Are we a commercial site now?????

[jonathon]

I'd second that Orkney!

[bigginger]

Thirded, as I've oftn said. Surprised that Jon ian't on the committee - i thoought that was part of being thw web master

[bpr81a]

I'm not webmaster - Cam is

Site 'sponsorship' is an option but may compromise independence. Plus, If we do a deal with one supplier, what will the ohers say? Anyway the whole point of the ads at the moment is to find out what is possible. The complete day they were on generated £2 - doesn't seem much, but over a year....

The committee do recognise the value of a web presence - after all, I understand that a lot of new memberships and renewals come thru the web.

Ideally I'd like to run ads (left hand side ) for a week to judge the possible benefit to the club, and a week just on the main site.

Jon

[Orkney]

If we do a deal with one supplier, what will the ohers say?

easy - you make it a sealed bid auction for the priveleage - that way they say nothing - think what an quarter page ad in a specialist mag costs for 1 month - more than the cost of a years hosting of here does.
Business is business ......

[rayofleamington]

I've often wondered why there isn't a trade advert section on the site. The pricing can be simple enough - Minor Matters lists flat rates based on space...

But anyway, I'm glad to see that it is being taken on board - although still being a bit frosty to their inclusion on the 'advert free' messageboard.

Over the years, the club website is going to superseed a lot of the 'old ways of doing business' even for the MMOC, in the same way that email has replaced posted letters in most cases.

[jonathon]

I feel that single sponsorship is a bad idea. If there really must be advertising then it should be limited to the index page only.
I'd probably suggest that there is a section where members or visitors can click on their relevant request heading, for example say brakes, a drop down list could then be displayed listing the options ie standard parts upgrades,and help. The standard link could then list all advert participating traders, as with those who supply modifications, and the help could link directly to previous questions/discussions on the chosen field.
This will allow for traders to buy space and have direct links with specific requests. The traders page could also be accessed directly through 'Traders' section link.
This would negate potential preferential treatment to individual traders who might be seen as manipulating by default, the forum at present, ie ESM, Bull Motif and ourselves are heavily represented .
This will allow the forum to be uninterupted by distracting adds, a quick 'find' outlet for simlpe who does what and how much, and a direct link to previous discussion without searching.

[frosty]

I feel that single sponsorship is a bad idea. If there really must be advertising then it should be limited to the index page only.
I'd probably suggest that there is a section where members or visitors can click on their relevant request heading, for example say brakes, a drop down list could then be displayed listing the options ie standard parts upgrades,and help. The standard link could then list all advert participating traders, as with those who supply modifications, and the help could link directly to previous questions/discussions on the chosen field.
This will allow for traders to buy space and have direct links with specific requests. The traders page could also be accessed directly through 'Traders' section link.
This would negate potential preferential treatment to individual traders who might be seen as manipulating by default, the forum at present, ie ESM, Bull Motif and ourselves are heavily represented .
This will allow the forum to be uninterupted by distracting adds, a quick 'find' outlet for simlpe who does what and how much, and a direct link to previous discussion without searching.

Brilliant , Simple and Effective

[DaveC]

I'd probably suggest that there is a section where members or visitors can click on their relevant request heading, for example say brakes, a drop down list could then be displayed listing the options ie standard parts upgrades,and help. The standard link could then list all advert participating traders, as with those who supply modifications, and the help could link directly to previous questions/discussions on the chosen field.

This is a great idea!! A reference point for all of us who look after our own cars, regardless of our level of experience and capability. When we get out of depth, stuck or want bits, the list of trader contacts is there with the heading. Perhaps the MMOC would publish this section annually and issue it along with the handbook? (for those without access to the web)
Dave

[Packedup]

Simple advertising:

Put a static, not flashing whistling plain clickable image in the banner at the top. Have the software set up (I imagine PNphp has the facility or a mod available) to change the banner image at a specified time, so the ads rotate. Sell the space for a fixed fee to any trader who wishes to advertise. That takes up what is currently blank blue space, doesn't intrude on the screen like the sidebar ads did, and should be reasonably appealing to potential advertisers.

I also like the idea of a section with the drop down menu of who sells the bits you're looking for, but can see how it might not appeal to the "ads on every page ££££££" mindset...

[Welung666]

I haven't been on for a few days as I found the advertisements extremely distracting and annoying. As this appears to be a practise run at a money making excercise by the committee shouldn't it have been put to a poll of the most important of members... the message board users. What do we pay our membership fees for? I have always been led to believe that the website is included in this fee so if the running costs exceed the fees then up the membership fee! If it comes to keeping bannered or sidebar ad's permanently fixed to the board then I shall stop using it all together.

[rayofleamington]

The committee had asked Jon/Cam to look into advertising revenue and this was just a test to see how it works in practise - only so that Jon could report back based on some data rather than a guesstimate.
This wasn't a stealth change of policy, despite the conspiracy theories.

The site is run by volunteers and not proffessionals - rather like working on a car, you gain more experience by doing than by conjecture. Jon made a practise run to see how the ad funding works. People are assuming that this was a demand from the committee - it wasn't, it was merely sparked off by a valid question from the committee that it should be looked into.

The advert links on the messagboard pages hadn't meant to be intrusive. However they were first tested on a high resolution screen, and as we all know some people's screens fit things in far better than other peoples! My screen is pretty high res but still I found they got in the way.
It was only a quick test, but based on the feedback it was removed immediately from the messageboard.

do we pay our membership fees for? I have always been led to believe that the website is included in this fee

All club services are included in the fees. I'm not going to quit the club because the club magazine has adverts in it! In fact I'd probably be annoyed if it didn't!
The world is moving forward and I think it's long overdue that the club website has more resources than it does at the moment - including more supplier info.
Obviously nobody wants adverts that are intrusive, but IMO the website shuld have trader links in the same way that the mag does.

[wibble_puppy]

IMO the website shuld have trader links in the same way that the mag does.

there is a good links page on the site

[rayofleamington]

If you mean this one:

http://www.mmoc.org.uk/modules.php?op=m ... ink&cid=10

then yes the links pages are good but it's not the kind of nice traders advertising pages that the mag currently has, and most of the traders are missing

To find that list takes a little bit of negotiating, and most 1st time users wouldn't know that it's there (probably most regular users don't know it's there either!). But it's certainly leagues ahead of what we used to have

[wibble_puppy]

well i meant this one: http://www.mmoc.org.uk/modules.php?op=m ... file=index which is what you get if you click on the "Links" link in the list on the left-hand nav bar

i found it for the first time recently and thought how comprehensive it seemed

[Orkney]

This wasn't a stealth change of policy, despite the conspiracy theories

Darn did you see the one about the titanic being in fact its sister ship ont tv last night

on a serious note...

The site is run by volunteers and not proffessionals

maybe its time to seek out some more volunteers? certain people on here me <COUGH> used to do that for a living and would be only to pleased to offer advice to the site and teh comittee.
(and that by no means a slur on the way it is now please note on the appreciated time put in by those who do)

However they were first tested on a high resolution screen (etc)

that sums up why you need to take advice - oversights like that can cost a community like this its existence - when your talking about adding a little commercialism its got to be done to fit into todays one click away world of the internet.
Nothing wrong with adverts here at all - but what you cant beat is being able as a newbie to post a Q & have answers in minutes - and thats where the club as in terms of membership is selling itself short. Hence the club is missing sales opportunities for membership hand over foot every day for the sake of a bit of subtle prompting right here on the forum.
Bit sickening when you see posts asking for a loan of the latest MM - but there you go free speech and all.
One slight suggestion is that the committee ought to not only be looking at how the web can increase revenue (so they can afford to hire portaloos etc at meets allegedly) but how they can also do more to promote this site and board as a resource to its members in the magazine. The website and board deserve its own page at least if for nothing else to raise awareness of its existence.
And i'll repeat myself from other threads there ought to be a way to click a logo from here, join and pay for a year by paypal couldnt be simpler.

[jonathon]

[post moderated due to breach of T&C rules 9, 10 and 11. Ray]

Revised version in keeping with T and C's
"In my opinion, the main issue over this recent 'trial', has been the lack of communication between those asking, those doing, and those receiving. Unfortunately.
A simple, 'what do you think to this idea' or 'would there be any objection if we...'. would have been useful as this would would help to avoid 'conjecture' and 'conspiracy theories'.
Although I would not like to see advertising on every page of the message board ,I'm sure a system as I outlined above could be developed to satisfy both traders and club revenue.
Can we also please get away from this 'well the club is run by volunteers' syndrome.Volunteers are much appreciated,an efficient way of making clubs run effectively,and are often the backbone of a club.
Some aspects of owners clubs need more professional input, and to be honest a clubs 'members' deserve this.
I'd be interested to know if the trade had been consulted over their thoughts on advertising on the message board/club website, and if any conclusions were drawn here."

Might a suggestion be, to reduce the enormous cost of producing the club magazine, and an on line magazine be offered, with a similar or updated format,suitable for todays generation of internet users.
Those who prefer a printed copy could still receive it in the normal way. But this method could cut costs significantly, releasing vital funding for other aspects in the club.
The website could,if it decides to try and attract more trade adverts, offer a full page to individual traders who could use these as platforms to show new releases, product reviews, or 'this is who we are',' this is what we do'. This would allow a human face to be given to the trade, whom quite a few even on this message board view with apprehension, and cynicism.

[millerman]

Well said, Jonathon.

As a member of the MMOC for many years I feel that this forum has brought "a breath of fresh air" to the MMOC. Committee members please take note!

[rayofleamington]

As a member of the MMOC for years, I found that actually talking with the committee members brought a breath of fresh air to blow away much of the misconceptions and BS I'd heard on the messageboard .

The forum itself and the website were put in place in agreement with the committee - not to mention that one committee post (probably more in the long term) is purely for the website. Committee members are fully aware that the website is an asset to the club - hence all the comment by numerous comittee members at the AGM.

If you don't believe me please try it. The club committee are not a nasty bunch of scoundrels. The club fees cover the costs of running the entire club, including the cost of the magazine (which is not fully paid for by the traders despite some insinuations).

Might a suggestion be, to reduce the enormous cost of producing the club magazine, and an on line magazine be offered, with a similar or updated format,suitable for todays generation of internet users.

Funny you should mention that - the suggestion was put in writing last year and discussed with committe members. This was thought to be most valid for overseas users, and as the club age demographic is (slowly) changing it may be more relevant to a percentage of UK members as well over time.

The website and board deserve its own page at least if for nothing else to raise awareness of its existence.

It does get a mention, but over the last 18 months there has been an effort made to reduce the amount of pages dedicated to repeating the same info in every mag.
Another way that the website gets good press in the mag is bigger coverage of website events. Coverage of an event (e.g. the numerous rallies we've had or forthcoming coverage of the Lands-End Orkney run) is helpful to let more members know that the internet is not just for geeks and wierdos (a common misconception amongst those with more years) and also that they are common interest issues.

And I'll repeat myself from other threads there ought to be a way to click a logo from here, join and pay for a year by paypal couldnt be simpler.

There already is a link - which works from every page of the website and messageboard! I'm not sure about paypal due to fees and also that not everyone has paypal, however the club put in place a secure online payment facility a few years ago, allowing anyone to join online using their plastic.
This has not always been working but thanks to our new webeditor/webmaster I believe it's not fully functioning again.
http://www.mmoc.org.uk/mmoc/Join.html

[Orkney]

Funny you should mention that - the suggestion was put in writing last year and discussed with committe members. This was thought to be most valid for overseas users, and as the club age demographic is (slowly) changing it may be more relevant to a percentage of UK members as well over time.

The only danger with that ... if the mag goes out as a PDF download e.g. then it will end up circulated as an email attatchment without earning revenue.
Presume you could make it a password protected area on a web server?

Anything that saves trees is allrigth by me

[jonathon]

As I say, communication is sometimes not as it should be. In this case a short note as to why my comments were edited would have been appreciated, rather than a list of breaches and no explanation or option for me to amend my own post. Thankyou Ray!
If the online mag is a copy of the hard copy then revenue has already been earned. There is no need in my mind that the on line version needs to earn its own keep.