advertising, anyone?

with my new website coming up, i'm looking on ways to make it a bit more beneficial.... google offers a way for you to include ads on your site and you get a teeny bit of money for it... i tried throwing a couple on here for a split second [to test it out] and the ads were all for green bean casserole.... phooey... i was kinda hoping that there'd be ads on paper and such... now, i don't want to throw a bazillion annoying ads on there, but i am curious on your opinion on the overall matter... considering that i am all for promoting artists and their art, do you think the google ads would counteract that idea?!

have any of you used google ads? and have any of you gone onto a site and was turned off by all the ads??? personally, i like a clutter-free website and blog... i like things organized and easy for people to go through... that means i enjoy going to other sites with the same organizational qualities... in saying so, i don't want a thousand ads telling you to go here and there and never back to the greenbeanbaby site... considering how life is so full of chaos and things to do and places to go, i actually want my site to be a wonderful place to sit down and relax... drink a cup of coffee and browse through the world of cut paper... be inspired and motivated... high hopes for this site, ya know? and yet, there is so much to complete on there too >sigh<

i've been working very hard on the etsy stuff... probably not as hard as i should though... i can't tell you how many notebooks i've gotta illustrate... and the magnets... and the notecards... and a couple of surprise goodies... i've lost count... to be honest, i am just plum tired and considered on extending the date... however, i refuse to do that because we all know that nobody likes a procrastinator... come march 27th, that night is going to be filled with putting all the goodies up in the shop, adding descriptions, and tags, and leaving them in the inactive listings spot... then at midnight, each item will be added in... hopefully ramel won't mind giving this greenbean a helping hand....

on a completely different topic, check this out... there is my mom on the far left... isabella is on the right... don't they look so much alike?! between that hair and cheeks [and the serious face they give], you can tell isabella and my mom are related...  it's one of the 2 pictures i've ever seen of my mom in her childhood years... it's always amazing to see how much our kids resemble the people we love most...

now, time to get diego on the school bus, isabella down for a nap, work on some art, and go to a school meeting [and make it home in time for LOST]

side note: pretty soon, that abc project [like the letter z in the first image] i've been working on will be unveiled... just waiting on a couple more pieces... i've received so much help from many talented artists, you will all enjoy it, no doubt!

Comments

[Karen]

Hi Ellia. I tried google ads for a while but found they weren't relevant and de-subscribed,, if thats the word. I thought they affected the overall impression of my blog in a negative way. Have you thought about ads for people like me? Paid of course, a bit like the one you reffered me to, which I have done now by the way.
On another subject, I cant wait to see what you are putting in etsy, and Isabella really does look like your mum, I find that with my kids. My son has exactly the same mannerisms, voice and everything as one of my brothers, freaks me out sometimes.

[amy]

I checked into google ads I think it was and didn't get very far. I just don't like tons of things on the sidebar flashing things at me while I am looking. One ad that's small on the side i think is still fine. Don't know if that helps or not.And yes I love seeing old photos or a current one where there's that glimpse that hey they look like Nana or Great Grandma! I had to check the birth/c-section photos of my daughter before we left the hospital because she looked nothing like me. :)

[mushroommeadows]

Yay for the upcoming website!!! :)

As for the google ads-I have a couple on my blog...I don't know why cause they're way, way on the bottom of my page. :) I have clicked on ads before on other websites and blogs, so I'm sure you could make some money off them. :D

Oh, the flickr doodle I did was completely done digitally. :)

[Storme]

if they flash or do annoying things I find ads a real turn-off, but if you approached businesses that *you* like and keep the ads pretty and simple then why not?!

[Simone]

I can't offer any advice regarding having ads on your site, but as you don't seem too keen on the idea, is it worth it if they only pay a tiny bit of money? I think that there is a big likeness between Isabella and your mum. I like the way they are both posing with their toys, and the fact that even their hair is the same!

[mimi k]

I tried Google ads for a bit- they never put up anything that I thought people would click on. They were not getting any kind of match for my site. They try to use keywords, but they don't seem to get the whole picture. I finally canned them as ugly and useless. My husband writes about business and economics and such and his ads have been much better. He gets a check for about $100 every once in a while.

[Jen]

I actually get turned off by web sites that have a lot of ads. I'm not really impressed with how Google ads are designed. Half the time I wonder if they are legit.

[Gracie]

How exciting?! I can't wait to see your website. Plus I'm really looking forward to the reopening of your Etsy. It sounds amazing!!

I'm not sure I would like google ads either. I'm not sure really. I don't really pay any attention to them so not sure if it annoys me or not.

Plus the pic of Isabella and your mum is so sweet. They really look alike =)

[Mizuhiki]

I agree. Your mother and Isabella look like... long lost twins. :) They look very similar to each other.

I'm not sure about the google ads. Half of them just clutter up the entire space and it doesn't help anyone. It just might turn off a lot of potential readers.

But I can't wait to see how our shop look like after the "transformation". Dun-dun-dun DUUUUNNNN. ;)

[Debbie Yost]

I'm looking into putting ads on my blog and have the same impression of Google ads. I had one person recommend ad-link and another recommend Blog Her Ads. I haven't checked into them yet, but thought I'd pass on the information.

[fibrespace]

Hello, I've recently discovered your blog, and love to read it, hope you don't mind, I've tagged you, the details are on my blog.

[Heather]

A friend of mine has ads on her site for her own amusement sake. She said that people would have to hit them ALOT for it to benefit her financially but she likes to see what ads Google thinks relates to her content. I have to admit there have been some funny ones. I personally am of the mind that a clean palatte allows for better taste. Sell space to people yourself - then you'll get ads that relate to the wonderful world of paper.