Ads

[GrandOldTeam]

I need to have a play about with the adverts folks - so please be patient.

The priority will always be to not make them intrusive. If they are, people will reach for adblock and who can blame them?

Our average visit/session time is over 11 minutes so nobody has got time to click around and be bothered by ads for 11 minutes.

My hope is a new one (that sticks to the bottom on desktop/big devices) and one that sticks to the bottom for guests (people not logged in) on any device on any device will negate the need for ads like the very top one in the header that I've just removed as it was a bit annoying, slowed the forum down a little bit and made us buttons.

It's a bit fiddly changing ads, and permissions around those ads so don't get on my case too quick please.

Some ads will go, some others will come in.

If you must log a complaint, please direct them to @AndyC. He's known for his excellent customer service and patience.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

Give it a few days please folks while I test.

My instinct is we'll need to remove the sticky one from logged in users. (It already is on mobile, a lot of forums have a sticky on all devices but thats not for me).

Apparently 25% ish of all our visitors use desktop - the thought is ditch the two banners at the top, for this bottom one on desktop only. if that gives us the revenue uplift, then mobile users can thank desktop. I think we'll end up having the stuck one only for guests (people who arent logged in) or for non forum supporters but please dont reach for adblock just yet.

Our ad rev is on it's arse, to the point were I asked our ad agency what can we do because I was close to turning them all off and replacing them with ads for our own shop. They've give us a few suggestions which I'm trialling. Apparently nobody cares about the top one because people scroll past it too quick which makes it pointless, but the sticky ones have visibility.

Need the revenue to keep us sustainable to keep us going. If i ever come in to a few bob, I'd bin them all...

 

[GrandOldTeam]

Yeah spot on only appears once I think.

Tbf it's done it's job as I've re-upgraded my account after that haha

Thanks man. Don't think the forum supporter sub will make any odds to the sticky ad at the moment (it may eventually) but definitely not the intention to piss people off to upgrade lol

 

[LocalNative]

Thanks man. Don't think the forum supporter sub will make any odds to the sticky ad at the moment (it may eventually) but definitely not the intention to piss people off to upgrade lol

Proper guerilla tactics at play here

 

[GrandOldTeam]

Proper guerilla tactics at play here

My favourite was putting a red banner under accounts with adblock with "adblocker"

 

[RAFUH]

I know this is off from what you're thinking with ads, but I could go in for different tiers for supporters.

Not logged in/guest - ads galore
Logged in - ads
Supporter level -fewer ads that are less intrusive
"Tory" Supporter level - few to no ads

 

[GrandOldTeam]

I know this is off from what you're thinking with ads, but I could go in for different tiers for supporters.

Not logged in/guest - ads galore
Logged in - ads
Supporter level -fewer ads that are less intrusive
"Tory" Supporter level - few to no ads

Could extend this.

If you have an active warning on your account, you get extra ads.
Not voted for your @AndyC MOTM? Thats an extra 3 ads until you do.

 

[RAFUH]

My favourite was putting a red banner under accounts with adblock with "adblocker"

*hopes I'm maxed out on banners so this one won't show

 

[Zezti]

Issues with this bottom banner is first its animated as it appears which feels more intrusive, and second its about 80% just white space

 

[GrandOldTeam]

It's absolute genius actually.

[Someone swears]
[ @AndyC wades in with a warning]
[Message is sent confirming violent thug who swore now has extra ads, some pop up auto play videos until the warning expires]

 

[Goat]

Could extend this.

If you have an active warning on your account, you get extra ads.
Not voted for your @AndyC MOTM? Thats an extra 3 ads until you do.

You could just make @davek a walking billboard, auto correct all his posts with adverts.

 

[Wizard]

It's pretty intrusive when using night mode which I do the whole time. Maybe less noticeable on day mode

 

[GrandOldTeam]

It's pretty intrusive when using night mode which I do the whole time. Maybe less noticeable on day mode

Can you try browsing the Everton forum as a guest (not logged in) on a mobile and let me know if it's any more, or less intrusive on mobile than desktop.

The pinned sticky ads have been on here for years for guests on mobile you see.

 

[Goat]

Can you try browsing the Everton forum as a guest (not logged in) on a mobile and let me know if it's any more, or less intrusive on mobile than desktop.

The pinned sticky ads have been on here for years for guests on mobile you see.

I just checked, on mobile they are fine.

As somebody else said, due to people having "larger" monitors, on desktop there is a lot of white space, if you could somehow remove the white space they wouldnt be as bad.

 

[Wizard]

Can you try browsing the Everton forum as a guest (not logged in) on a mobile and let me know if it's any more, or less intrusive on mobile than desktop.

The pinned sticky ads have been on here for years for guests on mobile you see.

Just had a look and it's fine on mobile as a guest as it defaults to day mode so the white doesn't stand out as much. And as @MaupsGoat says above it's small on a mobile screen. It's just on desktop as there is a huge white strip at the bottom of a largely dark screen.

 

[Brownie]

Yeah, agree with what others have said. It's the fact it's so hench and has all that white space. Personally I find the bottom of thread ones the best in terms of not being intrusive but then still actually looking at them to see what they are. Could you not have sidey ones for desktop, as in where the Goodison pic shows on Goat's screenshot? They're not so bad.