Premium Advertisements Now Available

[Des-Lab]

I can't imagine how any of you could've missed the banner ads that have been placed conspicuously in the body of all the topics and before the Hit Reply option:

http://www.tapeheads.net/_wizardimages/2010_NewLogo_Advertise.JPG





That is the so-called "prime" space here on the site and is now available for anyone* to purchase to use to garner awareness to their site, be it an e-vendor/website, blog, item for sale either here or elsewhere. Try it! Click on that banner ad before the "Post Reply" anywhere on the site and it will direct you back to this message. The one after the "First Post" does NOT have a link and is merely passive.

Rates are as follows:

BANNER ONLY:

5 days....$15
10 days....$25
30 days....$50
90 days....$100
180 days...$175
1 year.......$250
Life...........$500

BANNER AND LINK (not available in the "after first post" section because the EMBED code disrupts all subsequent postings; this option ONLY available in the space immediately adjacent to the Post Reply spots; is where cursors and mouse points will be closer to anyway.)

5 days....$20
10 days....$30
30 days....$60
90 days....$125
180 days...$200
1 year.......$300
Life...........$600

Interested parties may send inquiries here (webmaster@tapeheads.net) or else if you are a member, you may send me a direct PM. Current traffic statistics always available. Please allow me up to 24 hours to respond to your request.

This service is being offered in addition to the existing marketplace sections (http://www.tapeheads.net/forumdisplay.php?f=12), which are available at no charge to eligible (http://www.tapeheads.net/showthread.php?t=274) members. It will not replace it.

Thank you!

Also please note that the rates will get your banner ad placed in BOTH locations per ad purchase: One "banner only" purchase will have your ad placed both in the space below every opening post as well as in the space immediately adjacent to "post reply". No direct link will be embedded in either banner. A "banner and link" purchase will see a banner ad placed again in both locations. However, ONLY the banner in the space next to "post reply" will contain a live clickable link.

*= site subject to approval based on content being relevant to the Tapeheads.Net audience.

[Scorpion8]

*=site subject to approval based on content being relevant to the Tapeheads.Net audience.

Dang, no "Sarah Palin for President" ads, huh?!? *fit*

*grin*

[Warped Bezel]

Dang, no "Sarah Palin for President" ads, huh?!? *fit*

*grin*

Pop UP, not OUT.

Actually, look at Bike Forums (bikeforums.net) for examples of how good placement looks. Nobody really loves the one with the ad IN IT but they were between previously. People there subscribe to have no ads but I doubt that works here...

I would suggest that 1. There be a section that the banner ads leads to where you can also find links, promotionals and the website instead of just CLICK AND LEAVE or CLICK TO NEW WINDOW/TAB.

2. There be established a polling center there that allows you to give feedback (anonymously or not) to help our advertisers guage our needs and concerns and tune their advertising.

3. Establishment of a Tapeheads FAvorited By MEmbers (FAME) status, independent of time frame unless agreed upon predetermined as chosen by members as a favored business. The chosen can ask to opt out but this can also be independent of ads. A periodic FAME campaign can be launched where members are surveyed to determine this awarding.

4. Swag that doesn't always rely on a member/staff giving away their own stuff. We can do this with more advertisers.

5. T-shirts T-shirts T-shirts, let's buy stuff with our name all over it because we are proud and wacky capitalists!

More fertile thoughts not necessarily organic but the best dung I've flung.

[Des-Lab]

Actually, look at Bike Forums (bikeforums.net) for examples of how good placement looks. Nobody really loves the one with the ad IN IT but they were between previously. People there subscribe to have no ads but I doubt that works here...

There is no invention in the history of mankind that is more egregious and annoying than the popup ad. I will NEVER, EVER knowingly allow those on. As far as ad placement and presentation? That's very fluid and can be adjusted on an as-needed basis. Right now it's pretty ad-hoc with the banners just cobbled together at the bottom of the page. I guess it could use some cleanup if for no other reason than to give some symmetry to the layout. I guess presentation and appearance would really need to count. Give me a couple weeks to get that all squared away.

I would suggest that 1. There be a section that the banner ads leads to where you can also find links, promotionals and the website instead of just CLICK AND LEAVE or CLICK TO NEW WINDOW/TAB.

Isn't that tantamount to...advertising an advertisement? Isn't that redundant? Or am I missing something else?

2. There be established a polling center there that allows you to give feedback (anonymously or not) to help our advertisers guage our needs and concerns and tune their advertising.

We already have that, anonymously for guests or members who'd prefer not to be named at the bottom of this (http://www.tapeheads.net/about.htm) page (accessed from the homepage). We also have the suggestion box (http://www.tapeheads.net/forumdisplay.php?f=13)for members to use.


3. Establishment of a Tapeheads FAvorited By MEmbers (FAME) status, independent of time frame unless agreed upon predetermined as chosen by members as a favored business. The chosen can ask to opt out but this can also be independent of ads. A periodic FAME campaign can be launched where members are surveyed to determine this awarding.

You lost me there. What exactly is that? Please elaborate.

4. Swag that doesn't always rely on a member/staff giving away their own stuff. We can do this with more advertisers.

Agreed.

5. T-shirts T-shirts T-shirts, let's buy stuff with our name all over it because we are proud and wacky capitalists!

I've been tiptoeing around that idea for quite some time now and would love to do them, at least for myself. I have a design already made up. I just haven't done any shopping to get price quotes. Frankly I'm afraid to invest in a huge box-o-shirts because I'm not confident I'd get enough buyers on them to break even and recoup the costs I would need to front to get them created. I've considered taking pre-order commitments complete with payment due in advance. I'm not comfortable taking payment for item(s) that aren't yet in my posession. But if there's any follow up support, I may take a look at the idea.

[Warped Bezel]

Tapeheads FAME is simple. Advertisers whose products and business acumen are really groovy with us should get a designation (FAME). It doesn't have to be just product/advertiser of the month, the period of honor could be longer. We could do stuff with FAME promotions and make it a part of the incentive to advertise here...helping the enthusiast user.

Building trust and respect with the companies we like builds on the community spirit.

Nominations can also be offered by members to spotlight/check out buzz.

It's not a big drain on moderators as the members have done most of the work and you then summarize and editorialize.

Did that help? I got 2,467 braincells that are now on strike for...well, I don't know, the others won't say!

[Elite-ist]

Hi Des,

I would be proud to wear a Tapeheads shirt and the T-shirt project should be done by pre-order. In our local car club, yearly dues are used to help with those costs. But, since there isn't an annual membership fee on this forum, we should show our committment by pre-paying the cost of the shirt(s) we want to order. And I would certainly wear it while I'm out shopping for anything audio-related...with the exception of some of those times when I'm on the hunt for a score! I wouldn't want to tip off I'm a player.

Nando.

[Warped Bezel]

A TAPE PLAYER?

[Elite-ist]

A TAPE PLAYER?

Your hair-trigger come-backs crack me up, WB! That's what I intended to mean all along, and you are quick as a whip, even though you're 44! You really overdid it with the aspartame, in yesterday's B'day celebration.

Nando.

[Warped Bezel]

I did actually but it put a big dent between the lead post and the following ones, almost enough to lose track.

If they worked they did. Having them split a reply from the body being replied to can be disconcerting if that occurs.

[Warped Bezel]

Your hair-trigger come-backs crack me up, WB! That's what I intended to mean alll along, and you are quick as a whip, even though you're 44! You really overdid it with the aspartame, in yesterday's B'day celebration.

Nando.

I have two limes remaining but no cherry drink mix.

As such I am NOT drinking the Kool-Aid.

I hate to inform you that most of the time I drink tap water. Am I all wet?

[Pentium100]

...
(not available in the "after first post" section because the EMBED code disrupts all subsequent postings; this option ONLY available in the space immediately adjacent to the Post Reply spots; is where cursors and mouse points will be closer to anyway.)
...

Is that some sort of vBulletin function or are you thinking about <embed> html tag?

Anyway, I looked at the source and your code for the bottom ad is wrong:
<a href=""> tag has to have a closing tag </a>
this is XHTML, so <img> tag has to be self-closing - <img src="" />

So, the correct way of making the image a clickable link is <a href="" ><img src="" /></a>

Otherwise some browsers may display the site incorrectly.

[shadowlord]

shirts would be awesome !!!

unfortunately i know from a large hardwareforum that they didn't sell enough shirts to make it worthwhile.

[Nakdoc]

Des,
Would it be possible to rotate or alternate banner ads, to an ad appears 50% of the time but displays for twice as long?

[Des-Lab]

Is that some sort of vBulletin function or are you thinking about <embed> html tag?

Anyway, I looked at the source and your code for the bottom ad is wrong
Otherwise some browsers may display the site incorrectly.

Are you sure you are viewing it correctly? All the banners now installed are displaying and linking exactly as I had intended. As fas as I know, I have the correct 'a href' and /> tags written into the scripts.

shirts would be awesome !!!

unfortunately i know from a large hardwareforum that they didn't sell enough shirts to make it worthwhile.

I agree. T-shirts would be awesome. But as I said above, I have some seriously deep reservations about having more than a small handful (for myself and maybe a few close friends and family) made up as I'm just not confident that they would sell. And I would have GOOD shirts made with quality silkscreening on a Hanes "Beefy T" pure cotton shirt. None of that cheapass iron on decals on a generic/unbranded shirt. Thing is, that would likely require a selling price of probably $25 or maybe even a bit higher, depending on what kind of price I can get. Who is going to spend that kind of money on a t-shirt?

Des,
Would it be possible to rotate or alternate banner ads, to an ad appears 50% of the time but displays for twice as long?

If you mean change out the banners for an existing sponsor who paid for a block of time? Sure why not? But if (for instance) the Acme Tape Company purchased a one year banner ad, I would be contractually committed to display an Acme Tape Company ad for one year. But if they wanted to, yes, I could change the actual banner design itself to keep it rotated and fresh if requested. But that particular sponsors ad would not be rotated 'out' as long as they were within the allotted time that they purchased. As far as sequencing them? In the [admittedly unlikely] event I get multiple sponsors, they will be displayed in chronological order based on when they made the purchase.

[Warped Bezel]

Are you sure you are viewing it correctly? All the banners now installed are displaying and linking exactly as I had intended. As fas as I know, I have the correct 'a href' and /> tags written into the scripts.

I have a feeling that the cover page problem that some have with wrap and juxtapositioning has to do with monitor drivers than HTML as this NEC AccuSync 70 has the problem while my Micron Electronics (MPC) Trinitron is fine with the same computer and others.

[Pentium100]

Are you sure you are viewing it correctly? All the banners now installed are displaying and linking exactly as I had intended. As fas as I know, I have the correct 'a href' and /> tags written into the scripts.


The bottom banner of this thread has this code:<a href="http://www.tapeheads.net/showthread.php?t=8978"><img src=http://www.tapeheads.net/_wizardimages/2010_NewLogo_Advertise.JPG>
What is should be is:<a href="http://www.tapeheads.net/showthread.php?t=8978"><img src="http://www.tapeheads.net/_wizardimages/2010_NewLogo_Advertise.JPG" /></a>
The URL should be in quotes, img tag should end with /> instead of > and there should be a closing tag for <a>

If you mean change out the banners for an existing sponsor who paid for a block of time? Sure why not? But if (for instance) the Acme Tape Company purchased a one year banner ad, I would be contractually committed to display an Acme Tape Company ad for one year.

You could offer the company an option of buying a one year banner ad and have it displayed for two years, but only 50% of the time the other 50% being some other company's ad. This way multiple companies could advertise at the same time.

I have a feeling that the cover page problem that some have with wrap and juxtapositioning has to do with monitor drivers than HTML as this NEC AccuSync 70 has the problem while my Micron Electronics (MPC) Trinitron is fine with the same computer and others.
Monitor drivers should not affect how a HTML page is rendered, they only specify how the signal should be sent to the monitor, most of the time there is no need for separate monitor drivers (I just specified max resolution and max refresh rate of my monitor in the control panel of my video card, otherwise it was only 60Hz since my monitor and KVM switch do not support DDC).

[Warped Bezel]

Resolution has no effect in this case and I have to use it at 1024x768 or it becomes a PITA to adjust to actually read it well.

I've got my Extron 109, wait til I have on one of my CRT projectors.

[Pentium100]

Resolution has no effect in this case and I have to use it at 1024x768 or it becomes a PITA to adjust to actually read it well.

NEC AccuSync 70 has maximum resolution of 1280x1024, but only at 66Hz, so Windows would only give you 60Hz. And I would not want to use a CRT monitor at 60Hz for long periods of time...

My main PC has an ATI video card and the drivers support me specifying the max resolution of my monitor (in my case 2048x1536) and max refresh rate at the minimum resolution (in my case 160Hz) and then it calculates proper refresh rates for other resolutions, but I usually use 85Hz, since that is good for resolutions up to 1920x1440 and only 2048x1536 needs a lower refresh rate, 75Hz.

[Rossco]

I agree. T-shirts would be awesome. But as I said above, I have some seriously deep reservations about having more than a small handful (for myself and maybe a few close friends and family) made up as I'm just not confident that they would sell. And I would have GOOD shirts made with quality silkscreening on a Hanes "Beefy T" pure cotton shirt. None of that cheapass iron on decals on a generic/unbranded shirt. Thing is, that would likely require a selling price of probably $25 or maybe even a bit higher, depending on what kind of price I can get. Who is going to spend that kind of money on a t-shirt?

Have you heard of cafepress.com? Another club I'm in has had some promotional items produced by them.
"CafePress is the place to make personalized T-shirts and photo shirts.
Just pick a T-shirt below to get started.
Design your tee in minutes with our online designer. Simply upload your photos and/or artwork, personalize with text, and order.
Choose from a wide variety of custom t-shirt styles and colors.
No minimum shirt quantities.
High quality, full color printing — great for photo tees.
Fast shipping on all personalized T-shirts. 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Pick a T-shirt to personalize. It's easy."

Ross