14 Sep
Don’t be alarmed if you see some flashing ads, glaring buttons, and other crazy modifications here on the Green Baby Guide. Let me explain! When Joy and I first started this website last December, we didn’t want to sell out by plastering the site with dozens of advertisements. After all, one of the dominating themes here is that you don’t need things to help you adjust to life with a new baby.
However, there is one little detail that we forgot to take into account when making this decision: we are technologically illiterate. Therefore, we needed to hire someone to help us out. Yes, we’re getting better, but allow me to give you an idea of just how little we knew about this blogging business: When we first started, I asked my cousin webmaster if it would be possible for us to make hyperlinks on the Green Baby Guide.
Me: Like, instead of typing http://greenbabyguide.com, could I write Green Baby Guide and make it highlighted so people can click on it and it will go to that site?
Webmaster: Uh, yes. I think that we have the technology to accomplish that.
We continued to dazzle our webmaster with our ignorance as we revealed that all that time she was urging us to “include at least five tags” on each post, we thought she meant links. Or that we still hadn’t figured out how to paste a Word document into the WordPress template we use for this site. We’ve learned so much over these months while somehow maintaining a complete lack of knowledge of HTML.
So, we went back and forth about “monetizing” our site (as they say in the blogging world) and finally decided that it wouldn’t hurt to add some Googleads in order to cover the expenses we’ve paid out of our own pockets over the months. Lest anyone accuse us of selling out, I can assure you that we have not even come close to covering our expenses! I hope the ads don’t distract or annoy our readers too much.
And what about those “Digg,” “Hugg,” and “Buzz it up!” buttons you’re seeing by each post? When you click on one of these buttons, it submits our post to a list of noteworthy articles on those sites. Once you are a registered member of these sites, you can submit any of the Green Baby Guide articles you’ve found particularly edifying (or entertaining) with the click of a button. Our webmaster assures us that some people spend hours surfing around looking for interesting articles to read with Digg, Hugg, et al, so with these buttons we can lure other likeminded readers to the Green Baby Guide.
Finally, we’re adding another post a week. Next Sunday will feature our very first “Green Baby Guide’s Sunday Round-Up,” in which we point you to many of the other fascinating posts we find on other green blogs.
Thank you for bearing with us as we adjust to these changes. Please let us know if you have any comments or suggestions for making our site work better for you!
8 Responses for "Changes Here on the Green Baby Guide"
That’s a-ok with me! I MUCH prefer ads on sites as opposed to sponsored posts. I just don’t trust blogs with those.
You’ve got expenses you need to cover, and as a reader, I have no problem with ads as long as they aren’t overwhelming.
Just a tip – I would remove the comment in this post about visitors constantly clicking on ads to make you millionaires – I know it’s a joke, but I’m a webmaster also and Google frowns heavily on doing ANYTHING to incite your visitors to click (check the T+C). It’s enough to get you thrown off their program – permanently!
Whoa, thanks for the tip, Chris!
Also, for those of you looking for Eileen’s Green Spotlight post, our series will return tomorrow!
Yeah! I hope you guys DO get rich so you can quit the day jobs and be full-time earth-mamas! With more time for visiting friends.=) You do deserve to get paid for what you’re doing here.
I think it is a great idea. I’ve actually been toying with the idea of placing some ads just to cover my costs. Hope it brings in some cash for you!
I don’t mind ads at all! I really enjoy your blog, all it’s great idea, and mingling with like-minded bloggers!
Good For you! Running a blog or website does have expenses and the Google ads will bring in some money. I started my Google ads a few weeks ago and have made some decent money since then. What is important is that you have content on your site and that is all that counts. If people don’t want to stick , that is their loss. There are some “green” companies that you could become affiliated with also. While we all do try to be frugal, but sometimes we do have to buy stuff and I rather that stuff be environmentally friendly. I love discovering new Eco-Friendly products. Good luck with your new venture!
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