7th Annual TOL-a-THON starts September 16th

[Lighthouse]

:BRAVO:

I thought you'd like that. I just wish I had a better gold color for it.

 

[Krsto]

Thanks Lighthouse. As an example of what Lighthouse is saying see the two attached images of the TOL home page....

The first image is what TOL Subscribers see. The second is what everyone else sees.

Since we don't spend much time on the home page that's not your best revenue source. What I see on the pages where we are reviewing posts are ads placed in the posts and those are not specific to theology or politics but are what are called retargetting. Other websites we visit about any topic of interest can unobtrusively place a cookie in our computer and this cookie allows Google to serve up an ad on any other website we are on, such as TOL, that has adwords banner ads. This retargeted ad will be from a website owner to whom I have become a qualified lead and wants to keep his products in front of me. For example, I was on cars.com looking at particular cars meeting my search criteria and the next day I see the same cars for sale on a banner ad on another site. Those kind of ads are quite effective because the target my interests quite well. I surprised you don't get more than $30/year per member for this kind of advertising. Are you going through a third party who is taking a huge cut from your ad spend?

 

[Krsto]

All of that being said, we do not consider ourselves a non-profit site. If we could bring in more revenue and I could quit all my other jobs and focus on TOL exclusively that would be great! In fact, it's a dream of mine. And if somehow TOL could pull in even more money and I was able to buy a solid gold Ferrari I'd be really happy. :car:

That would be exciting but I'd have a hard time choosing between Matchbox and Hot Wheels. :chuckle:

 

[Nathon Detroit]

That would be exciting but I'd have a hard time choosing between Matchbox and Hot Wheels. :chuckle:

Oh no contest. Hot Wheels all the way.

 

[Lighthouse]

Since we don't spend much time on the home page that's not your best revenue source. What I see on the pages where we are reviewing posts are ads placed in the posts and those are not specific to theology or politics but are what are called retargetting. Other websites we visit about any topic of interest can unobtrusively place a cookie in our computer and this cookie allows Google to serve up an ad on any other website we are on, such as TOL, that has adwords banner ads. This retargeted ad will be from a website owner to whom I have become a qualified lead and wants to keep his products in front of me. For example, I was on cars.com looking at particular cars meeting my search criteria and the next day I see the same cars for sale on a banner ad on another site. Those kind of ads are quite effective because the target my interests quite well. I surprised you don't get more than $30/year per member for this kind of advertising. Are you going through a third party who is taking a huge cut from your ad spend?

That's irrelevant as subscribers don't see those ads either.

 

[Nathon Detroit]

Since we don't spend much time on the home page that's not your best revenue source. What I see on the pages where we are reviewing posts are ads placed in the posts and those are not specific to theology or politics but are what are called retargetting. Other websites we visit about any topic of interest can unobtrusively place a cookie in our computer and this cookie allows Google to serve up an ad on any other website we are on, such as TOL, that has adwords banner ads. This retargeted ad will be from a website owner to whom I have become a qualified lead and wants to keep his products in front of me. For example, I was on cars.com looking at particular cars meeting my search criteria and the next day I see the same cars for sale on a banner ad on another site. Those kind of ads are quite effective because the target my interests quite well.

That is one way that Google serves ads. Another way is based on page content and yet another way is purely back-fill.

But here's the part that you are missing... Google evaluates website traffic.

Therefore... if there is a website that is regarding car insurance and visitors come to that website to investigate car insurance. That is targeted traffic and Google (via the advertiser) will pay a premium for that type of targeted traffic.

If that same exact ad is served in a non-targeted environment (say a theology website) Google and the advertiser will pay dramatically less.

But, I'm sure you know that.

I surprised you don't get more than $30/year per member for this kind of advertising. Are you going through a third party who is taking a huge cut from your ad spend?

It's really none of your business.

I have a suggestion for you.... if you don't want to support this website financially, please don't. Simple eh?

 

[Psalmist]

That is one way that Google serves ads. Another way is based on page content and yet another way is purely back-fill.

But here's the part that you are missing... Google evaluates website traffic.

Therefore... if there is a website that is regarding car insurance and visitors come to that website to investigate car insurance. That is targeted traffic and Google (via the advertiser) will pay a premium for that type of targeted traffic.

If that same exact ad is served in a non-targeted environment (say a theology website) Google and the advertiser will pay dramatically less.

But, I'm sure you know that.

It's really none of your business.

I have a suggestion for you.... if you don't want to support this website financially, please don't. Simple eh?

Simple? Yes. That should be very understandable.

So now on to the TOL-A-THON date of beginning :e4e:​

 

[Nathon Detroit]

Just a week until the TOL-a-THON begins!

 

[Lighthouse]

Just a week until the TOL-a-THON begins!

Hopefully I can afford to contribute before it's over.

 

[Tambora]

Just a week until the TOL-a-THON begins!

I'm waiting on pins and needles.

ouch ouch ouch

Hurry up!

 

[Psalmist]

:first::first::first::first::first: :first: :first: :first: :first: :first: :first: :first::first::first::first::first: :first:......................:first: :first:......................:first: :first:......................:first: :first:......................:first: :first:......................:first: :first::first::first::first::first: :first:............................. :first:............................. :first:............................. :first:............................. :first:............................. :first:............................. :first:............................. :first::first::first::first::first: ​

This is a non-solicited promo for the

2013 TOL-A-THON​

​

 

[Tambora]

Knight,

Can gifts be bought for others for a monthly subscription, or are gifts only for a yearly subscription?

 

[Nathon Detroit]

Knight,

Can gifts be bought for others for a monthly subscription, or are gifts only for a yearly subscription?

Gift subscriptions are only for yearly arrangements.