Perhaps in its most surprising twist yet, AdLand is one of the few websites of its size and scope that isn't supported by paid online advertisements. "No banner ads, no pop-up ads, no Flash-based web-o-matic-mercials, no paid-for-pseudo-stories or anything else our online marketing cousins can come up with," says Wäppling. "There's millions of other sites out there with that stuff, and we don't play that way."With all the sites out there about advertising, it's really great to have one where you don't have to look at the horrible banner ads and what not. Truth be told, I'm so used to blocking them out, that I don't really notice them anymore.
"We're a pay-for-play site," continues Wäppling. "It's a different route, but if a member donates some of their pocket change to the site, they should not have to see banners or fill in long-winded forms about their income and sexual preferences. Now that many sites have paid links, even in their editorial content, AdLand is doing the opposite. There has never been any paid ad-space on the site and our vision is that there never will be. It's a little ironic considering the site's topic..."
"Ironic is an understatement...well, actually, it's an adjective. It's perplexing to some, but we want to keep things as pure, unadulterated and real as we can," says Claymore. "AdLand is a resource. A virtual salon of advertising opinion and commentary. A modern online museum of the best and worst of the advertising world. Of course, all that noble stuff doesn't stop us from being unabashed smart-arses whenever we find the opportunity."
And especially if you're going to put advertising on a site about advertising, it better be darn good creative that inspires and is attention catching. Otherwise, why bother?
That is part of the whole ads on blogs which is possibly going to be its downfall eventually. There's one thing to be said for an ad or two, which are relevant to the content of the site. It's another thing to bash viewers with pop-up ads upon entering or leaving your site, smush the content into a space so small because you're busy selling the "white space" to advertisers, and worst of all, putting ads into editoral content.
Personally, as I see smaller sites head down the path of more ads on their sites, it makes me wonder if all they are in this for is the money to be made. Which is, quite frankly, a turn off. Blogs are the pages of opinions, news, and general commentary. But the way that ads are overtaking some blogs keeps me from going there anymore.
Sure, I do understand the whole reasoning for needing advertising. If your site is growing then you need to pay the bills some how. Thing is, covering your site with ads has to be carefully balanced. If this blog was ever to have paid ads on it, they'd live below the fold and out of the way of the people who come to visit. Blatent and obnoxious advertising does nothing but annoy. And, that's one of the things that puts Adland heads above the rest. You pay hardly anything, and you get access, sans ads to all the ads, news, and everything else. And even those who don't pay get the benefit of being able to read stories, join in the forums, and pop by without pop-ups, pop-unders, or terrible banner ads.
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