Ads or Donations?

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Preferred funding option

Keep the ads
0
No votes
Remove the ads, but I'm not willing to donate
0
No votes
Remove the ads, and I'm willing to donate <$10/year
0
No votes
Remove the ads, and I'm willing to donate $10-$20/year
2
50%
Remove the ads, and I'd be willing to donate $20+/year
2
50%
 
Total votes: 4
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ST_Lawson
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Just thinking about how to fund this site going forward and wanted some folks opinions.

Currently, the website costs me about $190/year for the hosting and everything. The ads on the site bring in around $70/year on average now, but they're annoying (assuming people don't just block them). I'm ok chipping in the difference, but ad revenue has been going down for a while. Before COVID, the ads would cover the cost of the site, but it hasn't really since then.

So, I'd like to get people's opinions on funding. I'm setting up a poll to see what people think, with some different options. Just to be clear, I'm never going to put up a paywall for this site (given our current audience and visitors, that would probably kill the site), but if there are a few people out there willing to chip in a bit, I'd be able to get rid of the ads and not have to bother with them anymore.
If we went that route, I'd probably do it like AGS (anygivensaturday.com) does, where once a year they put out a request for donations and anyone who would like to chip in a bit to keep the site running can do so.

Anyway, please check your preferred option and feel free to comment if you'd like. Thanks.
 
 
Scott Lawson - Board Admin
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meganeck
Posts: 2327
Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2014 10:23 pm

If you said ads are going down, what are the odds you would be able to get enough ad revenue to cover things. I'm sorry Scott I didn't realize you were paying out of your own pocket to keep the site going, I appreciate you doing that.
 
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meganeck
Posts: 2327
Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2014 10:23 pm

You might also pin this in the football forum, that is the most read section currently, not sure how many people look at this forum. Nobodys voted yet and i'm the only one to comment. I asked about ads, I would be willing to chip in some, but I'm also not adverse to having more ads on here if you could get enough to cover expenses as long as it wasn't obnoxious.
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sealhall74
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I don't mind ads as long as they are pertinent ads. Can' ads be restricted to local Macomb pubs and eateries?  I would think you could find A few willing to advertise here, maybe posting promo codes, etc that can be good for business.  
 
Embrace the pace of the race.
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ST_Lawson
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sealhall74 wrote: Mon Aug 31, 2026 10:27 am I don't mind ads as long as they are pertinent ads. Can' ads be restricted to local Macomb pubs and eateries?  I would think you could find A few willing to advertise here, maybe posting promo codes, etc that can be good for business.  

 
I don't really have a way to make that happen with the ads provider (google adsense), and I don't have the time to go around to local businesses drumming up ads. I'll do some checking to see if there's an ad manager that can restrict ads by location.
Scott Lawson - Board Admin
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Member of the Marching Leathernecks - 1996-2000
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ST_Lawson
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meganeck wrote: Thu Aug 27, 2026 5:11 pm If you said ads are going down, what are the odds you would be able to get enough ad revenue to cover things. I'm sorry Scott I didn't realize you were paying out of your own pocket to keep the site going, I appreciate you doing that.
 
We've been below the point of the site being completely covered by the ad revenue for a handful of years (probably since around COVID). I'm more than happy to pay out a chunk from my own pocket to keep the site going, but ad revenue is down enough that I think if a few people are willing to chip in a bit, it would essentially cover what the ad revenue had been covering recently, and I could completely get rid of the ads in the process. That would make the site load a little bit faster too.
Scott Lawson - Board Admin
Western Illinois University Alum/Fan/Employee
Member of the Marching Leathernecks - 1996-2000
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meganeck
Posts: 2327
Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2014 10:23 pm

ST_Lawson wrote: Mon Aug 31, 2026 3:19 pm
meganeck wrote: Thu Aug 27, 2026 5:11 pm If you said ads are going down, what are the odds you would be able to get enough ad revenue to cover things. I'm sorry Scott I didn't realize you were paying out of your own pocket to keep the site going, I appreciate you doing that.

 
We've been below the point of the site being completely covered by the ad revenue for a handful of years (probably since around COVID). I'm more than happy to pay out a chunk from my own pocket to keep the site going, but ad revenue is down enough that I think if a few people are willing to chip in a bit, it would essentially cover what the ad revenue had been covering recently, and I could completely get rid of the ads in the process. That would make the site load a little bit faster too.

 
Well hopefully other chime in, doesn't sound like ads are the answer to cover everything, like I said I would be willing to chip in and once again thanks for everything you do for this site.
 
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wiu712
Posts: 7487
Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2014 2:05 pm

Let us know how much to chip in.
 
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