Weekly Poll: Site Sponsorships

An incredibly important poll for subscribers!

Published on December 3, 2007 By Zoomba In WinCustomize News

This week's poll is a little different from what we usually talk about. This week it's all about how we support and fund the site. Currently we support WinCustomize primarily through subscriptions and web ads. However we have repeatedly turned away the much more profitable ads because they're just so darned annoying. We know that at the end of the day, it doesn't matter how well an ad pays if it drives users away. That's why you'll never see pop-ups, hover ads etc on WinCustomize, even though they pay extremely well.

That said, we are still looking to find additional revenue sources, especially as the cost of the site continues to climb. One of the ways is through a "Site Sponsorship" program.

A "Site Sponsorship" is basically where a company decides to sponsor WinCustomize for a month or more at a time. They would get something akin to the image to your left as a static image placement on the site. In the case of the example here, it would be a box added to the WinCustomize sidebar. It's not a typical ad. It doesn't bounce, flash, play sounds or in any way impact your browsing. It's merely a logo placement, perhaps with a brief text message that would be a part of the site.

There's a catch though (there's always a catch). If we were to secure these sponsorships, they would have to be displayed to ALL users, even subscribers.

That's where today's poll comes in. For all of you who are subscribers, or who are thinking of subscribing. Would a sponsorship placement like what I've described be acceptable to you?

Of course, you'd get something in return for such a placement. Sponsorships like this one, run over the course of the year, would directly fund projects like new Subscriber Suites. We could actually afford to hire skinners from Stardock Design to draw up and build several Subscriber Suites in the course of the year.

So, if you were to get additional subscriber suites, would that make the sponsorship placement more acceptable?

Go ahead and vote. We'll tally it up next Monday. And please use the comments here to discuss the proposal, and what would make the addition acceptable to you if it were to happen.

Comments (Page 1)

Philly0381

on Dec 03, 2007

As you point out there is a difference between ads and sponsorships.

To me, ads are by businesses that are looking for product placement only. Sponsors on the other hand have a more direct link, association, vested interest, in Stardock and benefit from its popularity in the customizing community.

I believe the benefits afforded by allowing/using sponsors as a revenue source far out weigh any downside. And it's not because subscribers would get more goodies, it makes good business sense.

I say yes.

killajosh

on Dec 03, 2007

I agree with Philly. The idea of ads bothers me. But sponsorship, well...I can live with that. Plus, with more revenue for WC, that means more bonuses for members. I like bonuses.....

Francis Maguire

on Dec 03, 2007

I would like to concur with Philly0381 and kilajosh but only if it stayed as a sponsorship

Phearx

on Dec 03, 2007

I think another big difference between ads and sponsorship is the placement and look of it. Ads steal your attention away from everything else and are usually placed right in the middle of everything so you cant avoid them. I'm guessing the look of the website will be slightly changed and the sponsors logo will have a set area that will go with the "flow" of the page. I think this would be a great idea and would help WC strengthen even more.

scilla

on Dec 03, 2007

I Certainly didn't subscribe to get rid of the ads, which where rather discreet and low-profile. Wouldn't mind the sponsoring idea at all except for two things: WHO would be the sponsor (do they already have an interest in customization, digital art, anything related?) and WHAT KIND of power would the deal give said sponsor over Wincustomize or Stardock policies, what kind of leverage would it get to meddle into artistic or business choices? Sponsors sometimes hope for more than image placement... Just a foot in the door. Or I'm only being paranoïd

Doodlebop

on Dec 03, 2007

I'm all for a sponsorship of the site as long as all of the sponsors are placed in the sidebar and nowhere else on the site. Even if many of them were placed in all areas of the site, on every page,they should all be in the sidebar and nowhere else!

As a paying subsciber, I would be offended if they were placed any where else on the pages.

Bottom line......Great Idea!

Philly0381

on Dec 03, 2007

In a word, yes. Something also tells Brad is not going to go for sponsors that seek special privileges. That is IMHO.

Philly0381

on Dec 03, 2007

Doodlebop I'm a paid subscriber also, but don't really get the offended part. Tell what I'm missing.

killajosh

on Dec 03, 2007

well, as long as I'm not lookin at 10 sponsorships on any given page, I'm happy with the idea....

Zoomba

on Dec 03, 2007

As I've worked with our ad partners, I've made it very clear that any ad we place, anyone we partner with for any reason has to agree to work within a framework we set. I hate annoying ads as much if not more than most people here, so I'm painfully aware of what is and isn't OK. Even though the less than good stuff would pay more, I've turned it down.

At the end of the day, I'm the guy you get to yell at over web ads on the site. It's my job to take WinCustomize and turn it from a site that loses money every month to one that at least breaks even, and hopefully turns a profit. The better we do financially, the better this site can be. Right now, in terms of paid staff, WinCustomize has me and Island Dog (though he's only part-time under WC, his main duties lie out there on the intarwebz).

That's the trick. Everything I do to bring in more money has to be balanced by making the site better. I want to start putting out more Subscriber Suites. I want to offer exclusive goodies to subscribers and to registered users. I want to hire more developers to dedicate their time to continually improving the site. I've got big plans for what I want to add to WinCustomize to make it better, but first I have to find the cash to do it.

The other tough part is finding ways of earning more money that don't hurt the community or our existing supporters. It's for this reason that this poll is here, and this thread for discussion. I don't want to just go and make such a drastic change like this before getting your input, and sharing with you the reasons behind it, and what the benefits will be.

messiah1

on Dec 03, 2007

I think this is a fine idea. If it helps the site, I'm for it.

Philly0381

on Dec 03, 2007

All though this post has only been up a short time I think by the replies here and votes in the pole it would be safe to say that everyone is of the same mind set.

I didn't realize, as I'm sure most people didn't, that for WC paid staff it was just yourself and Island Dog. It's rather amazing when you think about. Good job you two and to all the non-paid volunteers.

Jan Oscar

on Dec 03, 2007

First we were given subscription offers too good to refuse, so I have a subscription that runs out 6. October 2010, and NOW you bring in the ads? Yeah, yeah, sponsors.

Zoomba

on Dec 03, 2007

There are Stardock web devs like Dean, Pat, Andrew, George, Nickie and Kieth who do the work to make the site possible, their time is split between WinCustomize and many other sites. Island Dog and myself are the closest you get to directly assigned Staff.

And you're right to thank the volunteer staff. For years they're the folks who kept things together and the moderation and forums flowing smoothly. They're the main reason we've been so successful all these years.

The__Goo

on Dec 03, 2007

I agree with the sponsorship myself; with the issue of the ads, hey, as long as it doesn't affect my browsing experience with the pages being slowed, or me having to hit the [x] button so that I can see what I came to look at, it’s all fine by me. But I hope the sponsorship would entail some high quality content... I'm not saying we don't have some great looking skins, but no one can complain about things getting better. I would hope that Adobe actually involves itself into the skinning arena other than providing software and paying bills. I mean did Adobe ask to be a sponsor with the hope of getting its product sold to the artist. Because I tend to think we all are aware of their product let alone using it. Did we ask Adobe to come aboard with the hopes of gaining something from them other than finances? I hope this will benefit us all beyond paying the bills. I would like to see some free quality Adobe training and some special offers to the members of WC. But I guess having them help pay the bills is a good thing too...
Adobe is doing some great stuff regarding the user interface of computers. This is some old technology but new to the general public (well for those that never seen this)
Check this out
Adobe TED

It would be real nice to see a skin having flash effects and what not, some real cool animations.

I'm just rambling here

But I hope that the inclusion of adobe goes beyond "paying the bills” I thrilled to see what comes of this... Adobe has been on the leading edge of some really far-out stuff. (Yes... I said far-out... that’s because I'm old enough to say it)

I hope we all benefit from this and I mean before the general users do.
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