’t like ads – never have and thus have never put any on. But I’m going to be interested in everyone’s comments .. particularly Delia – as she’s a professional journalist .. consulting, ebooks etc seems to be the way to go.
Good question .. I’ll follow along – cheers Hilary
Hi Hilary,
You know, I think as bloggers we “assume” others don’t like ads either, AND because we’re online “publishers” we set up our blog as we’d like to see other sites online (naked).
I agree. Blogs are a great way to promote ebooks or our products/services.
Hallooo my friend – be the graveyard shifting yet again? Have you still got snow?
It’s those ads that are in your face, or just blip constantly at you I hate .. some bloggers’ sites are so well set up – I have to change mine soon & perhaps convert it to WP .. seems so much better .. anon
Quick visit to the hospital today (I hope) for Mum .. so back later on – cheers and enjoy the weekend .. H
Hey Hilary,
Yup! It’s snowing and I’m on the graveyard shift. Looks like we may have to go do some snow removal if this keeps up.
I know the ads you’re talking about. Then there’s the ones that flash “you’re a winner – click here”.
((Hugs)) to you and your Mum. 🙂
Gosh seriously .. thank goodness it hasn’t snowed down here this year – makes a change .. get some sleep when you can .. and no flashing on the graveyard shift!! Cheers .. H
I have gone back and forth over ads and currently have none. Without big traffic, they’re not worth the trouble. In my case, if I don’t consistently put in the time and find the subject matter to write a good blog, fiddling around with ads is just a pointless exercise.
Hi Dot,
You’re right. Ad management can be time consuming, and if we’re not updating our blogs regularly, like you said, it’s becomes a pointless exercise (and a waste of time).
Haha! It was a very amusing start-up to the read. I don’t like adverts popping/flashing on my blog, not because I am ignorant about its revenue generation methods, only because it makes my page too cluttered. Through my personal experience I have gathered that people get irritated when they too many things in the webpage and tend to give the read a skip.
Hi Brian,
That’s true. Too many ads can make a page look cluttered and like you said, irritate a reader. Having said that though, I think carefully placed ads can actually draw in a reader.
My blog is naked. It’s a blog about minimalism, so for now as I’m just beginning it seems the right thing to do. I may put up some adds or affiliate links later, but for now I like to keep it simple. Also, I don’t have anything against ads as long as they aren’t intrusive, like those that appear in line with the text or pop up to cover half the screen.
Hi Freedom,
I agree, If your blog is about minimalism, you certainly wouldn’t want to clutter it with ads. However, after checking it out, I can see how one or two strategically placed ads could enhance your copy without compromising it.
P.S. I love the topics you’re writing about. I’m also on a mission to simplify.
Hi Barbara – We have a mix of 3rd party, affiliate, and our own stuff ads. Referrals tend to be primarily to our own stuff. I think bloggers should be aware that there is indirect ROI with advertising, too, and consider what they do in context of an overall business plan. Revenue may not take a direct path through your advertising, but message and ad support consistency in all your channels will present you in a more professional light.
Hi Betsy,
Thank you for bringing that up. I think bloggers often think it will be their blog which will produce an income, when in fact, it’s how they use their blog to promote their other endeavors. (and I know you and Pete do well with yours. 🙂 )
I’m impressed with Mike making enough from Adsense to pay for his site! I have had Adsense for two years and made £36 so far! I hate them, took them off, I thought, but some still show, and they are often not even related to my blog or posts, even though they say they should be. I’ve been trying an ad rotator on some other sites I have, it seems better. I’m not keen on ads, especially the flashing ones, so my blog has few if any. I remove them when I get fed up with them…no money made from them anyway!
One observation, Barbara, you don’t have the links in your post opening in a new window. When I clicked on them they took me away from your blog. There’s a plug in that will do it for you, if you’re interested in plug ins: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/open-in-new-window-plugin/. If not it’s just a setting ‘set target as’ when you add the hyperlink. You probably know this.
Enjoy the journey.
Mandy
Hi Mandy,
AdSense doesn’t work well on a lot of blogs. Since they match the ad to the content, we never know what will show up or how much the ad click will pay, therefore, they could be a total waste of space.
You know Mandy, I used to have all of my links open in a new window, then I got lazy and quit adding the extra text. Thank you for the link to the plugin. By the looks of it, that would be a real time saver. 🙂
What is needed is a public change in perspective. Have you ever wondered why the masses tolerate big brand advertising everywhere but scream whenever a small business or blogger displays ads? We are our own worst enemies.
Small businesses and blogs are the solution to the economic decline we are experiencing. We should encourage them to get smart about advertising and this is how I believe we do that: by geo-targeted blogs that reach specific local audiences and appeal to small business advertisers.
Bloggers today use a combination of these methods to monetize:
1) “Blogger Welfare” = AdSense (Ok in moderation but can seriously limit who shares and reads your blog if you put a huge block of ads between the title of your post and the text.)
2) In-Text link ads (often annoying and some can get your site dropped from the search engines)
3) Text links – these can be a good idea that is under-utilized but do not advertise them as “for sale” to avoid being penalized for selling links. If you advertise them and make them nofollow there is little point to having them. (The link with anchor text is more valuable than who sees it.)
4) Ad Blocks – these are widely used and not a bad idea. You can sell them for a specific period of time or use them to promote affiliate products you recommend
5) Rotating ads – I am redesigning my site to replace individual ad blocks and rotate ads in the two positions favored by major sites. One will be 726×90 above the header and the other a 300×250 in the right sidebar (after I move both sidebars over). I am doing that to get a sharper, cleaner look on my blog while still being able to offer advertising.
Those ads will all be creatives provided by the advertiser linked either directly to my affiliate link on their site OR eventually to a post that explains why I recommend them. I only run ads for companies and products I recommend.
What we must be very clear on is differentiating between a traditional advertising model (something you allow on your site for the money but do not necessarily recommend but at least don’t find objectionable) and my preferred model where we only run ads for what we can personally recommend.
New bloggers may not know what to recommend or may want to monetize more easily. When that is the case just make sure your disclosure policy VERY clearly indicates what are ads and what you are recommending.
Hi Gail,
Thank you for your informative comment. The information you’ve shared is truly helpful.
I’ve never heard of AdSense being called “Blogger Welfare”, but instead heard how some big name bloggers have/had done quite well with it. Steve Pavlina comes to mind although I know he has taken AdSense off of his blog and now only shows affiliate links for products which he endorses.
I like your idea of having rotating ads. For the frequent visitor, it could help with ad blindness, plus possibly generate additional income.
Hi Gail, just thought I would pop over and say hi!
I am a regular reader of growmap.com and you recently appeared in one of their articles. I followed the link and here I am!
Nice article, I think I am a clothed blogger, but not one rapped up in about seven layers! My Philosophy Blog has some adverts, but not so many that they are in your face and to some extent off-putting.
Way back all those years ago when I started my website, it was for the fun of it, AdSense didn’t come into it until 2009. Then also in 2009 my Social Blog and Technology Blog started, both for my enjoyment, and ads didn’t go on straight away.
Then in August 2010 my Philosophy Blog comes along, and that too has an ad free period at its launch.
I like the thought of earning money of my sites, but I do it for the enjoyment, not the revenue, which frankly isn’t really that much anyway.
Off topic again here, but first time on your blog, and I have to say I love your theme! Really professional and original 🙂
Thanks very much!
Christopher 🙂
You’re welcome Christopher, and thank you for the compliment on my blog.
I know what you’re saying. Although we may (and can) put ads on our sites, it really comes down to blogging and the friends we make which makes it all worthwhile. Any money we make from ads is like an extra bonus.
Very true 🙂
I’m a naked blogger, and I plan to continue like that . I would consider them if I were to make a living out of blogging.
Hi Miguel,
Yes. It does make a difference if we’re blogging for pleasure vs blogging in hopes of making money whether we include ads on our site(s).
Since I started making real money as a social media consultant, the income I was making from ads became so small in comparison that it didn’t make sense anymore. You can’t make real money from ads without tons of traffic – and my blog just doesn’t get that much traffic.
Hi Vered,
It sounds like you made a good call – to take your ads off of your blog and concentrate on where you make the most money. I also remember you mentioned AdSense was displaying ads on your blog you weren’t happy with, so with them gone, that’s one less headache.
I am a naked blogger. I don’t have the traffic to make it pay. If I did I would consider ads on perhaps two of my blogs but the third, no. On the third I think it would be distracting and inappropriate.
As to others sites, I ignore the ads for the most part.
What is the blog about where you say it would be “distracting and inappropriate.” – just out of interest 🙂
Just checked your blogs out, and not meaning to be rude, but you couldn’t have ads on them even if you wanted to, as they are on wordpress.com which doesn’t allow ads, I know as I used to have on, but them I moved to self hosted WordPress 🙂
Hi Patricia,
We know, don’t we; where ads are appropriate and where they’re not. And yes, how much traffic we get makes a difference too. I know I wasted tons of time messing with ads and ad placement when my blog was brand new, not realizing they wouldn’t do me any good if I didn’t have traffic.
Hi Barbara! Guess I’m “naked” and for now will stay that way. I also tune out blogger ads on their sites like I do TV commercials. I put Amazon links to books I write about/review on my site and that’s as close to an ad as I get. In two years I’ve made less than a dollar, Ha! I do what I do without money in mind but would never discourage another from trying or judge their content because of their ads. It’s a choice is all.
hugs
suZen
((Hugs)) to you SuZen,
You’re right. It is a choice. Like you, I’m usually blind to the ads on the blogs I visit. After we’ve visited them a time or two, we know where the content is and head straight there.
Hi Barbara,
Mine is naked right now for several reasons. I have no objection to making some money from blogging, but I still don’t have the traffic/readership for it to pay off. Secondly, I hear many say they don’t like to see ads, and I don’t like clutter, so for right now it’s ad-free, but I haven’t permanently ruled anything out.
Hi Linda,
Yes. Ads can add clutter, but I think if they’re done tastefully, they don’t have to be an eye sore. As your traffic increases, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to consider including ads. You never know, some of your readers may be interested in what you’re showcasing (ad wise).
Hi Barbara, first time at your site and you’ve got a great community here. Love it when I see that as it shows you truly ‘care’ for your readers.
As far as ads are concerned, I’m certainly ‘naked’. My blog is all about my brand and beliefs and the monies come from the speaking or consulting gigs I get, not from banners that take away from the ‘feel’ of the site.
I guess I just want people to know that I’m blogging for all the right reasons– to give value, not advertise something I don’t believe in or have never even used.
When I see a site that gets little traffic yet has ads all over the place I can only scratch my head. It just doesn’t make sense, in my opinion.
Just my thoughts, great blog Barbara.
Marcus
Thank you Marcus, and welcome to my blog.
In your case, I can see why you wouldn’t want to include ads considering your desire is to showcase your abilities, and not have your readers clicking on irreverent ads.
You’re right. Ads can change the “feel” of a site and if a blog author isn’t careful, their content and intent of their blog can be lost amongst them (the ads).
Barbara,
I have no advertisements that are selling something. I will put up ads for special activities like, The Butterfly Effect, or for a particular social awareness causes. However, I’m not opposed to ads being put up at other sites. I understand that people need to support their sites and one way is through ads.
On the other hand, I don’t enjoy sites that are overly full of ads, meaning the content is almost lost because of the multiple ads. In this case, however, it not just money-making ads that can bother me…it might be too many other things, such as bling, that clutter the site.
I think part of my difficulty with this is my graphic arts training. One thing that was emphasized over and over again is to leave white space so the reader’s eye can rest. This is even more important for online reading.
Well, that’s my two cents on this interesting topic:~)
Hi Sara,
You’ve raised a good point. If our blog doesn’t have that “white space” on which our readers’ eyes can rest, they’re more apt not to return.
That’s true. Bloggers do need to find ways to support their blogging hobby and using ads is one way to accomplish that.
I was over like a shot when I read the title of this post…
Oh well!
I am semi naked and even that is not a pretty site.
Carry a few adds but not really set up to make cash.
Plus… I don’t want my readers to think that I blog to get them to buy things.
The blogs I visit regularly are either naked or semi clothed.
Birds of a feather stick together.
LOL Keith,
Sorry 🙁
We walk a fine line, don’t we? If we advertise, our readers may think that’s the only reason we’re sharing, but on the other hand, in order to generate income from a blog, our choices are somewhat limited.
I`m a naked blogger!
I don`t run any ads on my blog. I promote my radio show and certain causes from time to time but no ads. That is the way I plan to keep it as well.
I don`t like ads. I always skip the trailers at the start of DVDs. I read my favourite blogs using RSS so I don`t see any ads there either.
Hi Chase,
That’s true. If we read blogs in our RSS reader, we don’t see the ads and it enables us to concentrate on the content and not be distracted by the bling.
Hi Barbara .. am I right in thinking that if we read blogs in our Reader we can’t comment from there unless we click thru? As you’re graveyarding again I guess … Patricia said she’d had more snow “down the road” ..bad weather still …
Hi Hilary,
There’s a plugin we can use to comment from our reader, but the name of it escapes me (I think it’s a Firefox addon)
Yes. More snow is headed our way. It’s not suppose to hit until morning so I’ll probably turn in sooner than usual. 🙂
Hi Barbara .. thanks .. I’m using Chrome – maybe I’ll need to go back to Firefox .. but good to know.
More snow – ugh .. have a good sleep .. cheers H
I took the Adsense & banner ads off my web building blog, but I do still have some ads – I just try to limit them to in-content affiliate links for relevant products. Actually, the site is making way more money this way, and it has the added bonus of clearing up some of the clutter from the sidebars & headers. It also lets me consider the actual product before trying to push it on anyone, and mostly that means coupons and reviews for hosting providers that I am using & enjoying myself.
Now, I also run some sites with the more typical advertisements, and that works in some places. Then I guess there are sites that are just for fun too, and I can’t imagine they have enough traffic or enough of a focused niche to actually make money so I’ve pretty much left them alone as far as trying to build revenue!
Hi John,
I like your idea of having ads which are relevant to the content of the site. That way our targeted readers are able to see what else is available, read our reviews and be informed consumers.
Yes. Some sites work well with typical ads, such as AdSense. Although they may not get tons of traffic, they can be a source of a small income for a blogger.
Hi Barbara .. I’m sure there must be some way I can sing your praises .. but enough for now – you may not have seen this .. and you need to ..:: It’s about YOU .. YES YOU …
http://www.growmap.com/blog-monetization/
Cheers and love H
Hi Barbara .. I missed all the middle bits .. you’re there already – I was so excited for you .. cheers and love again …. Hilary
Thank you Hilary,
Yes. I saw that post and am humbled by Gail’s kind words. 🙂
I accept adds as ‘must-be-to-survive’ for bloggers. Only few blogs can exist without money – probably, their owners are rich and blogging is their hobby. Ads don’t irritate me.
I’m annoyed more when I click something and am redirected to some advertisement. I think it’s not fair and cheating.
Got to agree with you on that one Anna, it’s just not right that you should click something, expecting to go somewhere, and you are sent to an advertisement.
Hi Anna,
I hear you. That’s frustrating when we click on a link we believe will inform us further, but we end up on an advertisement, instead. Aurghhhh!
I’m *blushing* naked. My blog is not a commercial venture – it does not lend itself to having ads on it. If I find I want to turn blogging into a business, I’ll start another one.
It’s interesting how many comments state that there is no money in having ads on one’s blog.
Hi Amy,
That’s actually a good idea – to have more than one blog. One for personal use and one (or more) to make money with.
My belief is the reason ads are not making money for bloggers is because they’re not getting enough traffic. Once their traffic numbers increase, I’ll bet their earnings will, too.
I took the baby step towards monetizing by signing up for an affiliate program earlier this past year. I found myself recommending a good number of books, or covering subjects that lent themselves to recommending resources for those wanting to know more about subjects, so going with Amazon seemed like a decent fit for me.
I’ve got a small search box on my sidebar, and often link to specific items at the end of individual articles in a “Want to learn more? Check out…” type of paragraph. Most of my sales seem to come via the latter type of links.
The income stream is pretty much a small, slow and sporadic drip, but I’ll stick with it for a while at least.
I considered, and rejected, the idea of AdSense because I didn’t like the lack of control over what types of ads might appear on my site.
I’m mulling over how else I might use my blog to generate other opportunities like selling my writing to other markets, teaching, or even creating my own products…but that’s a long way off at this point.
The other thing on my To-do list is to give some thought to how I might want to deal with other advertisers of PR folks and develop a page on that topic at my site (looking for examples of good “About” and other pillar-type pages to that end at this point)
Hi Dominique,
I like your idea of adding “want to learn more…” links to the bottom of your posts. It gives your reader an option to click or not.
AdSense can be problematic since it’s ads are based on the content of the post. What they show (for ads) could either be seen as competition for what we’re offering and/or even give our readers a mixed message.
In the near future I’ll be publishing a post showing different ways a blog can be used to help promote ourselves and our “works”. Stay tuned. 🙂
Whats the problem with wanting to make money? The world is run by those with money so why not make the most of the talent you actually have.
Hi Jay,
That’s true. If we have a talent, we should put it to use, and if that means making money from it, than all the better.
Nothing wrong with monetising your blog and as you say I think people expect a certain amount of ads. But when sites have pop-up or other more intrusive methods of advertising that I get annoyed and quickly move onto the next blog.
Hi Brian,
I hear you. Those pop up ads are annoying. My feeling is if I want to click on an ad it should be my prerogative, but don’t throw it in my face. That borders on being rude.
My sister blogs religiously, and over the past 12 months has built up an impressive following. She is currently ad-free, but I may try to convince her that a few well placed ads may be worth trying out. As mentioned above, I think more than anything she’s concerned that her followers might think she’s “selling out” and trying to make money from them.
Hi Sam,
I understand you sister’s concern. In fact, that’s one reason why sometimes it’s almost better to have ads right from the beginning. But, like you said, if she uses and places relevant ads properly, her readers probably wont’ mind, Plus, she could also write a post and let them know she’d like to make enough money from her blog to cover her overhead. Many readers don’t realize some of us are paying for webhosts and/or premium themes.
Interesting use of the term ‘naked blog’. Previously I’ve seen it used to refer to blogs that removed most styling for a day (or week). They ‘went naked’ to promote coding standards, but it’s not a practice I’ve seen much lately.
Currently, I have a single Adsense box on my blog, but I’ll be replacing it with Project Wonderful (once the site is approved) which will give me more control over the ads displayed. The only other thing at the moment is Amazon affiliate links to the products discussed in the entries.
Hi Amber,
That’s true. With Google AdSense we don’t have as much control over what is displayed as we’d like. By handpicking our own ads, whether affiliate or other, we can show our readers the products and/or services we use and/or recommend.
Hi Barbara.
I took the few ads I did have off my blog a while back. They weren’t getting enough clicks to make it worth my while and things were getting too cluttered, I thought. I like a nice clean, organized looking blog, and there are things I would rather include on my home page besides ads. If I had a higher amount of traffic I might reconsider, but for now I’m happy with things the way they are. I make more income through blogging connections, editing, coaching etc., than the ads ever brought in.
Hi Davina,
That’s a good point. For someone like you who uses your site to showcase your business, showing ads in the sidebar could not only clutter it up, but could even make your business look “tacky”. And being the professional you are, you certainly wouldn’t want an ad that pays a few cents to deter a client from using you.
Interesting post Barbara. Unlike many MMO bloggers I am only semi-naked lol. I mean, I am not crazy about filling the whole space with ads and I am willing to take a little bit of loss on ad revenues for that matter.
Google has been trying to shoot down all spammy blogs and even some good blogs have been tagged content farms recently. So why take a risk with more ads and less content?
Thank you Ajith,
You know, I’ve been seeing more articles about Google and content farms and wondered what all the fuss was. But like you said, if our sites are filled with ads, even though they may not be content farms, why risk having Google label us as such – just for a few dollars.
2 month old website with around 300 unique page views per day. 3 google adsense adblocks with only rich media ads.
Ive tried my best to place them in a way as to not to give the appear like a “spammy website” 🙂
Like Ajith, sem-naked 🙂
Hi Tech Looser,
I was just on your blog and had to LOOK for the ads. You’ve done great. It doesn’t look spammy, at all. 🙂
I’m a naked blogger. As a consultant, I’ve found that I gain more by sharing my knowledge. While it may seem counterintuitive to give away knowledge, in my case, it has lead me to more clients and has positioned me more credibly in the marketplace as an “expert.”
Hi Randy,
What you said is very true, not only online but in real life too. If we willing share our knowledge, we not only build up our credibility, but can also build our business.
I don’t like putting ads blended inside the content as it can annoy readers and can distracting too. My blog is semi-naked and have adsense ads on the header and footer… My sidebar is free from ads.
*can be distracting too
Hi Nasif,
Yes. Ads can be distracting and annoying. That said, I don’t have a problem with ads on blogs as long as they’re not flashing or “making noise”.
I always put my ads on the side or near the header and not in the post or between them because it is distracting to the readers.
But that be said those in between post give a lot of CTR so people do them.
Hi Blogged It,
That’s true. The click through rate can increase if ads are placed properly. We just have to weigh the benefits vs the annoyance to our potential readers.
For now I am not using any ad on my blog but I am planning to show ads on my blog as it will be a source of income for me.
But I will try to keep the number of ads low so that it don’t disturb my readers
I think the reason why many awesome blogs are without ads just comes down to the reason why people created the site. The people who make blogs for money, well they have ads everywhere and there content often lacks.
Then again, there is absolutely nothing wrong with monetizing a site. I think the reason maybe why popular sites remain void of ads is because they feel like they created something awesome and don’t want the ads to detract from the site. I know i have felt like that in the past with some of my old websites.
Is this a mistake? Well i don’t know, it really depends what you want to get out of blogging.