From technology to politics to video games; these are the random thoughts of a geek with too much time on his hands
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 2)
9 Pages1 2 3 4  Last
on Dec 03, 2007

The adobe logo in the article was an example.  We have no sponsorships signed yet.

Updated the image in the original article to clear up confusion.

on Dec 03, 2007

I think it would be a good idea as long as you said,  would be static and placed on the side bar. Where on the side bar would it be placed,? Top? Middle? Bottom? At the users discretion perhaps?

If it will help to bring more money and not be in the way, I say let's give it a go.

on Dec 03, 2007
it would likely be near the top so it appeared "above the fold"
on Dec 03, 2007
Wow, newspaper talk, I'm impressed!   
on Dec 03, 2007

If it's static and thus clean advertising rather than distracting I'd be happy with it/them being anywhere, not just sidebar.

They should also be labelled 'Sponsor' or 'Sponsorship' so as to leave no confusion as to their not being Stardock/Wincustomize.com database content [eg some skin/icon].

I'd see no harm in, say, every 10th skin display in a gallery being a place-holder for a sponsor if the result is ongoing site sustainability...

on Dec 03, 2007
I like the idea if it helps WC grow and be self sustaining.. a few simple static Logos would be acceptable as long as they were tasteful and Offered up as Site Sponsors. The logo could also be a link to the sponsors site.

I would like to see Who in the PC community is willing to support skinning and desktop customization.


As long as the Logo's are not intrusive and detract from the site im all for it....
on Dec 03, 2007
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.


 
on Dec 03, 2007
I don't mind sponsorship either and believe it has a valid place in this type of business. I do agree with the majority with respect to ads and pop-ups, or under, or over - what ever you want to call them. This isn't the place for it! If the sponsors think there is benefit to this proposed arrangement, there could come a time when one or more of the sponsors proposes another idea - have a skin or suite, or something developed specifically for them. The catch would be that you would have to visit the sponsor's site to download the item. I don't know how that would go over, but if it was a quality item and free, I probably would not mind visiting the site.
on Dec 03, 2007

I would like to see Who in the PC community is willing to support skinning and desktop customization.

Same here.

on Dec 03, 2007

I concur with pretty much everything Jafo said, above.

Anything that keeps this great site up & running is fine by me.

If the sponsors graphic is in the sidebar, that's fine ...regardless of where it's placed there. I think thats the right place for it.

So, I vote    two thumbs up...

on Dec 03, 2007
Sponsorship has to be a good way to good, as long as done well.

Take a look at sport most of it is sponsored and most of the time you don't even notice it's just part of it now days logos are there but unless it is of interest to you and a product you want, you blank it. So the money is coming into sport in a big way as firms are just happy to have their name coupled with whatever sport/team it is.

So logo or something say at top of the page would be there to be seen but unless you were interested in that company you would soon just accept it being there without it having a bad effect on the way you viewed the site.
on Dec 03, 2007
Wouldn't bother me.
on Dec 03, 2007
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.


If it helps secure the future of the site and improves quality....it's a great idea......sounds like you've organised it to be tastefully done.......look forward to seeing the projects you come up with the with extra $.....
on Dec 03, 2007
Would be even better if there is a price break on the software too! Like say an extra 10% off that new Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended... Like ya go for it. I've seen where things like this help not only the site. But also the members of the site!!!

Cool~!
SGT  
on Dec 03, 2007
I have to say . . . if the group posting is representative of the community here I and again impressed.

When I saw Zoomba's post I thought there would at least be a minority of folks who would start screaming about how they were promised no ads if they subscribed.

I never understood how WC could be self-sufficient with teh subscription model it uses.  Not if what I suspect are the number of subscribers vs registered users.

Well thought out plan Zoomba.

And everyone that's posted so far, you guys are great!
9 Pages1 2 3 4  Last