Advertising on Nexus Mods. The how, what and why, and what to do when it goes wrong.

[Higherleopards]

I want to thank the administration and the advertisers for making the Nexus available. Personally speaking on my own behalf, it has been a largely positive experience over the years.

 

As a long running (free using) member, I can safely assume that my frequent heavy traffic has cost the Nexus a measurable amount of resources over the years. In that regard, it will be my pleasure to support the Nexus at my earliest financial ability.

 

That said, I have oddly not considered the lack of advertising as factor in obtaining a Premium membership. The ads here have never presented themselves as an issue for me, and I've never seen advertisements here that I thought were inappropriate... Then again, I look past them altogether.

 

The price I have paid looking at banner ads is nothing compared to the joy this website has given me. Carry on.

 

Edit: Final thoughts: My favorite online forum operates solely on donations. Granted, that would likely be impossible for the Nexus due to the traffic here. However, I will still encourage fellow members to kick the can (if they are able to do so)

 

Edited December 15, 2016 by Higherleopards

[Higherleopards]

In response to post #45653830. #45670050, #45673950 are all replies on the same post.

Kalell wrote: There's something I've wondered ever since I became a supporter. Is the $2 I paid worth more than the ad revenue that would have been generated during the time I've been using the site? $2 seems like an awfully small amount, but the ad rev is even less. However, the ad rev adds up over time so it's possible that in the long run it may be more. It would be nice to know which is the better way to support the site.

lued123 wrote: "Typically, most sites will have an eCPM between $0.10 and $0.50."
This means that, at best, you generate about 50 cents for every thousand ads you see on the site. There are 4 ads per page view, so 250 page views is the requisite amount to generate those 50 cents. 2 dollars divided by 50 cents is 4 increments, so you'd need to visit the site about 1000 times to generate the two dollars you spent to remove the ads.
Now, this is very shaky math, but 1000 visits is a lot (Think of it as 3 visits a day for a continuous year for perspective.), and it should at least give you an idea of how valuable your ad dollars were compared to your supporter dollars.

Kalell wrote: I come here at least 10 times a day. No idea how many pages I view while I'm here (it varies), but just the initial page loads from logging on would put me at 3,650 page views a year (but it's much higher than that). If my math is correct the site probably would have earned more from ads during the time I've been a supporter. That makes me kinda sad. :(

Good question.

Factoring all my usage, I open well over a thousand Nexus pages every year. Using @lued123's ballpark, I can assume that my traffic has generated $20-$30 during my membership.

So, for me, I would need to donate at least $2-$3 every year to get on the level. #goals :p Edited December 15, 2016 by Higherleopards

[Dark0ne]

In response to post #45653830. #45670050, #45673950, #45674880 are all replies on the same post.

Kalell wrote: There's something I've wondered ever since I became a supporter. Is the $2 I paid worth more than the ad revenue that would have been generated during the time I've been using the site? $2 seems like an awfully small amount, but the ad rev is even less. However, the ad rev adds up over time so it's possible that in the long run it may be more. It would be nice to know which is the better way to support the site.

lued123 wrote: "Typically, most sites will have an eCPM between $0.10 and $0.50."
This means that, at best, you generate about 50 cents for every thousand ads you see on the site. There are 4 ads per page view, so 250 page views is the requisite amount to generate those 50 cents. 2 dollars divided by 50 cents is 4 increments, so you'd need to visit the site about 1000 times to generate the two dollars you spent to remove the ads.
Now, this is very shaky math, but 1000 visits is a lot (Think of it as 3 visits a day for a continuous year for perspective.), and it should at least give you an idea of how valuable your ad dollars were compared to your supporter dollars.

Kalell wrote: I come here at least 10 times a day. No idea how many pages I view while I'm here (it varies), but just the initial page loads from logging on would put me at 3,650 page views a year (but it's much higher than that). If my math is correct the site probably would have earned more from ads during the time I've been a supporter. That makes me kinda sad. :(

Higherleopards wrote: Good question.

Factoring all my usage, I open well over a thousand Nexus pages every year. Using @lued123's ballpark, I can assume that my traffic has generated $20-$30 during my membership.

So, for me, I would need to donate at least $2-$3 every year to get on the level. #goals :p

Remember, that's an "at best" figure. It completely depends on how valuable you are to advertisers which is utterly dependent on what they're looking for and can't be accounted for accurately.

[Sostrmnn]

Interesting read, thank you! Really nice to see some cold hard facts about what goes on to run this site. It's really impressive what you've built!

 

I see a lot of people worried about malicious ads and that's fair enough. I think you have been really generous to provide the low cost supporter option. This is a viable way for people opposed to ads to still give something back to the site.

[amanandhisdog]

In regards to your section on bad ads, and how they happen, and the part where you describe how bad ads,cause people to lean towards using an ad blocker, as well as annoying ads and auto play audio or video ads. These are the reasons, that and malware/spyware/virusware that i use and continue to use ad blockers. but after reading your honest, and frankly completely transparent definition and description of how you target and sell our "clicks", i will turn it off for the Nexus, something i do for some of the rare sites that are open and honest about the process. I appreciate that, and going the one level deeper route, the simple fact this site exists to show everyone how to treat its visitors, it speaks volumes to me about the minds behind the scenes, and how they treat us like they would like to be treated. fairly.

 

Thank you for such a precise description of the process.

 

 

[tonicmole]

In response to post #45662050. #45662130 is also a reply to the same post.

zarrazee wrote: I've read this article and it makes sense.

However, I hate adverts and do my utmost to avoid them
1) They are intrusive
2) They waste my time
3) They are unnecessary
4) They are annoying
5) I do not buy newspapers
6) I do not use web sites where adblock doesn't work
7) I delete all spam email without reading it
8 ) I close my eyes at cinemas when the ads come on
9) I skip ads on youtube after 5 secs
10) I do not have a facebook account
11) I throw away junk post without reading it
12) I don't answer phone calls from any number that is not on my contact list
13) I usually only watch BBC (no ads) and listen to BBC radio (no ads)
14) When I watch "live" TV which have ads, I pause the box when an advert comes on. I go make a cup of tea then fast forward through them.

The older I get, the more I see materialism everywhere and adverts just fuel societies' "I want" mentality.

No, I'm not a grump, fuddy duddy, tight-wad, kill-joy, fun police or any of these things. I am happy go lucky guy, But adverts? No thanks Nexus, I'd rather remain a premium member and pay to disable them. Take care.

ZZZ02 wrote: Even if you drop premium adds will be disabled for you as you will go to"supporter" which has no adds.

PS Agree with you on the add issue in society I had to write a small paper on it.

To be honest, societies that are less materialistic have no more depth than ours. This is obviously a far deeper argument than this comment section really needs, but I have many times in my life realized that even some of my own beliefs were based on idealistic fiction. As if society is not inherently shallow. Societies have always been consumed with ads of one form or another. Promoting idea's for financial gain or power. Of the vast history of promotion, a new video game console, or a laundry detergent is by far a step up from the more ominous promotions of the past. Modern ads may even be more truthful. No hidden messages. They want you to buy a product, end of story. I take comfort in the straight forwardness of materialism. XD

[Arkiyner]

Fully understand this. It's the reason I bought lifetime premium all those years ago.

[yaleblor]

i dont mind your ads at all , the only ones that i find irritating are the ones that have loud audio .

 

[Anemephistus]

I should buy a membership, I totally get the points you make...just plain out though I do have one point to make that I think might be worth noting...or it might not depending on your disposition to such things.

 

I usually run an add-blocker, I removed it for your site because of the excellent facts and requests you have made. The thing is this: This site does not run very smoothly on my browser without blocking adds. I have a fast internet connection, and a gaming capable (high/ultra fallout 4 35-60 fps) computer and this site lags, stutters, and has failing plugins causing it to freeze sometimes when switching pages when the adds are enabled.

 

I understand the monetary gains/loss point and I love Nexus so much I deal with the problems as a person of conscious who sees you asking for a form of assistance that I can easily give with the push of a button. Still at every point in time I log on or browse I have a uniquely difficult time with this site. Having run it without the adds I am also aware this is directly the result of disabling the blocker.

 

I see the difficult spot you are in, your endeavor to make a site that fits the function you serve has made reputable and good mods easy to find and enriched one of my favorite hobbies in too many ways to count, but the functionality of the site with the adds turned on is diminished and frustrating at times for me as an end user.

 

Having said all of that I suppose I will have to get that subscription I brought up...Its an easy answer but I am willing to bet I represent a non-insubstantial demographic of people with these sentiments about the problems and, probably, a fairly smaller group that accepts the inconvenience for moralistic reasoning.

[irishwhip]

i have the various nexus sites whitelisted in my adblocker (ublock origin) but i still don't see any ads.