There are now three ways you can help out the home of A2Zs, 3x3s, and foxers. Unable to participate in the airlift, and already mentioned THC in your favourite forums and Discord channels? Roman and I would really appreciate it if you investigated the wares of our advertisers, ideally via the images on the ‘AD LINKS’ page.
Hopefully, Wargame Design Studio, the industrious inheritors of much of John Tiller’s vast and colourful oeuvre, won’t be the last concern to rent one of THC’s two, logo-flanking billboards. Fingers-crossed, they’ll detect enough additional traffic during the coming month to think “We really ought to do this again” and recommend us to their chums.
For those concerned that advertising blurs boundaries and creates quandaries, let me attempt to put your mind at rest by saying that all of THC’s advertisers are purchasing billboard space and nothing else. I’ll continue to cover only games that interest me and talk candidly about those games. The day I find myself pulling a punch or picking a plaything out of fear of losing a valuable advertiser, is the day I ride off into the sunset.
I wouldn’t mind ads in the column to the right, I think they would be well separated. And if they’re for stuff we usually get on the site I would even want to see them.
I’m OK with where the ad is currently; but I am surprised that it doesn’t have a link, or even mouse-over text.
(If possible, I’d be curious how it looks slight separated from the masthead and with the small word ‘Ad’ over it).
The ads are part of the header png at the moment which limits my options. I may switch to clickable sidebar ads in future.
Is a halfway house an option? Set up the title image to redirect to a “THC’s Current Sponsors” page that says something nice about the two sidebar sponsors and provides links to their page?
An experimental sidebar ad is now ‘live’. I don’t think it will appear on phone-sized screens, which may put off some potential advertisers.
WDS is a great match for first sponsored ad. I hope they stick around. I’ll definitely try to remember to click through from here the next time I’m contemplating my next purchase there.
Tim, whatever you need to do to keep the wolf from the door, I have every confidence you will manage any potential conflicts. Hopefully this and the “Experiment” help you find a path to a more sustainable future for the site.