NONE: Re: ONLINE-ADS>> Webrings. Worth it?
Re: ONLINE-ADS>> Webrings. Worth it?
Leo Sheiner (leo_at_netcomuk.co.uk)
Thu, 25 Dec 1997 18:56:00 +0000
Joel Shellman <tou_at_tou.com> wrote:
<snip>
>Also, just for one person's opinion, the first things I think of a webpage
when
>I see a webring on it is "unprofessional" and "desparate for traffic". I
would
>be extremely wary of doing any kind of business with a web page that had a
web
>ring on it. To me, web rings mean personal homepages, usually with no
content
>(or no content I'm interested in). Now maybe that is just due to my
experience
>looking through a lot of personal homepages on free webpage services, but...
>Does anyone know if web rings generally have the same image with most
surfers as
>I have of them?
<snip>
Thank the lord for Christmas since it has given me the chance to
catch up on reading my backlog of discussion lists :) I found this
topic of Webrings very interesting and I think Joel has put his finger
right on the weakness as I also see it. I will be curious to see if
others agree. Webrings seem to me to be the preserve of the
aimless wanderers generating low-grade traffic. I hope others will
add their comment. I see them as a magical mystery tour and have
never recommended them to my clients.
A webring is basically a randomizing alternative to a list of links. It
seems to me that what is needed is less rather than more
randomness than a list of links provides. Cross linking is
potentially a very valuable way to generate targeted traffic. But like
much on the web - to make it work well - it needs moderating.
I have just built an interesting facility for a couple of clients. It is an
automated moderated cross linking database-generated-directory
of links with built in reporting and prioritising. Visitors to the site can
add their site URL, description of their site, and can either choose
an existing category or define a new one. The visitor picks up code
for cross linking and specifies where that link will live. Their link goes
live right away but the database also tracks the traffic arriving from
the cross-link. If the traffic is zero for a specified period it de-activates
the link automatically. The site owner can de-activate a category or
an entry if they think it inappropriate to the subject of their site. All it
takes is single click. Moderation made simple. The site owner also
sees an online report of all the traffic coming in from those links.
Meanwhile visitors to the directory of links can search by category and
see a list of links which are automatically prioritised within category
according to the number of visitors they have sent to the clients site.
In my view this provides more useful targeted viewing to the visitor than
any webring can and it provides tools to the host site with which they
can add value to their site and reward those sites that send them traffic.
If anyone is interested in having a hosted customised copy of this
facility I can make it available for a modest fee <g>. The first example
of this facility is going up first week in January and I will be happy to
send the URL to anyone interested.
http://www.safe-audit.com/ promotes Ecommerce on the
most cost-effective Transaction Banner Ad Network. 2,500
Hostsites with 85 million pageviews can boost your traffic.
mailto:leo_at_global-m.com Telephone +44181 346 0770
Leo Scheiner at Global Market Ltd.
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