Comments on: Help Martha Stewart Optimize her AdSense

By: CrazyDave Atkins

CrazyDave Atkins — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 23:28:32 +0000

1. The Hershey’s is a good idea but not mixed with “lime green” or whatever that color is in “Martha’s color vocabulary”. Maybe that’s “her brand name” coloring !

2. I think one thing that is neglected is looking at the demographics of the market you are trying to capture. With Martha, I’m sure it’s young homemakers, so the size of the text doesn’t matter. But I’m 55, have sit behind a computer for almost 25 years, and my eyesight is shot !
I mean if your trying to niche market for high powered reading glasses I don’t think that 8 point type at 1024X800 is going to cut it !

3. Is that hideous green a fixation ? That might need a soul-searching by Martha ? I mean it ain’t growing green, I don’t associate limes with it so it is not a “drinking green”! What does that theme green inspire anyway ? Sick infant do-do ?

I didn’t look at the whole site, I’m sure with the power media presence that she has that it does generate traffic, but the design and color decisions currently makes this site a “parasite” on the media presence factor.

No wonder to me that “The Donald” basically fired her !

Crazydave

By: Eric Scalf

Eric Scalf — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 05:59:12 +0000

1) Change leaderboard to 468×60, and move to directly under content (between content and “related content”)
2) Possibally a 120×240 half banner, underneath the image, but only if there is an image on all pages.
3.1) Option 1: Link unit on the line between the “Martha stewart home, recipe finder, etc…” links, and the “Magazines” line.
3.2) Option 2: Link unit within the green nav section at the bottom of the page. Just make it a tiny bit longer, and add a vertical link unit to one of the shorter lists. The only issue with this is the fact that the links may not directly relate to the column topic.
3.3) Option 3: Link unit directly underneath top green header nav, before “return to Martha Stewart Living” breadcrumb. (FAVOURED OPTION)
4) Unless she’s making a craptastical amount of money from the ads on the right side, drop them in favour of a 160×600 unit.
5) Just for the hell of it, drop an AdSense for Search unit somewhere on the bottom of the page. This might be going a biiiit overboard, though.

I’d definately go for options 1, 2, and 3.3. Oh, let’s not forget “BLEND! BLEND LIKE THE WIND, GRASSHOPPER!” For the love of all that is holy, BLEND!

By: James

James — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 10:25:54 +0000

Uh, fellas:
People are in business in the interest of making money. She’s not retired at the moment, she’s operating a successful business. Just saying “Well, she has a lot already lol!!111!11!+shift” isn’t good enough; she wants more money, so she can continue expansion. In business you have to try to get lots of money to pay for your employees who will help you grow and expand your business, making it more profitable and more profitable, etc.

By: :

Mon, 03 Apr 2006 17:58:58 +0000

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By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 13:58:19 +0000

Hey AH,

Sorry, nothing personal.

Leroy Brown,
Maybe after Donald Trump fired her… LOL

Joe

By: Leroy Brown

Leroy Brown — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 00:27:08 +0000

Wow does Martha Stewart really need adsense income? I’d like to think if I was a multi-millionaire, I wouldn’t be terribly concerned with it. But good for her I suppose.

By: A.H

A.H — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 18:51:19 +0000

Hey Joe,

Do you know ME?

who knows, maybe i have more than Samantha Stewart will ever dream to make? maybe i just chose blogging because i like it and i don’t mind being good at it and making some money.

A.H

By: Joe

Joe — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 18:12:45 +0000

Hey AH,

Do you know who Martha Stewart is?

It’s not like she needs the money, she has more than you , me and Darren will hope to make.

Joe

By: A.H

A.H — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 17:39:48 +0000

Joe: We all started from that place where we didn’t know where the heck to put these codes, from there some of decide to go down and down and then give up (like you’re suggesting) or try anyway, and try much harder…and make results.

A.H

By: Joe

Joe — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 16:08:50 +0000

Hey Darren,

It must have cost an awful lot for the lawyers for her to worry about the few cents she’ll make from AdSense.

Just my opinion,

Joe

By: Danny Foo

Danny Foo — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 11:15:47 +0000

These would be the options I’d advice depending certain pesonas.

1. Interrupt the content by placing a floated left medium rectangle ad only if she has a lot of paragraph text. Based on the screenshot, placing a medium rectangle ad might disturb the flow of it’s context.

2. I’d personally try planting a 468×60 Horizontal Banner at the bottom of the article. Because it would benefit the reader in terms of quick descriptive links in comparison with her Related Content links that I find a little small.

3. As Christian already mentioned, blended ads. :)

At the moment I’m wondering how would Link Units benefit her website when there’s already so many items to click on. Hmm..

By: A.H

A.H — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 10:28:04 +0000

the perfect placement would be right under the image, a Vertical Banner (120 x 240) with white broder & background, text should be switching between dark and bright green (to avoid transparency for regular readers).

A.H

By: derek punsalan

derek punsalan — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 08:40:52 +0000

ouch. those ads scream. for starters, wrapping content with ads is an aesthetic eyesore. if anything, as chrisitan mentioned, move a text module beneath the image. does that “commercial” equipment have something to do with her cooking? has it gotten that bad?

By: Christian

Christian — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 08:19:12 +0000

1. blending ads
2. Medium Rectangle in text – text floats right arround the ad
3. Link unit below the picture