[NSC] Pop-up ads at bottom of page

[Chicken Run]

It's not. Ad revenue, per 1,000 page views is lower than it's ever been, whilst site running costs are higher than they've ever been. This may be because I've not chased the more lucrative ad formats, primarily because lucrative tends to mean annoying.

I will be adding a voluntary paid option as, over the years, numerous people have asked if they can contribute, but....

1. It will absolutely be voluntary.
2. No-one will receive scaled-back functionality in any way.
3. ...but if donations enable some bells and whistles to be added to the site, they will be made available to donators either first or absolutely.
4. ...and donators will have a choice of ad-free templates.

Fantastic news regattas paid feature, will happily contribute

 

[Bakero]

Fantastic news regattas paid feature, will happily contribute

Push the boat out.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

This is becoming annoying

 

[beorhthelm]

i dont mind an ad or two, will even click on them to get the rates up. however this is several and breaking up the page flow. what's more infuriating is insisting requests for cookies every damn page.

edit, looks like you have to accept all to get rid of the cookie request. bit naughty.

 

[BBassic]

I'm usually against paid for versions of sites I've enjoyed for free but I the amount of time I spend here coupled with how (generally) pleasant the community is  and the fact that it costs money to run means I'd opt for the paid version. Also, ads suck.

No brainer for me.

 

[Peteinblack]

More generally, I wonder if some of these endless pop-up ads are actually driving away potential customers and revenue.

I have stopped reading the Argus, and the Independent, online because of the constant bombardment of ads and videos.

 

[Mr deez]

I wasn't getting the ads yesterday, presumably my browser was blocking them. But I see today ads are mandatory as you get the as blocker warning.

There's also no real way to reject cookies as you get asked every page, which is unusual and I presume not how it should be.

 

[Bozza]

More generally, I wonder if some of these endless pop-up ads are actually driving away potential customers and revenue.

I have stopped reading the Argus, and the Independent, online because of the constant bombardment of ads and videos.

"Endless pop-up ads"?

I've added one permanent banner (not a pop-up ad) as a test.

 

[Peteinblack]

"Endless pop-up ads"?

I've added one permanent banner (not a pop-up ad) as a test.

I said 'more generally', as in pop-up ads across social and online media.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

@Bozza, here's a screenshot I just took from my phone (Omsung Phine, logged in). It contains no fewer than THREE ads for amazon on a single screen, at the point where I would usually write and submit a reply. Taken together they comprise about 40% of the screen. A tad excessive no? (they may well be an unintended by-product of the 'wavy line' ad feature you were trying out)

 

[Bozza]

I said 'more generally', as in pop-up ads across social and online media.

Well, yes.

There are certain news and local news sites that I just won't visit such is the sheer volume of ads all over the place that make the task of what I want to do - read the actual content - such an onerous task. And NSC will never go that way.

Now, even setting aside the new fixed bottom banner - what I reiterate IS A TEST - some will already say NSC has gone that way. It's personal opinion, obviously, but I believe the ads on NSC for registered, logged-in users, remains largely unobtrusive. Guests get more intrusive ds, unashamedly, and it's by design - the on-screen message even suggests you register to cut them down dramatically.

 

[Dick Swiveller]

Browsing on a tablet is akin to using the Argus website. Losing count of the amount of cookies or redirects I have clicked on by mistake.

 

[Javeaseagull]

At the risk of getting flamed, I went on NSC on my mobile to see what all the fuss was about and found it barely intrusive. I normally log in on my desktop which is excellent. The new banner on the bottom of the screen would certainly not put me off NSC. Don’t have a particularly large phone, iPhone 12, so maybe size matters, don’t know. Hope this helps.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I think I must be using a different NSC - I get the annoying wavy line ad and a few other statics but not as many as some are suggesting. Maybe because I've accepted all cookies ? Not sure why you wouldn't.

 

[sully]

I’m not finding it a problem at all, either. Didnt have to close the bottom ad to type this, for instance (the keyboard covers it).

I was someone who liked Tapatalk, though, so maybe I’m just a bit weird.

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

That one at the bottom on mobile is pretty horrible.

@Bozza, a suggestion if you wanna make some big bucks. Have you considered autoplaying videos which are placed between the text and background? The Argus has them NAILED.

I also think the more discrete ads work well. I almost missed the McDonald's one for example. Subtle and clever.

 

[Superphil]

Perhaps it’s an iPhone thing but using Safari browser, always logged in on my iPhone 11 Pro, there’s barely any intrusion apart from the wavy line test advert. If it stays I think I’ll get used to it. I don’t have any ad blockers or other apps preventing any sort of access.

 

[Bozza]

i dont mind an ad or two, will even click on them to get the rates up. however this is several and breaking up the page flow. what's more infuriating is insisting requests for cookies every damn page.

edit, looks like you have to accept all to get rid of the cookie request. bit naughty.

Nothing has been added to the page flow - all on-page banners are exactly as they have been for many months.

The addition is the banner that remains on the bottom of the page on the mobile view. I think the way it comes and goes probably doesn't help.

 

[Seagull27]

@Bozza, here's a screenshot I just took from my phone (Omsung Phine, logged in). It contains no fewer than THREE ads for amazon on a single screen, at the point where I would usually write and submit a reply. Taken together they comprise about 40% of the screen. A tad excessive no? (they may well be an unintended by-product of the 'wavy line' ad feature you were trying out)

View attachment 158023

Two of those are static ads that you only see once you've scrolled past all of the other posts, so hardly that intrusive. Pretty sure they've always been there too.

And the new one really isn't that bad, it takes up a tiny portion of the bottom of the screen, which I don't look at anyway.

Not sure what the fuss is all about.

 

[Bob!]

Nothing has been added to the page flow - all on-page banners are exactly as they have been for many months.

The addition is the banner that remains on the bottom of the page on the mobile view. I think the way it comes and goes probably doesn't help.

I'm all for @Bozza doing whatever is needed to keep the site going, including adverts.
Will be subscribing when the time comes, and leaving the ads to run if they are earning the site some income