Site Sponsors - what to do?

[AtticaFish]

You should know me by now..... stuck with a decision so need to beat it to death before i jump. Get out your sticks. I may move (maybe delete) this thread after we discuss it, but REALY TRULY want HONEST opinions from the regular members who log in daily, or weekly, or monthly. You are the ones that make this site what it is. Even if you dont post often, or have never posted........ i want to hear your oppinion. My PM box is open if you would rather talk in private.


- How to deal with sponsorship of the website -

Just got an email yesterday from an owner of a retail tying supply website asking about what programs we offer to be featured on JigCraft. haha, like i have a business plan. :blush: I also recieved an email from the JC member last week asking a similar question. The JC member is starting a webstore and wanted to know about getting listed on the website as a supplier.

At this point, the only supplier links i have put on the main index pages of the site, are for suppliers who are members of the forum. Supplier Index Have never charged anything to be put up on the Supplier Index, just have to PM me and tell me you want to be there. My thought is that i want to help the active members of the site in any way i can. Not like we will send hordes of net surfers to any site just because it is listed on JigCraft.com, but it is still just the notion of getting the name out there.

Thoughts:

- I personally do not like the thought of sponsored advertising right on the forum pages and can say i will NEVER try to make revenue from google ads here. But....... every other forum/site i am a member of has fishing specific advertising, and i just look past it.

- I could easily make enough money to pay the web hosting cost with this cash - but the cost of the hosting is not all that steep, so is it really worth it? I accept the fact that we will never get paid for the time we put in just for maintaining the site. To me it is a hobby just as much as tying jigs.

-I don't want to make money off of the members here..... but would have no issue with taking money from a bigger biz. :bigfish:

- Letting the bigger companies in is a kick in the teeth to the little guys i have been supporting for the past 3 years. :-/

- I don't want to have to set rules on who can post links to suppliers, websites, other forums, and all that crap - NO THANKS!

- Activity level is slowly going up.... we are up over 50 members (the regulars at the end of the bar..... Norm!) that log in every day and would guess another 40 members who log in only once a week or so. Maybe not all that huge a number, but we all spend our fair share on this 'craft' just the same.

------------ In sort of a pickel in my mind - don't want to offend ANYone here in ANYway but wondering if we could expand a little with different opportunities. Give me your thoughts........ i will take the good, bad, and ugly all the same, so let it rip! :icon14:

 

[Fatman]

That's a tough call. I know some of the fly sites I'm on have sponsorship and they have a box with their logo on it. and once in a while they post a thread about specials going on that month.

I'd also want to see what feedback there was for or against how they've done with their customer service

If you do go with it make sure tht you hold all the cards

 

[Pup]

I have my own web site (blog) and have been a moderator at a large Indiana web site for 11 years. The constant that I find present, through all of my personal experience, is that, ultimately, an owner will do what he feels is best for himself and his site. And it seems to work out...always.

Grumblings occur with changes, but quiet down as time moves forward. Some contributors (members and/or sponsors) leave, but many do stay on and others continue to join. Just keep the major contributors, those who play well with others, hanging around. You'll find out rather quickly who they really are.

- I personally do not like the thought of sponsored advertising right on the forum pages and can say i will NEVER try to make revenue from google ads here. But....... every other forum/site i am a member of has fishing specific advertising, and i just look past it.

I don't pay attention to any of it. I rely on myself and, perhaps, a few posted opinions of products and services.

- I could easily make enough money to pay the web hosting cost with this cash - but the cost of the hosting is not all that steep, so is it really worth it? I accept the fact that we will never get paid for the time we put in just for maintaining the site. To me it is a hobby just as much as tying jigs.

Take on the financial support and the site can be grown in other directions/ways if that is what you'd like.

-I don't want to make money off of the members here..... but would have no issue with taking money from a bigger biz. :bigfish:

Agreed. However, do make it known that you are providing an advertising opportunity and not a stake or interest in the site.

- Letting the bigger companies in is a kick in the teeth to the little guys i have been supporting for the past 3 years. :-/

Again, you should consider what is best for you and your site.

- I don't want to have to set rules on who can post links to suppliers, websites, other forums, and all that crap - NO THANKS!

That whole squabble is pretty ridiculous, isn't it?

- Activity level is slowly going up.... we are up over 50 members (the regulars at the end of the bar..... Norm!) that log in every day and would guess another 40 members who log in only once a week or so. Maybe not all that huge a number, but we all spend our fair share on this 'craft' just the same.

You have a very fine site. :icon14: :icon14:

 

[Ron Don]

I think you should charge for sponsorship! 95% of dont have a clue how much time and effort you have in running this site! I know i am more than happy to chip in. As far how you do it.... Sorry Im not much help. Fishing ads dont really bother me. Heck i think we should pay to have a site in our signature.

 

[smalljaw]

In all honesty, if the guys that have small businesses here like Ron Don and others don't mind then the rest of us should not have a problem with advertisers. I'm a new member here and know some of the members from other sites and I can say that I really like this site and I know it cost money so if you can end up getting the cost of the site paid for I have no problem, if you make a few bucks so what? It isn't like you would make the amount you should for having the site anyway and it isn't everyday you have someone willinmg to turn down advertising dollars and pay their own money just to keep members happy. I guess what I'm trying to say is, we pretty much know each other, most of us here use smaller businesses to get out products from and generally ignore the big interest. I say that you ask the business owners here, if they don't mind then you have your answer as I ignore the ads anyway.

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

I found a home here at JigCraft and as long as I'm breathing I won't leave due to advertising. I'm loyal to the people I get my supplies from and would only buy something elsewhere if my regular supplier doesn't carry it so if you can get retailers to pay for this site and make a few bucks then I say go for it. People here are friendly,more than I can say for other sites I've visited or joined. I joined a new site recently,introduced myself and not one person welcomed me. You spend a lot of time with your site and I think you deserve compensation. If someone want's to be a sponsor here they should pay for the right to be one.

 

[macon1]

Your site is far above average and is one rare site wherein folks are
truly willing to share. I certainly support your efforts and see no difficulty in taking on advertising for a price. You have already shown your members a great deal of personal integrity and I'm sure the members will support you in whatever your decision turns out to be, I know I will. Good Fishing, Mac

 

[Shoemoo]

I do not have a problem with site sponsorships. Sometimes they are useful for special sales and announcements.

The only thing I would object to is trying to censor people who have a bad experience with a vendor and post a negative review. A couple of sites I have been on only allow positive reviews. What's the point of having reviews if people can't share the bad ones?

I also think prohibiting members from posting links to other sites and forums is BS, but it appears you already agree with me on that one. I am a member on one of those boards because it's the only active fishing board for my state, and I hate it. I would leave if there were any other viable forums out there.

 

[ragged edge]

I say go for it! The time and expense you put in merits something in return. Personally, I overlook ads. As far as sponsors go the members here know who the BS suppliers are and will continue to buy from their own supplier that they are comfortable doing business with.. I feel like the other members on here pretty much feel the same way.........my .02

 

[SaltyBuckster]

I'm with everybody else.If you can get a sponcer to pay you for the use of advertising,go fo it.Heck,it might be a good thing when we need something that nobody else has here.There might be a couple things that we don't have,lol.

 

[papaperch]

While I can't speak for all the members of this site. I can truthfully say no reasonable person would object to you being rewarded for all your time and effort. Regardless of what some say profit is NOT a dirty word.

Going commercial is not selling your soul to the devil. The fact that you came on here and asked for opinions speaks volumes. Like JJ stated the people I buy from is not going to change. Only they could change that and I don't see anyone morphing into a s******d on this site. Wish I could say the same about a few other sites I belong to.

Whatever you have been doing has attracted a lot of great people to this site. So I would trust to your own " gut " instinct and go with it.

Only caveat is if you do become rich and famous I am not above you paying for my breakfast. ;-)

 

[StumpHunter]

If a little advertising will help you than way not. I enjoy this site and the tyers that we have as members.

 

[hookup]

Attica

It's your board, do what you want to do with it and your membership will support you.

Keep in mind, as soon as you start taking $$'s, you may have to explain the additional income to the IRS. Even though it's not much $$, those big companies do file taxes, and if it's documented that $x.xx is going to jigcrafters, that's income.

 

[JSC]

From Hookup "It's your board, do what you want to do with it and your membership will support you.

Keep in mind, as soon as you start taking $$'s, you may have to explain the additional income to the IRS. Even though it's not much $$, those big companies do file taxes, and if it's documented that $x.xx is going to jigcrafters, that's income. "
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
X2 .... If some one does not support you so be it ... a fact of life ... you need some compensation & are due it .... another inflated .02 cents worth (what will .02 buy today ??? )

 

[Lost Pole]

I say go for it! The time and expense you put in merits something in return. Personally, I overlook ads. As far as sponsors go the members here know who the BS suppliers are and will continue to buy from their own supplier that they are comfortable doing business with.. I feel like the other members on here pretty much feel the same way.........my .02

X2

 

[AtticaFish]

Thanks for all the comments - no remarks (so far) shooting down the overall idea, so will most likely move forward with it. Just have to get all the details worked out.

Pup - Some excellent info. I can say i will clearly write out that it is advertising only and they will have no sway in the direction of the site. Never really thought of that and want to keep this site moving in the direction the active members want, rather than share holders. Point noted!

- Don't think i want to charge for signature links. I feel the active members have the right to at least that much. I don't want to try and squeeze anything out of a small tying/production company when the margins are tight already. That goes along with trying to enforce rules too - i don't want to be the signature police. haha

- I was hoping to hear from more of the small biz owners that we have here. Those members are the ones who would be potentially impacted....... but as was said several times, members here seem to have more loyalty than the general public. Maybe that is tied to the fact that we all have personal opinion on exactly what we want and like the customization and customer service we get from the one-on-one business relations. As a side note, i will be adding in some extra 'perks' to those members who do already have custom jig tying businesses or other product sites.

- I will not censor any good/bad reviews of customer service or products. As long as it is not written as a personal attack, i am fine with it. We have all had bad deals with purchases in our life - stay away from your personal butthurt feelings and stick to the facts - they will speak for them self..... the facts that is. Leaving honest customer service and product reports out in the public eye makes companies a little more critical of how they do business.

- Never have felt like it is 'my' business or board - if members did not post, there would be nothing but my hot air coming out of Ohio. That would not be good. Already do have an accountant that does our taxes so as long as i keep tabs on the in/out flow, she should be able to figure that out for me. May have to set up an appointment before i go any further though.

Bill - no matter how rich and famous, doubt my tastes will get much more fancy that a Denny's breakfast. And i sure will pick up the bill!

Thanks again for all the comments and i am willing to hear more added to these - Russ - :jig:

 

[papaperch]

AF - long time ago I made up my mind to become filthy rich. I am proud to announce I am halfway there I am at least filthy. The wife says on my successful fishing days I even smell filthy. Must be something to the phrase " smell of success " LOL