I just moved The Spearhead over to a virtual private server, which should significantly enhance the response time and stop the errors that have been cropping up lately due to killed scripts. The problem that necessitated this move is not really a problem at all — we were getting too much traffic.
In addition to moving the server, I’ve obtained a Chitika ad account that will only display ads for people coming through searches, so they will not bother regular readers. I’m going to keep the Google Adsense for now because it has started to provide some revenue, but the Chitika ads will allow us to advertise in a less obtrusive manner while hopefully increasing the overall click through rate per page at the same time.
There are lots of other things I’d like to do with The Spearhead soon, but I’ve got to be careful not to bite off more than I can chew. Managing traffic and keeping the content flowing are the most important things at this point, and we’re handling both pretty well.
I’d like to thank the very generous people who came through with donations last month. That really helped keep us going and growing through the holidays by allowing me to put a lot more hours into the site than I would have otherwise, and according to the stats, this has given us a real boost in the new year.
So, enjoy The Spearhead in its newer, faster incarnation, and look forward to more improvements as the year unfolds.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I still plan on sending in a donation. I’m just lazy. If you were right here in front of me, I’d hand you 50 bucks out of my wallet right now, but as I have to put something in an envelope, put a stamp on it, and write stuff on it, well….heh…I have my limits.
(It will come eventually)
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Welmer,
I’ve been hitting your site for a while and it’s got to be in the top three men’s rights sights on the web right now. Great Job.
I know you’re looking for better ways to fund your efforts. After reading the recent piece on branding it seems to me there is a way to better fund your efforts (and maybe other men’s sites) and at the same time get our message out.
How about doing a private branded shirt and / or hat deal with the guys at Don’t Tread On Me? They could create or adapt their own designs and integrate the Spearhead Logo (and whatever others would work) as a “Men’s Rights” message that could be sold via the web from your site and other approved men’s sites.
Don’t Tread On Me would get their cut, each website owner would get a cut and hopefully there would be some bucks left over for supporting various men’s rights initiatives going forward.
I certainly would spend some money to support this type of deal and I think many others would also. If we structured it right the cost might also be tax deductible for the purchaser.
Something to consider?
Burn
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@Burn
Yes, the tshirt/branded clothing idea is something I’ve been thinking about. However, first we need to come up with a decent design, and then I have to check into what the profit margin will be. Cafepress seems to have a decent solution, but they charge a lot per shirt, so there won’t be much left over for The Spearhead. Hell, I’d get the stuff made abroad if I could swing the distribution, but that would be too much of a pain for a small operation. But I will check into the “Don’t Tread On Me” people.
In fact, I’m glad you brought it up, because I didn’t even consider that they might do some kind of profit-sharing deal.
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Congratulations. That’s a good problem to have.
Do donations have to be via a web payment system or do you accept money orders or the like via postal mail? I got screwed by paypal a while back so I hate to use them.
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@too late
Good question. I just put the PO Box address under the donate button.
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You might want to take a look at Zazzle.com. I’ve bought shirts through them before and it seemed like a pretty good process. It looks like they can do custom art set up.
For the record I don’t know the Zazzle guys and am not affiliated with them in any way.
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Donations are the life-blood of any mens movement website..Waiting for my tax refund…This site deserves funding and shall get $ome from me, as planned. I really appreiciate this ability to send my $Order by snail mail. Keeps it between us.
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Maybe start writing letters to the guys getting fucked over in the system that have loot and explain what the place is about. Maybe get a nice fat check. I think also if you would copy those aspca adds where the sad little animal is abused and just for only 33 cents a day you can help or whatever. I would say take pictures of guys in jail for child support and do same thing lol
holy fucking shit it is cheap to advertise on cable jesus christ. No shit you guys really could prob advertise like that.
””””””””””””Many media experts are recommending cable TV advertising to their clients. “Prime time spots on broadcast TV cost $2,000 to $3,000 in this area. Prime time cable spots go for $175,” says Leslie Speidel, a media buyer in Raleigh, North Carolina (www.TheMarketingCoach.com).
Commercials on cable systems in the suburbs outside New York City are cheaper. Your 30 second spots run on CNN and ESPN for $25. Nick goes for $20 and TNN, BET, and VH-1 are $15 per commercial. Expect to get better rates when you buy packages of multiple spots.
Small town cable prices are even lower. It is not unusual to buy commercials for $2 to $3 in a town of 40,000 people. ””””””””””””’
No wonder I keep seeing the fucking animal advertisement. I always thought they were expensive. Shit. My mind is boggled.
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