View from the Wing [VFTW] discussions
Jun 19, 2020, 3:39 pm
#1066
Used to be 'Scooter'
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: SAN
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 398
I run a handful of small websites, and from what I've been seeing, ad rates are 50% of what they were pre-Covid 19 (slightly less in the travel niche). Still, I think both Gary and Ben are doing just fine and they don't need to rely on CC signups as much as people think.
Jun 20, 2020, 3:00 am
#1067
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA, VS, HH, IHG, MB, MR
Posts: 26,871
They’re not. Blogs with high levels of regular readers have low RPM as regular readers ignore the ads.
We direct sell a large proportion of our inventory in normal times to BA, Virgin etc but even then we don’t get beyond around 1.25c per page if I covert to $. Last month, relying purely on Adsense at bombed out rates, it was literally 1/10th of that.
We’re not paying a cut to Boarding Area either, albeit we have 2 part-time marketing staff to pay.
We direct sell a large proportion of our inventory in normal times to BA, Virgin etc but even then we don’t get beyond around 1.25c per page if I covert to $. Last month, relying purely on Adsense at bombed out rates, it was literally 1/10th of that.
We’re not paying a cut to Boarding Area either, albeit we have 2 part-time marketing staff to pay.
Jun 20, 2020, 9:15 pm
#1068
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: CLE
Programs: UA GS+LT UC, AA EXP+LT PLT, Fairmont LT PLT, Marriott PLT, Hilton DIA, Hyatt Glob, Avis CHM
Posts: 4,671
But still, eyeballs are always a good thing.
Jun 22, 2020, 9:33 pm
#1069
Suspended
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 68
My guess is OMAAT might be making $100k/year on their banner ads, assuming they get a premium but then have to pay some back to Boarding Area. Gary is likely 20% of the size of OMAAT, max.
Dan, I assume most of your revenue pre-COVID has affiliate (card), followed by affiliate (amazon & other non-travel deals), then a rounding error from banners?
Dan, I assume most of your revenue pre-COVID has affiliate (card), followed by affiliate (amazon & other non-travel deals), then a rounding error from banners?
Jun 24, 2020, 4:09 pm
#1070
Used to be 'Scooter'
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: SAN
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 398
I think most people are severely underestimating the potential with display ads. I have two friends with websites that get 80-100K sessions a month and both are earning anywhere from $30-40K per month in ad revenue alone (I've seen the payouts). Granted, these sites are not in the travel niche (which has lower ad rates at the moment), but...that's serious money.
Both Ben and Gary have to be generating at least 300K sessions a month on their blogs. At least.
Both Ben and Gary have to be generating at least 300K sessions a month on their blogs. At least.
Jun 24, 2020, 6:45 pm
#1071
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; IHG PlatAmb; Hilton Dia; Marriott Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,324
I think most people are severely underestimating the potential with display ads. I have two friends with websites that get 80-100K sessions a month and both are earning anywhere from $30-40K per month in ad revenue alone (I've seen the payouts). Granted, these sites are not in the travel niche (which has lower ad rates at the moment), but...that's serious money.
Both Ben and Gary have to be generating at least 300K sessions a month on their blogs. At least.
Both Ben and Gary have to be generating at least 300K sessions a month on their blogs. At least.
Also, the high clicks come from SEO and clickbait, not FTers.
Last edited by Adam1222; Jun 24, 2020 at 9:46 pm
Jun 25, 2020, 1:16 am
#1072
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,187
Page impression ads mostly pay for the travel expenses, the cost of generating the content on the website and the cut BArea takes. The CC shilling is the real deal that brings in the serious dough.
Jun 25, 2020, 6:15 am
#1073
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA, VS, HH, IHG, MB, MR
Posts: 26,871
I think most people are severely underestimating the potential with display ads. I have two friends with websites that get 80-100K sessions a month and both are earning anywhere from $30-40K per month in ad revenue alone (I've seen the payouts). Granted, these sites are not in the travel niche (which has lower ad rates at the moment), but...that's serious money.
Both Ben and Gary have to be generating at least 300K sessions a month on their blogs. At least.
Both Ben and Gary have to be generating at least 300K sessions a month on their blogs. At least.
Those number you discuss are bull unless they are directly selling space. If you look at, say, Mail Online / Daily Mail, which is the biggest news website in the world now, they publish their ad revenue and page views so you can work out RPM. It was, pre corona, far lower than mine. I am guessing we may be on a par now as they have little travel exposure.
Jun 26, 2020, 3:09 pm
#1074
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Washington, D.C.
Programs: UA Premier 1K: PlAAtinum; DL SM, MM; Marriott Gold; CO Plat Emeritus; NW Plat Emeritus
Posts: 4,776
Jul 20, 2020, 11:46 am
#1076
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; IHG PlatAmb; Hilton Dia; Marriott Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,324
Jul 27, 2020, 4:11 am
#1077
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: SAN, BOS
Programs: AS MVPG100K, BAEC Gold, Hilton Diamond, Bonvoy Plat,
Posts: 2,281
Gary Leff is truly a reprehensible human being.
His pseudo-intellectualism to hide his homophobia stinks to high heaven. If he’s gonna be a bigot, I almost have respect for you if you just own it.
There is absolutely zero comparison between Hilton’s decision to stop using their hotels to house illegally detained children, in accordance with international treaties, and a homophobic bakery not selling a cake to an indivisible because they don’t like who they have sex with.
Utterly shameful.
His pseudo-intellectualism to hide his homophobia stinks to high heaven. If he’s gonna be a bigot, I almost have respect for you if you just own it.
There is absolutely zero comparison between Hilton’s decision to stop using their hotels to house illegally detained children, in accordance with international treaties, and a homophobic bakery not selling a cake to an indivisible because they don’t like who they have sex with.
Utterly shameful.
Jul 27, 2020, 7:20 am
#1078
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,187
Here’s a challenge for you: If you think an airline or hotel chain ought to decide whom they’ll do business with on the basis of their values, wouldn’t you also have to support bakeries choosing to provide wedding cakes only to heterosexual couples if that’s what’s dictated by their values? Or should businesses only make decisions about whom to serve based on your values?
Aug 23, 2020, 10:12 am
#1080
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
in another thread
gary "conservative" ? libertarian in austin
he is/was libertarian, works/worked for libertarian org
whole foods CEO founded it in austin in 1980 and is libertarian
gary "conservative" ? libertarian in austin
he is/was libertarian, works/worked for libertarian org
whole foods CEO founded it in austin in 1980 and is libertarian
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Aug 24, 2020 at 11:26 am