Who's fed up with Google ads on the forum?

[Gavin]

Ok so I already know most are fed up with this. And you all likely know they pay for the forum but they are annoying and don't add any value to you as the user.

I am thinking/proposing another option that will both pay for the forum but also give back to you as members.

What if we ran paid competitions each month for window cleaning items, equipment etc. You enter for a small fee and potentially win something worth more than you paid, plus it equipment you want/need. Winner is chosen at random at the end date of the competition.

This is just an idea at the moment and if it worked would replace Google ads all over the forum.

Competitions would not compulsory. It also wouldn't be a monthly subscription or anything. It would be totally your choice if you enter or not.

Cost wise I'm not sure yet but possibly around the £2-5 mark per entry, depending on the prize.

Members could choose to enter by purchasing one or more tickets for the competition. The more tickets the better chance of winning. Winners chosen at random.

 

[Pjj]

Ok so I already know most are fed up with this. And you all likely know they pay for the forum but they are annoying and don't add any value to you as the user.

I am thinking/proposing another option that will both pay for the forum but also give back to you as members.

What if we ran paid competitions each month for window cleaning items, equipment etc. You enter for a small fee and potentially win something worth more than you paid, plus it equipment you want/need. Winner is chosen at random at the end date of the competition.

This is just an idea at the moment and if it worked would replace Google ads all over the forum.

How would it work ? What would it cost per month? Would it be compulsory for all members?

 

[Gavin]

Edited original post.

 

[Bwfc]

Sounds good.

 

[Windowcleaner88]

Like it

 

[marlowswindows]

Go for it great idea

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Ok so I already know most are fed up with this. And you all likely know they pay for the forum but they are annoying and don't add any value to you as the user.

I am thinking/proposing another option that will both pay for the forum but also give back to you as members.

What if we ran paid competitions each month for window cleaning items, equipment etc. You enter for a small fee and potentially win something worth more than you paid, plus it equipment you want/need. Winner is chosen at random at the end date of the competition.

This is just an idea at the moment and if it worked would replace Google ads all over the forum.

Competitions would not compulsory. It also wouldn't be a monthly subscription or anything. It would be totally your choice if you enter or not.

Cost wise I'm not sure yet but possibly around the £2-5 mark per entry, depending on the prize.

Members could choose to enter by purchasing one or more tickets for the competition. The more tickets the better chance of winning. Winners chosen at random.

Another thing is a forum lottery. Not sure what the legal stuff is around it. I think the internet has peaked and it will head down the way now. You can see that with Twitter and social media and eventually it will be subscription like what's happening with radio.

 

[johnny bravo]

will this mean only members who enter these competitions will be allowed to open all the forums on here . Or stay like it is as you know some will not want to paticipate. how will the draw take place . will it be good if you can have a Live stream a certain night to do the Draw. All members get a number for the Draw.

 

[Master Jedi Alejandro]

Personally I wouldn’t enter but as long as their is still the subscription option as well as then that’s fine.

 

[Gavin]

Yeah so this is all just ideas at the moment as untimely it has to work for you as members and us to pay for the forum.

The forum will stay as is but to enter the competition people will need to register as a member on the forum.

The draw would likely be a live draw each purchase/ticket will have a number. The live draw would consist of me using Google random number generator to generate a random number within the range of ticket numbers.

The legalities around this are a little complex but untimely this needs to work for all. Otherwise it could cost us more than it's worth.

For example if i set a competition with say 100 tickets available but only 2 sold for £2 each then the competition has earned us £4 and the prize will likely be worth much more than that. Then very quickly this would be a bad alternative to ads on the forum.

Legally we can't run the competition until we cover costs so there has to be an end date set and the prize has to be given regardless if we sell 1 ticket or 100

 

[Part Timer]

Not for me, as I think it's more beneficial for newbies, but as long as you keep the subscription option open I'll hang around

 

[Crystalalan]

I`d much rather win a holiday in the bahama`s or a speed boat

 

[Iron Giant]

Not for me I'm the same as the other lads, not sure if the lurkers will be up for it, for example, an SLX-22 is £306 without delivery that's a lot of £2-5 priced tickets to be sold to cover the cost of the pole and to try and cover the costs of running the forum to make it worthwhile.

 

[Iron Giant]

I`d much rather win a holiday in the bahama`s or a speed boat

How are you at playing darts?

 

[Eley]

Ok so I already know most are fed up with this. And you all likely know they pay for the forum but they are annoying and don't add any value to you as the user.

I am thinking/proposing another option that will both pay for the forum but also give back to you as members.

What if we ran paid competitions each month for window cleaning items, equipment etc. You enter for a small fee and potentially win something worth more than you paid, plus it equipment you want/need. Winner is chosen at random at the end date of the competition.

This is just an idea at the moment and if it worked would replace Google ads all over the forum.

Competitions would not compulsory. It also wouldn't be a monthly subscription or anything. It would be totally your choice if you enter or not.

Cost wise I'm not sure yet but possibly around the £2-5 mark per entry, depending on the prize.

Members could choose to enter by purchasing one or more tickets for the competition. The more tickets the better chance of winning. Winners chosen at random.

I think this is a good idea and would work depending on the volume of entrants. But count me in. Thanks

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Better to win a voucher for window cleaning warehouse so we could pick our own prize.

 

[johnny bravo]

im sure Gardiners & other companies will like a lot of visual publicity by offering you lower priced merchandise to put up for prizes .
It will generate a lot of interest from window cleaners to there sites.
Id like a new Sill brush for a few quid.
New Reel
New Van
HaHa
Can you go to a New Van ill push the boat out for that with a £10 ticket . New Citroen Dispatch 2.0 litre

 

[Chris34]

I wouldn't be interested. I don't mind the adverts, I realise it's to keep the forum going and some of the adverts have sparked my interest and I've had a look at their offerings.

Am I right in thinking that if you pay you don't get the adverts anyway? If so then the options there for anyone who doesn't like the adverts.

Like Scottish said, forums in general are dying / died and this one seems to be bucking that trend, it seems well used and has a lot of contributors. I'd keep it simple rather than trying to fix something that isn't broke.

 

[THL4KEL]

Years ago it busy all day long on here, these days there's only a couple of threads a day getting replied to.. Four threads today, six threads Saturday, four threads Friday were active..

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Years ago it busy all day long on here, these days there's only a couple of threads a day getting replied to.. Four threads today, six threads Saturday, four threads Friday were active..

Aye, I mostly watch Utube if I want to find the answer to something. The Arb forum has went the same way unless a slagging match evolves. House builders have stopped building new homes because they can't sell due to mortgage hikes, throw in the increase in E,F,G & H council band tax and folk are looking to downsize. If gas prices shot up this Winter then we will all be back to square one again. Got asked on Friday by a customer to go bi monthly for 1.5 times the price and happy to do so. I'm lucky I have a mix of council and private home owners because all we need is diesel price to rise by 40p and everything will head higher bar wages.

 

[Gavin]

Years ago it busy all day long on here, these days there's only a couple of threads a day getting replied to.. Four threads today, six threads Saturday, four threads Friday were active..

Yeah, sadly so. It used to be very busy here. I do wonder if some of that is the ads etc as it can be offputting and our busiest time was when we had no ads. That said so many things have changed over time, social media etc as well as businesses going under.

Forums generally are a dying bread now.