In the last week or so I’ve installed a new template on this blog, and I’ve also added advertising. This is the first time I’ve ever put ads on any blog I’ve run, so it’s a bit of an experiment. The only two ads, over there in the right column, that I’ve got at this point are for premium WordPress theme I’m using, Thesis, and for Dreamhost’s webhosting service.
In both cases they are products/services that I have used, and paid money for, and am using now. So I feel safe in recommending them because I’ve had a good experience with them. They are both affiliate ads, which means if you click on them (or, for that matter, the links in this post above) and then make a purchase, I get a percentage of that purchase. But clicking on those ads and making a purchase doesn’t increase your cost, so there’s no downside to you.
There is, obviously, a little upside for me. I get a little bit of money that helps cover some of the costs, such as webhosting, that go into running this blog. I’m not fooling myself here. Quite frankly, I’ll consider this a success if I’m actually able to cover those costs with ads on this blog over the course of the year.
Lots of blogs have ads, so this is nothing new. It is something new for me, so I thought it was worth mentioning. If you have thoughts on this, or any comments on the new design, please leave a comment below.
I’ve been struggling with this Mark. I like the way you’re presenting the ads. It isn’t offensive or obnoxious and heading over there is really optional. I’ve had two inquiries about ads recently but did not accept because I didn’t like the terms and I definitely didn’t want text ads in the middle of my content. I think it’s tastefully done, and yes…you deserve to try to monetize your blog!
Thanks Angela, I appreciate the perspective.