Commercial Avertising on Forum.

[Pickle]

Should we have commercial advertising on the forum.

[marquis]

I would not have a problem with advertising providing the ads are not to large (ie 250x100 max 15k file size - ie top right web page) and are static (ie not flashing, changing, refreshing pages, NOT FLASH, etc)

If in a "marketing" thread - go for your life.

[Stroker]

I,m sure the forum is not free to run so if advertising offsets the costs and ensures the forums longevity I,m all for it. One of the best things about owning a Pajero is this forum

[Walker]

I,m sure the forum is not free to run so if advertising offsets the costs and ensures the forums longevity I,m all for it. One of the best things about owning a Pajero is this forum

Yes, I agree. Many forums allow advertising as long as the advertiser makes a "donation" to the club or forum. I think it is good to see what products are out there but it should not be free if the advertiser is making a profit out of the products they are selling.

[marquis]

Pickle, what is the current bandwidth/space and costs these days for the Pajero Club for this forum?

[Greg]

Useful adverts would be nice, 4wd shops etc. I understand this might be a bit hard though....

[Pickle]

Pickle, what is the current bandwidth/space and costs these days for the Pajero Club for this forum?

Cant remember exactly how much space we have but cost were over 1k per annum for internet.

The idea would be a few simple advertisements to cover internet expenses and recoup software costs.
More opinions please.
Dave

[Scolers]

As some of the guys suggested if it helps you pay for the site go for it. Just no pop ups or anything that can distract from the ultimate aim of the forums (reading the posts!).

Good luck!

Scol.

[mrbitchi]

As others have said, if it helps offset the costs and keep the forum alive then go for it. We can't expect this site to be maintained for nothing.

[Walker]

I think right up the top right of the page or just below that (where the Landrover keeps driving across my page) would be a good spot of ads.

[peterdeg]

As others have said, keep them small and simple.
Too many websites slow to a crawl while everything has to wait for the ad to load.

No popups!

[marquis]

The idea would be a few simple advertisements to cover internet expenses and recoup software costs.
More opinions please.
Dave

Why not start a trial for 1 or 2 weeks with a simple jpg or gif with a html link to the advertiser's website:

eg:

Replace image (top right corner) (ie http://140.99.20.180/forum/images/st...isc/banner.gif )
with:

<a href="http://pajeroclub.com.au/"><img border=0 src="http://140.99.20.180/forum/images/styles/silverblue/misc/banner.gif" width="80" alt="Advert Here" /></a>

replace the href address with the advertiser's website and the img address with the banner (the banner could be on-site or held off-site on a cheaper webserver).

I assume you have a database (MySQL?) then new table and a bit of php code you can have multiple advertisers at the same time.

[4wd26]

I would prefer no adds, but thats just me.
My option would be to have a internet (forum membership) to the pajero club.

I would love to support the forum- but to my way of thinking paying up membership to the Pajero club of Victoria has no justification to a lurker in Brisbane.

Option would be a forum membership with a sticker and beer cooler and a different coloured avitar name in order to distinguish who has paid (or not).
This could be taken to have a different colour for paid up membership of the Pajero club as well- helpful to help identify members.

My thoughts, would love to keep the forum "clean" but also willing to support it to stay that way.

If adds have to happen make them 4wd orientated, nothing worse than adds for dating, and make them static.

If posible you could combine these 2 ideas so that paid up members get no adds, but guests and non members get adds.

http://www.ducati.ms/forums/index.php?
could work something like the above link to a private site in the USA- Ducati based.

BY the way I like to think of the "landrover" at the top right as a "GEN1" Pajero

[Walker]

Love that idea of a forum based membership.


I think that the advertising should be mostly 4WD based but not soley. I think that if there are any forum members who wish to advertise their business on here it would be a good opportunity.

But I don't need Viagra thanks!

[marquis]

I threw a junior membership in a few times in the past (to support the forum) and basically was told NO so...