We Need You to Tell Us What You Think…
Okay, I've told you our story and now we need your help. Please, please tell us what you think:
- Would you be put off by banner ads? Or do you think the site would be enhanced by banner ads?
- Would you consider the content to be less accurate if there were banner ads on the site?
- Do you think people should have free access to the site or would a small monthly or annual payment be better than banner ads?
- If you think a small payment is preferable to banner ads, what do you think the payment amount should be?
We're listening. Please, please give us your honest feedback!
March 5, 2005 in Weblogs | Permalink
Comments
I just love the Dr greene site, i think advertising is a great way to generate funds.
I think having continued free access to this site is a great way to help it to grow. I much prefer banner ads to a fee to access the site.
Posted by: Dustyteri | Mar 15, 2005 12:10:19 PM
1-Small banner ads don't personally put me off, especially since they are so commonplace. The ads I don't like are the pop-up/under type.
2-I do question a sites content depending on what the banner ad is for, especially if it's an opinion I hadn't heard before or differs from mine. If the content is very standard, not controversial, not new information then I give the banner ad less weight (again, depending on what the ad is for)
3-Coming to the site as a newbie, one of the reasons I kept returning was because there was free access. All of our extra money had gone to co-pays and out of town Dr's appts and I needed something that was free. I like the idea of still being able to access the site under those conditions and would not mind a reasonable access fee now (perhaps have a couple of options for either a short-term or long-term membership?)
4- I have no idea.
Posted by: Heather | Mar 15, 2005 12:12:32 PM
I LOVE the blogs! I love learning of the people behind the names. I'm thankful that I have heard the life story first hand and it stays in my soul.
I love you both,
Cindy
Posted by: Cindy | Mar 16, 2005 1:34:52 PM
I don't have a problem with banner ads that relate to the site in some way. As an international user I think charges would put me off as I then have to worry about conversion rates etc etc. In a society that runs on user pays it is refreshing to know that you can have information about your childrens health issues at the ends of your fingers without the worry of expense.
Thank you for sharing your stories with us.
God Bless!
Marice
Posted by: Marice | Mar 16, 2005 3:37:33 PM
"Heart-to-heart" offers to extend the drgreene.com information site to a personal online community of caring and sharing members. This is a wonderful opportunity for all who participate. If paid advertising helps to fund the infrastructure of the sites, thereby allowing them to exist, then incorportaing ads makes all the sense in the world!
Posted by: Gale Wilson-Steele | Mar 17, 2005 9:49:31 AM
It is my thought that if banner ads will help us reach out and help more parents then we should go for it.
However please stay away from pop up ads, pop under ads, flashing ads, and ads that have nothing to do with our site. I think it is important that any ads we serve are relevant to the page they are on.
If the ad is for a product for teens, then lets be sure the ad is served on a page/article that is teen specific.
Don't get me wrong I don't think we should shut out companies - I just think that we need to be selective.
Through all of this we need to retain our focus and that is to help parents find and understand health and parenting information relating to their children.
I know and understand that we need to find a way to keep funding our site, and ways that will help us to grow - I just don't want to do it at the cost of our sites vision.
Posted by: Beverly Richardson | Mar 17, 2005 2:47:43 PM
Sorry it's taken me so long to get back on this--have been away, then needed to give it some thought. Here goes...
I've been a part of this amazing group of people for a number of years (at varying capacities). I met Dr. & Ms. Greene in a chatroom long ago, an internet newbie and rookie mommy. Soon afterwards, I started volunteering as a host for those chats, then on to the boards as we moved forwards. I can't even count the number of times I've been helped by their wisdom--or have seen another parent have their "ah-ha!" moment with the Greene's gentle guidance.
To see something as beneficial as drgreene.com falter due to lack of funding would be awful.
Regarding banner ads: they can be a useful way of generating income, but please keep them relevant. Heaven knows we see enough garbage on our daily trek through the internet--let's not add to that with ads that don't pertain to this website's focus. If the ads are kept relevant to the content of the site, (imo) they wouldn't detract from either the aesthetics of the site itself or the content. (And wholeheartedly agree--no pop-up/under/over ads, please!)
Regarding fee-for-access: so many people would not pay for information they felt they could find elsewhere for free. Others don't like to do financial transactions online. And (call me a cynic if you must) I feel that the option of "click here if you can't pay and someone else will pay for you" would just be abused.
Bring on the ads as necessary to keep drgreene.com alive.
Posted by: sunshynes | Mar 21, 2005 4:32:01 AM
I have long valued and appreciated the help, support and advice I've received from Dr. Greene. I have lost count of how many questions, large and small, he has answered for me. I would not at all be upset by banner ads. I think they are so common on the internet that no one would think twice about seeing them here. As others have said, keeping the companies that advertise relevent to the site would probably be best. I do not think making this a paid service would work. As a person who has sometimes had financial struggles, I would not like to use a paid site if it said someone else would pay for me because I would then feel like it was "charity", which, it would be, but...LOL! I think site usage would drop dramatically if it were made a paid site. I know your goal has always been to make an impact on the world in as large a way possible. Keeping the site free for all to use is one important way to do that. I would chose banner ads over making this a subscription site.
Posted by: ranchmom | Apr 2, 2005 5:38:52 AM
Please, no little membership fee. Banner ads are the way to go. People are used to them, can block pop-up ads, so they can also be used.
This was my first visit to your site and I loved reading the live history for both of you. My husband, kids and I have also had a very "interesting" life. Two adopted children (one who became Autistic, but is now healed through DAN! intervention and a normal, reading kindergartener!), a birth child, Alzheimer's mother (who we moved in with us for a while - not a healthy situation at all!), a suddenly-water-damaged-home-which-became-a-toxic-mold- house-but-which-was-the-biggest-blessing-for-learning, improving our health through drastic eating (we thought we were eating healthily before!) and living changes and which helped us discover the cause and cure for son's autism and my husband's problems caused by mercury and aluminum poisoning (now being chelated successfully & he is getting healthy again!), a bad contractor who did $200,000 worth of engineering damage to our home and then he declared bankruptcy, etc. So...what I greatly appreciated was seeing your triumph over problems which were/are also huge. Good Job and thanks for the conintuing inspiration. Stay free to users. Especially for people who do not have the funds to go to a Dr., but who need to find free information for their children on the internet. Many go to libraries, schools and at work use the internet for free because they can not afford it at home. For the growing population who do not have health insurance to freely visit Drs please stay as free as possible to the users. Thanks.
Posted by: Ruth Kramer | May 3, 2005 5:26:56 AM
I recently happened upon your site as I was searching for information about how much fluid my 6-month-old should have along with solid food.
I think your site is wonderful. I know I wouldn't have paid to see the information initially. I am used to banner ads and recommend going that route instead of fee-based.
Thanks for asking.
Posted by: Teresa Walls | Jun 1, 2005 3:11:02 PM
I live in India and I also dont know how I came upon on this site but "thank God i did!!" well if you place a charge on this site i wont be able to access it !! so please dont even consider placing a charge on it. tasteful and practical advertisements are really ok. and totally justified. as long as they dont keep popping up and ruining one's reading it is honestly ok to have them. many many thanks for a real site by real people for real people!!!
Posted by: nandita | Jul 21, 2005 1:29:47 AM
Being a member, and having worked online with Dr Green and Ms Greene in years past, I want to say I appreciate your history and I appreciate all that you have sacrificed and put into making such a quality site.
I must agree with Beverly, the ads are not a horrible idea, they actually might be a blessing in disquise. It may actually give the site an added boost. I can't be certain...but it's possible. I do believe the integrity of Dr Greene should stay intact. The companies that are advertised should fall in line with your philosophy concerning corporate america and it's greed. Perhaps if you use a list of criteria each advertiser must meet? I can't say what that would be for you, it would have to be based on your own thoughts and feelings about who you will advertise.
I too am disgusted and troubled by an organization who should have a certain decorum, only to hear ad's or see ad's that focus on get rich quick schemes and what I feel are morally bankrupt pastimes. You get my drift. I lost respect for a local radio station that called itself "Family Friendly", but their advertisements obviously came from shiesters. I don't want to lose respect for all that you have built.
I look forward to many more years with Dr Greene and
I'll pray for wisdom for you in your decisions.
Posted by: MrsPoopidoop | Aug 4, 2005 9:53:13 AM
This site is just great. I found myself talking to my housband about what DR. Green sais about this or that. I am a chat user and also I find the posted information very useful. I do not mind paying for using this site since my money will worth the information and help that I will receive. I am from Mexico and it is very cool to have a pediatrician's advice available 24x7. Also you can contac Dr. Green twice a week or so and he can answer to your questions. In other sites you have to pay for it so I do not see a problem paying a montly or annual subscription to have access to it if that is the way that this site can survive.
The only problem that I see is that that people that do not have an international credit card will have problems.
The subscrption rate could be lowered by using some advertising related to what it is displayed in this site.
I love this site and it had helped me to understand some of the problems that I had faced while rising my 2 years old daughter.
Posted by: ceccha31 | Jan 3, 2006 11:49:58 AM
I love this site and refer to it time and time again. Go for the banner ads and keep them relevant. As a marketing specialist, I would say that you should have no problem attracting the right products for the site's demographic. Relevant ads will work for the advertiser as well as the user. Try to stay away from pharmaceutical companies and big retailers though. Educational toys & products, wholesome baby food & products...I can imagine the possibilities are endless!
Posted by: | Feb 21, 2006 10:04:43 PM
I'd say do what it takes to keep this site up and running. How awesome is it that Dr Greene is like the ONLY ped out there that I know that actually takes a time and gives you a straight forward answer to our questions bout our kids and family etc where other peds. act as though they're holding the secrets to life and would be persecuted if we as parents found out such info. Banner ads are very common place, that doesn't bother me in the least bit. Paying a small fee doesn't bother me either.But something that I have seen on other sites...of course, not LIKE this one, but they offer FREE subscription and then a small fee subscription. Under the FREE one, they have limited access to the site...for instance, if this site had this option, the archives would be available for the free service, but to CHAT for instance or posting questions would only be available for paying subscribers. Just a few thoughts and I know that I won't be the most popular person here, but this is your all's source of income. Again, I say do what you must...I'd be willing to give my left leg and arm in return to receive as much invaluable info as I have since being a member here since 2000.
Sincerely,
Anna Ellison
aka amellison
Posted by: Anna | Feb 24, 2006 12:18:52 PM
I'd like to have a donation area... to donate to the site if we want/can afford to. I know the advice, support, answers, encouragement have been priceless in my life and the people who I have come in contact with through this website are truly the best. I couldn't imagine my life without this website running. I wouldn't have a problem donating through paypal, or otherwise, if there was an option. Afterall, we pay 15.00 at a doctor to ask questions and don't get the good answers like Dr. Greene gives. If people WANT to donate, that would be cool. And I am not opposed to the ads either, it doesn't bother me one bit. I'm just grateful for what I have, and if there ever came a time for the site to fall, I'd go out and raise money myself to keep it running!!! :0)
Posted by: Amy/SnowWhite760 | May 9, 2006 8:23:21 AM
I agree with Amy/SnowWhite760, a donation button would be great. I've received so much great information from Dr. Greene, and so much middle-of-the-night reassurance! I would happily donate via PayPal to help keep the site going.
I have no problem with well-chosen ads, either. I agree that pop-ups and -unders are a problem, as are get-rich-quick, online casino, etc. But I can also see ads for OTC medications raising concerns in site visitors about conflict of interest. So you'd want to be careful about the content of the ads.
Funny thing is, I found your blog because I was looking around on the site for a way to support you as thanks for all the helpful information.
Posted by: Sara in SoCal | Jul 7, 2006 2:12:40 PM
Banner ads would be just fine. DrGreene.com is such an established name that I don't think ads would make the information seem less accurate. And surley most people understand that even doctors need to make a living.
I love the site, best of luck!
Posted by: L | Sep 14, 2006 12:07:56 PM
