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Ask HN: Is there an appropriate way to host advertisements on my site?

2 points by julianj ↗ HN
Hey HN folks-

I run a website that proactively notifies people when I observe their credentials in the clear (1.6 million so far). I do not host advertisements on my site today because I don't feel that doing so would be appropriate.

I don't run the service expecting to make money. However, recovering what the service costs would be a plus. I get a lot of people who thank me, some rare donations, and many who wish they could donate but can't. That's ok. However, this brings me to my question:

Would it be appropriate to create a advertisement page that the user could visit if they chose to support the site?

For instance, the page could hyperlink to the site in the donation section like: If you would like to support this site in another way, you can visit this page to check out sponsors: hxxp://site.com/sponsors.

Thanks everyone-

9 comments

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brudgers
The sponsorship model requires identifying editorially relevant advertisers and pitching them the benefits of associating with your site. By choosing editorially relevant sponsors, the presence of their content on the main page can support rather than undermine user experience. Appearing on the main page is a more attractive option to potential sponsors because the value proposition is that the site connects them with its visitors.

All that said, the amount of work to acquire sponsors for a small project is about the same as for a larger one...maybe more work since a small project is less attractive to sponsors...and it might be more efficient to pursue professional work and use the cash to support the site.

Good luck.

julianj
Thank you for the feedback. These are good points which are greatly appreciated.
tmaly
have you considered just a Paypal donate button and ask up front to support the site with a small donation?
julianj
Thanks for the idea-- This is how I usually get donations. I currently give the option of Paypal and BTC.
enkiv2
Using something like adsense, you'd be very unlikely to make up any significant portion of expenses in that way. (You will probably get significantly less from advertising than you do in donations, if you've only had less than two million users.) It might be appropriate, but it wouldn't be useful.

Why not run a patreon in addition to taking one-off donations? That way, people who think your work is worth supporting can pitch in on a repeating basis.

julianj
That's a good point. I'll look into this too. Thanks!