Honest suggestions

[Sastraxi]

Can I give some honest suggestions?

- Get rid of VBWire, but also get rid of the ads as they were. Instead, replace them with things like programming books, sites, etc. that actually appeal to the user base here. The ads take little time and if you put them to the right of the VBF logo, we could get rid of the atrocious look the top has, and also save a lot of space.

- If you do decide to keep VB-Wire, like I said above, put it on the right of the VBF logo. Also, VB-Wire, when you click on a link, gives (and I counted), 12 errors on line 43, though it may have changed since then , so you may want to notify them of this if you have any affiliation with them.

As long as we don't start having any popup ads, this site will be fine, but I think if you listen to at least some of these suggestions, you can please the public and your advertisers at the same time.

Sincerely,
Cameron.

[MartinLiss]

Thanks for your input and I think Gus or Brad will also read this thread and comment. My suggestion to them was to move the User CP, Register, etc and the Search the forums text and box to the right of the VBF logo but then I realized that that part of the screen is sometimes taken up by the ads like the one for CPU Planet, so I think your suggestion runs into the same problem.

[Sastraxi]

Can't you just run an ad banner campaign that uses standard size? ADs that size are incredibly bad.

[GusVenditto]

The reason we had to change the site's layout is because ad sizes are getting larger. Those compact banner ads that you used to see are going away, replaced by larger sizes. In deciding where on the page they should go, it seems like the top is the least objectionable spot -- you certainly wouldn't want them interrupting discussion threads (and advertisers aren'g going to pay to have them at the bottom).

If you're interested in learning about the issues you may want to
read this report or this

As to the relevance of VBwire, well it is only about VB issues. I understand you may not be interested in every article. Books are sometimes among the content. Right now, as I write this, the top VBwire story is to a tutorial (intoduction to the SQL textlet).

VBwire is doing items on just about every VB tutorial article it finds on the net. If you find one it has missed, click on the link at the bottom left on VBwire -- Add Your News.

As to the error, I don't know what that is. Can you be more specific? I don't get one and haven't had any other reports of errors.

[kleinma]

hey gus... just out of curiosity... do you guys get more money for the "bigger" ads? Or are the advertisers just sending you adds that are bigger... because all you said is the reason for the layout change is because the adds are getting bigger... you didn't say why they are getting bigger... perhaps size requirements should be used... a long ways banner add is much easier to place, and much easier for us to tolerate than the giant green AMD square.. plus your forum users are going to be less likely to click these ads in an effort to hopefully get these companies to stop advertising here.. i know thats not what you want to hear.. but i think you already are aware that it is the truth

[GusVenditto]

I don't know much about ad rates -- I'm responsible for content and the sales people are responsible for getting revenue from advertising. But what our sales pepole have told me is that the reason why advertisers want bigger ads is because people click on them more than the smaller ads.

It's kind of a moot point as to how much we charge -- fewer advertisers want to buy those smaller ads. It's not like we are turning away anyone's business. Like most other publishers on the Internet, we struggle to sell the ad positions available. This is not a "seller's market" for advertising. Not by a long shot.

[kleinma]

Originally posted by GusVenditto
But what our sales pepole have told me is that the reason why advertisers want bigger ads is because people click on them more than the smaller ads.

lol thats because when they are that HUGE we click on them by accident sometimes...

[Sastraxi]

You realise that those take up nearly 1/4 of the size of an 800x600 screen? If it's beyond your control to get the older-sized banners back, can you at least tell me why they'd want big ones? It simply takes all of the space on the screen and doesn't allow smaller screens to actually view the site.

[GusVenditto]

Why do they [advertisers] want bigger ones? Becuase people click on them more often then they clicked on the little ones.

I don't know of any computer that has lost the ability to see the site because of the ads.

It's true, people have to scroll down about 160 more pixels than they did before. But most of the content appears even father down the page -- that would be true even if there were no ads at the top of the page!

It's not as if complete pages were ever visible in that top screen. You have to admit that most of the time while you're really using the site, you don't even see an ad at all.

[techgnome]

Originally posted by GusVenditto
It's not as if complete pages were ever visible in that top screen. You have to admit that most of the time while you're really using the site, you don't even see an ad at all.

You're right, when the banner ads first appeared... I didn't notice. Not until all the hoopla about it.
And I thought it was fine, it was up to me if I wanted to click on it or not.
Then you decided to mess with it..... First with the VBWire feed (which I don't think is really all that since it is user fed news -- the "news" items tend to hang for some time good for those who posted to VBW to get exposure, but bad for the rest of us who have to see the same news time and time again, on every page.) Then the oddly shaped (square, and a BIG one at that) appeared.
Despite your claims, the VBW feed NEVER filled the entire width of the screen. It was at least tollerable until the huge ad showed up. The combined width of the VBW table and the ad only when halfway across my screen..... and then the VBW feed was getting squished by the ad, which rendered it nearly useless as the headlines became unreadable.
As I scroll back up look better. But it still only takes up 80% of the width......
Just to let your advertisers know... here's what makes me wat to click an ad:
1) It's simple -- don't overstimulate me me with flashing text or images. What is I suffered from epilepsy????
2) It's got to be relevant. This is a development site.... most of us are programmers by trade or in school. Not ever geek builds his/her own computer. That's what the IT dept is for. I don't care to know the latest virtues of AMD or Intel. I know where to get unbiased info on that.
3) Books, books are good. Programmers read a lot.

[Kings]

What you could also do (instead of maybe ads?) is have companies (e.g AMD, Intel, whatever) sponser categories of VBF. Something like this,

[aafuss]

Gus, can the adjin options thing on the oojmof te psge-bre removed, it's not requirec if yoiur'ee an admin-coiuld a.ornate udsers.

[GusVenditto]

The admin options are a standard part of the vBulletin software.

[MartinLiss]

Originally posted by Kings
What you could also do (instead of maybe ads?) is have companies (e.g AMD, Intel, whatever) sponser categories of VBF. Something like this,

Boy, that would be nice! BTW, how did you create that?

[The Hobo]

In response to King's suggestion: I don't think sponsors would pay much money for a little button like that. Especially with what gus was talking about with the size of the ads getting larger.

I wouldn't mind some traditional-sized banner under the header like Karl's ad was. But from what I hear, those are lost in the old days.

[nishantp]

The popups wern't really that bad...but i guess advertisers got smart

[tr0n]

i think vbCity (www.vbcity.com/forums) have the right idea when it comes to ads/news. a nicely positioned ad in the top banner, and any news items/additional ads down the right side of the page.

i've considered moving to that forum, as it has some nice features (like the ability to add your own FAQs, points for helping people, etc.), but it doesn't seem all that active (although pretty busy). i might lurk around here for a while longer, but it's not doing much to keep me here...

[Bonker Gudd]

Why don't you make the "Post Reply" button have the same effect as clicking on the big green banner, that way you'll generate the clicks without needing the banner.

[Kings]

Originally posted by MartinLiss
Boy, that would be nice! BTW, how did you create that?

I got that advertisement of some other website, and then used Photoshop to create that image

[MartinLiss]

Check out Slaine's suggestion. I think it looks very nice.