SEM Tycoon

**famousr** · 04-12-2007, 05:39 PM

So I launched a site Monday. Yesterday I did 1.8 million pageviews and I'm on pace for about the same today. The problem is, my site is:

1. Celebrity-focused
2. A web game
3. Image-heavy

So the first two (plus the newness) mean I'm getting nothing for revenue, and #3 means I'm spending a fair bit on image hosting. I'm using S3 for image hosting which has been great, but I've already served 150 gigs of images in the last two days, costing me $35. So I'd like to find some quick ways to at least defray the image hosting costs!

I don't want to overload the site with ads, but I do want it to at least be self-sufficient. I tried google adsense briefly (3 clicks for 1 million pageviews: $.22 made) and tried some affliate deals I thought might do something (netflix, all-posters), which have brought in $0. I'm thinking maybe some ringtone affiliate deals might work, but I haven't tried them yet. I'm wondering if anyone has experience monetizing crummy traffic like this, especially at this volume. Help!

**johniman7** · 04-12-2007, 05:51 PM

I think you would be better off with a CPM network. They can afford to pay more even though the site has a low CTR. Usually ads in CPM networks are more for branding then they are for getting you to visit the site.

Like movies, brand name clothes etc. at least this is what I have noticed.

**m-pulse** · 04-12-2007, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by famousr

So I launched a site Monday. Yesterday I did 1.8 million pageviews and I'm on pace for about the same today. The problem is, my site is:

1. Celebrity-focused
2. A web game
3. Image-heavy

So the first two (plus the newness) mean I'm getting nothing for revenue, and #3 means I'm spending a fair bit on image hosting. I'm using S3 for image hosting which has been great, but I've already served 150 gigs of images in the last two days, costing me $35. So I'd like to find some quick ways to at least defray the image hosting costs!

I don't want to overload the site with ads, but I do want it to at least be self-sufficient. I tried google adsense briefly (3 clicks for 1 million pageviews: $.22 made) and tried some affliate deals I thought might do something (netflix, all-posters), which have brought in $0. I'm thinking maybe some ringtone affiliate deals might work, but I haven't tried them yet. I'm wondering if anyone has experience monetizing crummy traffic like this, especially at this volume. Help!

that is absolutly nutz 1.8 MILLION what can i do for an online radio station to get even 1/5th of that?? lol

i do alot of myspace marketing but it helps a little.... any ideas man...

your my idol!!

**SteveAR** · 04-12-2007, 06:29 PM

what do your uniques look like? and revenue only comes if you have your ads placed correctly. dont stick to one form of advertising. use as many as you can. post the site if you can maybe we can help.

**famousr** · 04-12-2007, 07:46 PM

You can check out the site here: famousr.com

I've applied for some CPM networks, we'll see if I can get in any without much historical data... I just shrank my images by 60% so that should help bandwidth costs quite a bit.

Uniques are quite small compared to pageviews - 30,000 uniques yesterday. I'm sure given enough time I'll figure things out, selling text link ads might do the job once pagerank is established and traffic stabilizes.

**Ganceann** · 04-12-2007, 09:46 PM

With Google - the ad placement is in a bad position. It is below the fold - although alongside the adjust difficulty button - it may suffer from being blended in and the fact people don't always scroll down and see it. Did you consider A/B testing or trying 4 different colour combinations and having it choose one each page load? (obviously complying to google TOS by not having a rotational timer etc, but you could use a random ad generator that would only pick an ad to be served when the page was loaded).

You could also consider the actual ad-format chosen and test different ad sizes out in that location.

Have you considered an above the fold Link Unit - right above the insert initials for high score part. This would be above the fold and could more easily attract the eye of the reader - and if they see it they may click it etc.

**MistaJohn** · 04-13-2007, 01:46 AM

It's tough to monetize entertainment traffic - try CPA offers like contests, free samples and the notorious Free Ipod types - Azoogle has plenty to choose from.

**Sidekick** · 04-13-2007, 04:43 PM

30k unique hits in that short time? ****

**imported_mikeb** · 04-13-2007, 06:27 PM

The site has no content. Even if goog let's you to continue to run adsense (and that's iffy knowing them) you're not going to make any money using one little link unit.
You need to max out the ads: 3 ad units placed above the fold or to the left/right, one link unit (although they suck IMHO) and maybe a search.
I have no idea what kind of ads are going to show up though as you really have no content.

**widgets** · 04-18-2007, 08:09 AM

I suggest to sell links take a limit of let say 10 and sell them for $75 each weekly or 250 a month.
Can you pm the site please.

**Alex Mack** · 04-18-2007, 12:22 PM

I can see one major problem with the sites concept - the game involves clicking the more famous person and getting as many in a row (my very quick interpretation of it anyway). This means if you navigate away from the page, you lose potential points, making people very unlikely to click the adverts.

That is the problem, in my opinion. Thus, switch to CPM or directly sell dumb adverts (adverts which don't use context et cetera).

PS: What's worse is that if you press back to return to the page after clicking an advert, you get accused of cheating!

**Geiger** · 04-20-2007, 02:45 PM

Your site Famousr: Who Is More Famous? is similar to HOT or NOT or Jenna Fischer Nude 2 - Favorite

Check how FavoritePart.com does it. Surf around the site for a while and you'll see what I mean.

**john546** · 04-21-2007, 11:09 PM

Ummmm,

Something maybe a little fishy here. You site was lunched Monday and it's already getting over 1million pageviews. That is a large amount of traffic quickly, which means it is not really going to be from the Search Engines.

Where is your traffic coming from exactly. What is your main source of traffic. I could be that your traffic is very untargetted. Are you purchasing any of them paid traffic things like "buy 300,000 unique targeted visitors for $39.99". If that's correct then that is the reason you are making no money. This is because most if not all of the traffic from these programs are fake or very untargetted. Plus, even if you joined a CPM program you will not be in it that long. They will close your account straight away as it would look like fraud. The reaons for this is because even with CPM programs you still have to get a minimum amount of clicks with most of them. I think the average is something like a 0.20 - 0.5 CTR.

I would look at your traffic first. I think that is your main concern. After looking at your site, I can definately say that even if you had your banner ad down the bottom of the page it will still give you more than 3 clicks from 1 million pageviews as there is not much content on the page that I looked at. There is content, but the ad would be easily visible.

Anyway, hope you get your revenue sorted soon and good luck.

**Alex Mack** · 04-22-2007, 01:24 PM

I could get a million page views in 3 days if I wanted without resorting to automated. Post in the big social networks + and prominent links in loads of smaller communities + a decent ad campaign + work with others to further promote.

To be honest though, I agree that 1.8 million page views in such a short time does seem very odd in this instance.

**Moelman** · 04-22-2007, 09:39 PM

I think CPM is the way to go with that many pageviews.

**jesterx** · 04-23-2007, 07:16 AM

do contests offer free stuf, and get em to sign up. If you can build a list and then get them to trust you, they will buy from you eventually....see if you can do that.

you can also start a membership site.