In our previous post, What’s your favorite feature?, a few of you listed “no ads” as one of your favorite features of WordPress.com. This made me uncomfortable—it’s not accurate, and I want to clarify.
Since the ad test about 6 weeks ago there have been ads. Where? We very occassionally show Adsense (contextual text ads) on post and tag pages.
Why? To allow us to focus on free features in addition to paid and to offset costs of rapidly rising traffic.
There are two questions to think about if this comes as a surprise to you: Have I ever seen these ads? Have my readers? (Ask them!)
The ad code tries hard not to intrude or show ads to regular readers, which means a small percentage of page views. Apparently it works, since we haven’t gotten many feedbacks on them. Perhaps a better favorite would be “really, really unobtrusive ads.”
Even though you will probably never see an ad, if you did happen to come across one I don’t want it to be a surprise. The comments last time we discussed ads were fairly heated but I wanted to make sure everyone had accurate information.
What are our future plans? There have been a fair number of requests for an Adsense widget so it’s still on our mind as a paid upgrade. Before that, however, we will probably do something that you have more control over such as Amazon or Goodstorm integration.
WordPress.com News 
I have never seen ads because they don’t appear while I am signed on to wordpress if I view a post. If I logged out and went to the same posts they do.
The issue I have is that my blog isn’t commercial or tied to other web sites so if the appearance is that I am trying to make money off of it, I might as well pay to host it and place any links and ads I choose.
Why not add on the dashboard something about new enhancements or changes. My two cents worth is that you could replace the tag surfer as I think I know as much about Mumbai as I need to know in a lifetime and maybe even the afterlife.
Everyone has to make money. Other than that I just wanted to see my new picture.
Ads on blogs: There are several different issues –all getting blended.
1.) WP managers in decision-mode on earning money FOR WP –with ads.
That is a decision for managers to make. It is posted, probably, because if you decide to have ads: it will be new/different from existing, but it is not our/bloggers decision.
2.) Testing ad program –on blogger’s pages
It does not matter if ads or placement is unobstrusive / hidden /small /large –what goes on a blogger’s page: should have blogger’s informed consent. Look at all the effort a person expends on THEME –how it looks; WRITING –what it says, topic, length, links, quotes, etc. Readers to see ads –that blogger doesn’t/can’t? Bad form.
Ads blogger cannot see: not good. AdSense is notorious for placing inappropriate/lousy
/stupid ads on pages. i.e. One of my blogs: if I write about right-wing Repbulicans’ abuse of budget and Treasury debt –ads I get?
“Support Republican Party” –because Google’s bot DOESN’T get it at first sometimes, only sees “Republican” –so Google makes money, I make NONE, I have to monitor every hour to remove stupid ads –or Look stupid to my readers, until the bot catches up or until I place “start” “end” around a key paragraph.
3.) Should bloggers have ability to enable/prevent ads on their blog?
Yes. Opinion ranges so that bloggers on both sides would probably balance.
4.) Should bloggers pay to enable/prevent advertising on their blog?
a.) If a blogger wants ads and wants WP to enable: to PAY to enable would be Nuts. –Major dumb. Sometimes advertiser pays as little as $.01 per 1,000 views –nobody clicks on the ad = revenue to blogger $0.00 –Which also means: if blogger pays WP to Get ads and/or shares revenue with WP they will be in deficit, fast.
b.) If a blogger wants No Ads and WP decision is to enable: pay to have ad-free
and/or
c.) Bloggers that want ads: i.e. AdSense allows three ads only on a page, add a fourth –you violate TOS = loose AdSense. Possibly: WP could place an ad from entirely different ad source, blogger could use AdSense.
If WP wants/needs additional revenue: isn’t our business. How to deal with ads depends on whether WP wants revenue –and source to be advertising.
Me: I’m For enabling ads –IF I don’t have to pay to enable –and I can block stupid ads.
I trust WP judgement to choose an appropriate advertiser for their ad. I’d also like: to position the ads –placement matters.
I don’t mind ads at all — you’ve got to make money. However, if you encourage people to write about their businesses on this blog site, and to connect their web sites to their blogs, then you can’t use Google to insert directly competitive advertising into their content. Why would any business want to use WordPress?
personally, I love the idea of amazon or goodstorm integration, I don’t want to monetize with adsense as it won’t be particularly relevant for me, but enabling targeted affiliate programs would be a very nice addition. cafepress or art.com would be nice as well.
I personally haven’t seen any ads.. nor have I had complaints from any of my readers.. I think they must be pretty unobtrusive!
I’d love an adsense widget, when you guys get the chance of course. It will be hard to set a pricepoint on that though as people may not know what their blog is worth.
I think that is important ti have ads on my blogs. In this way, you will have money to pay for your expenses becouse is important to leave this services free.
But…if is free…you don’t make any money. In adition, i have a business proposal:
– I make a blog an drive traffic and readers
– You host and make the upgrades
– We splitt adsense rewenue 50%-50%
Sorry for my bad english !
Have a nice day and i think you are cool guys.
I would love a paid upgrade option for Amazon, AdSense, etc. It is the one area where WordPress.com is lagging behind Blogger in usefulness to me. I would much prefer a paid upgrade as a way for WordPress.com to make money than for WordPress.com to run its own ads on my blog. that would be true even if WordPress charged a monthly fee for the upgrade.
I have a simple idea that would make everybody happy:
Matt, you could give bloggers a simple option:
1) be happy and continue using your adfree WordPress Blog for free.
2) be happy and earn some money by sharing ad revenue with Wordrpess.
Each user will be happy and free to chose. Probably my idea will also allow substainable growth to WordPress.
i would definitely support the free adsense widget and hope that it can be implement soon.
I totally agree with deminvest.
WordPress has the best blogging tool of all those I have tried, but I don’t see the need to block ads for those users that want to have it on their blogs.
I’ve tried Adsense on a private blog on Blogsome – isn’t that also WordPress solution behind, by the way? Not making a lot of money out of it, not at all, but it’s interesting to see how the ad system works online.
Just skimming over these responses, it’s pretty clear some folks really don’t like ads.
My feeling is that Automattic may be missing out on a revenue stream (how much of one I can’t guess) by not permitting rank and file folks to set up some kind of ad arrangement with you. I think even if you took as much as 25% pf their revenue, a lot of folks would belly up to the bar. I set up my other blogs using the stand-alone WordPress, and it frankly taxes my understanding of how this stuff works, but I wanted the option of putting up and controling ads myself, and so I struggled through it. I wish I hadn’t had to do that, but I’m simply too stubborn to have someone else do that kind of work for me. If that kind of option had been available, I might have just done it here and saved myself a lot of time.
I know one woman who’s just started, and I’m sure that’s going to be the deciding factor on staying on with this platform eventually. I know that’s just one person, but she’s probably not alone.
Sincerely,
Daniel
Please add an Amazon widget — at least! Thanks for considering. Love WordPress by the way. Of course only have used it for 8 days now!
For the record, I hate ads. Especially google adwords ads.
But, I think that bloggers should have the OPTION of turning adwords on (or off!)…
And there is no reason that WordPress (Automatic) should not be getting 25-50% of that take…
My philosophy is: Be open to BOTH – giving AND receiving… the good the universe has in store for you…
One correction:
When I said…
“I think that bloggers should have the OPTION of turning adwords on (or off!)…”
I meant…
“I think that bloggers should have the OPTION of turning adwords on (or off!)… ON THEIR OWN BLOG pages… generating revenue for themselves… and sharing a portion of that revenue with WordPress…”
If there are ads on my blog, I would really prefer if I could see them my self (if readers – and not only regular readers – see them!) so I can take that into consideration regarding the appearance of the blog.
I hate the idea that the way I think the blog looks, may not be the way the blog actually looks to first-time readers.
I chose WordPress because I like the visual impression much better, than Blogger, where I came from. As far as I remember, “no ads” was also one of the selling points. Now after I have spend a lot of time getting to know WordPress, I find it a bit … hm, like “a broken promise” with this ads introduction…
How about ads that goes to donation? Meaning, advertiser pay for the ad, but the money doesn’t go to WordPress users, but channelled to charity fund.
I really dislike the ads. The first time I saw the ads, I actually thought I did something wrong, because I thought ads were not allowed. What I love most about WordPress is how streamlined it looks. I love the design of my blog and to see it (I saw the ads on a different browser) with ads, it suddenly had a “junky” look to it. I think this is because of their placement (between a picture and the text of my post). We all love WordPress and want you to make lots and lots of cash. At the very least, I’d like to have a say as to where the ads show. For example, on a sidebar.
I can understand your not allowing user ads because some people have to abuse the system and create blogs JUST for advertising…but it doesn’t seem right to withold this great way of making money from legit bloggers who spend lots of time on your site (and maybe even clicking your ads). We are the people using WordPress, so WordPress has content because of our time and effort. Yet we’re not allowed to reap a monetary benefit from this — but you are.
Sounds like some kind of widget for Adsense or something is in order for all the legit people who are diligently creating traffic and content for your site. How much money are you making off the ads you’re using, btw? Do you have some kind of information on that?
Blogger may be behind lots of other blog services, but they sure do make it insanely easy to ad adsense to a blog.
As for what Cybel said, sure we may love WordPress, but I don’t think all of us want to make you loads of cash. We need cash for ourselves. We have kids, we have cars, bills, we need food, and hey, I don’t have a car OR health insurance and I usually hold down at least 2 jobs to make it by. So no, to be honest I don’t care if you ever make a dime again. I’m concerned about ME making my bills and not ending up a public burden. So yeah, ads for those who are mature and responsible — that would be smart.
A reply to sippinwhiskey who said, “I do hope people one day get over the utterly asinine notion that everything on the internet is supposed to be free–and ad-free. Kids and fellow bloggers, there is no such thing as a free lunch. ”
I want to politely point out that bloggers are making WordPress money by using their service, giving them hits (these are counted and analyzed, plus how long you stay on a page, etc.), clicking on their ads, buying upgrades and so on. We are using our own equipment that WP does not have to worry about supplying, and we are paying for our own internet connections. We are using our own talents (uncompensated) to provide content for WP. People are spending time and effort creating widgets and layouts. There’s a lot of manpower and worktime put into these blogs. So when you say nothing is free — all of these should not be free, either.
I think it is very asinine for companies to put their ads on clothing and then sell that to people so they can walk around providing FREE advertising. Advertising is a billion dollar industry, yet these companies plant the idea that they are “cool” so people will advertise for them and make THEM money. Does the poor shlub with the hoodie emblazoned with someone else’s name get a dime? Nope, they PAY a company to make money for them. That’s what’s ruly asinine. It’s asinine for WP or any company to see all of us as little worker bees only worth what we give them, and never acknowledging how much money they’re actually SAVING by having us here.
It’s give and take. There must be a balance where both parties support one another and understand this concept. Right now, I think the bloggers are the ones losing out and they’re all too ready to overlook their efforts which really should be appreciated more.
I’d rather pay a small fee than have ads. Only my opinion, but I am sure the income generated by the ads is quite low. . .probably just pennies a month.
I’d like to add my name to the list that would be willing to pay a fee (reasonable) to keep adds off of my blog. To me even simple text adds are like dragging short finger nails down a chalkboard (or is it long fingernails – which makes less noise?). The text simple text adds do not bother me too much, but if I had a choice, I would opt out.
I think a reasonable price for us being able to use the adsense widget should be about $1.00 per day. I really want to be able to use ads, and I have well over 100,000 hits. I hope you guys launch the upgrade soon!
Thanks;)