Adverts

[jimi]

We're testing Google adsense. Yes it is the way forward as we simply don't have a sustainable club. It's been financed since 2004 by myself, membership fees and donations. I'm hoping the club is bigger than the inconvenience from two adverts. I've spent hundreds of pounds of my own money not to mention the unpaid man hours keeping the club going, sadly even I can't continue to do that.
Adverts might only bring in a small amount each year but it all helps.
The last time we had a donation drive no one donated!
Once the system has been ironed out I'm planning on adverts not being visible for subscribers.

Nowadays if you want a decent forum then it won't be free, good reliable hosting doesn't come cheap. You need to pay for it and unfortunately falling paid membership numbers (across forums in general) make it very difficult (if not impossible) for clubs to survive on membership fees alone. Using something like Adsense to bring in some much needed revenue makes sense, especially if it's configured so that paid members don't see them. We use Adsense on the OC and have it set so paid members don't see them, doesn't bring in much but every little helps. Your only other real choices are to increase membership fees ..... but that can backfire quite badly and lose you money/members or get cheaper hosting ...... same caveat as before applies to that option.
If Adsense helps sustain the club then it gets my vote, I'd quite happily spring for small increase in the annual membership fee (£12 ?) as well if it helps. I'd also prefer if the renewal wasn't automatic or at least be given the choice of auto/manual.

[nik]

Thanks Nik, don't take this the wrong way as it is unrelated to the changes that are occurring but how do I stop it being an automatic renewal, I maybe an old fart , but apart from adverts a bigger bugbear I have is recurring payments, to the extent I will not insure a car, the house or take out any policy or package that using a recurring annual payment system, had I realised twobrutal used one I would have screamed loudly at the time. It's my money I decide when & how it's spent.

I am currently going through turning off all the auto-renewal settings for subs. This was set during my hiatus in my defence.

[nik]

Adverts are now only visible to non Big Members, non Affiliates.

[Phaeton]

I am currently going through turning off all the auto-renewal settings for subs. This was set during my hiatus in my defence.

Adverts are now only visible to non Big Members, non Affiliates.

Thank you very much

[cdwood2010]

Thank you very much

Old people. ;)

[Phaeton]

Old people. ;)

Oi! Less of the people I am unique

[snowtigger]

Several forums have increased the paid member fee incrementally due to falling member numbers, one forum did the opposite and increased the membership by offering incentives such as 18mobths for the price of 12, I wonder if you could do a crowd funding or go fund me page ?