not even sure how! They don't bother me a bit!
I think your advertisers are all pretty awesome actually! Usually totally on-topic and the ads are not distracting in the least.
This thread has been closed.
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@HabesBabe: what is a semi baller?
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I don't ad block
not even sure how! They don't bother me a bit!I agree w what everyone said, I wouldn't be able to afford much but could manage a one time smaller fee.
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@bluestriped bee: ah ok, would the members that use the site the most get premium features for free then?
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I would pay (<$5) for an iphone app, or for an upgraded membership that allowed private messaging and/or an integrated IM client.
I probably wouldn't pay for site access itself and I certainly wouldn't have gotten hooked on the site if the boards and blog content were behind a paywall.
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@mrbee: hahaha someone with a decent amount of wealth? i guess i use the word "baller" with my friends about people with money, not just limited to thugs with money.
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@adnama: thanks. I think about this stuff a lot.
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I don't ad block and I would be pretty upset if the site became a pay site. I would definitely miss hellobee if it became a pay site and I didn't decide to use the pay features. I enjoy the comraderie and learning from others but I could live without it if I had to pay to use it.
That being said, if there was a minimal cost for an app, I would pay for that (like $3).
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Like someone else mentioned, I would watch ads/tv-style commercials to keep the revenue coming in, though (with a warning first so I can turn my volume down, LOL).
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@mrbee: Oh, no. I guess I would think this message/ option to upgrade would be a one-time thing. After you reach that level and have upgraded, there wouldn't be other options. It was just a way to deter (ok, hide) the option from new users so they don't get turned off.
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I'm not sure if I would get DHs approval to pay, we have a really tight budget with a baby and me being a SAHM. I love HB so I would be very sad if there were a fee. I think if I did end up paying it may not be worth it because the community would probably be so much smaller since people wouldn't want to pay.
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@MamaMoose: Good point!! If certain users, like the more prominent/frequent posters, didn't pay, the community of this site could be lost.
My initial reaction was no way, I wouldn't pay. BUT after thinking about it - here are my thoughts:
1) Do you get value from Hellobee... is it something you'd pay for?
I do get value - I love it here. The community , the support, it's great! It's really fun. I have developed relationships off this site that mean the world to me and for that I am truly grateful.I might pay. It depends on the price, what's included, etc.. Also I am curious how being a blogger might play into this: would bloggers get paid? What about hostesses? Would bloggers/hostesses/contributors get free membership, or a discount?
2) If so, how much would you pay?
A yearly fee perhaps, but nothing more than maybe $10-$15 a year. I would be much, much more willing to pay for a hellobee app. Up to $5 one-time fee. I would so be all over that.3) What kind of extra features would you be looking for in return: private forums? Private messaging? An iPhone/Android app? Extra blog content that's members only? Something else entirely?
Definitely PMs! I love the iPhone app idea.What about a customized newsletter? Enter the baby's date - so each month the parent gets a newsletter "happy 9 months to Baby A! Check out our bloggers 9 month updates and see what's happening in this busy month", then also top threads of the week/month, a shout out to the top HBers of the week etc etc... just an idea off the top of my head.
I DO like the idea of allowing people to peruse most content for free, but for features such as posting/viewing pictures, PMs etc that would be a members-only upgrade. So part of the site would be free still to entice new readers.
I do agree with the others that I never would have paid up front, so that would deter new members. Offering a 1 month free trial would definitely help with that but I feel that being here a year, my devotion to this site took time. I'm not someone who EVER pays for online subscriptions or really any type of frills at all. I'm frugal and never spend money unnecessarily so it would be a lot for me to say I would pay for it.
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I would want to pay but I wouldn't be able to. I would miss this wonderful community but at the same time, we're not in a place right now where's that feasible.
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One other thought -- if the registration process had a short, direct, request to turn off adblocking on the site because it is essential for the site's revenue...
...I would've done so, and I bet others would too. -
@Mrs. Pen: I think these are great ideas
@Mrs. Jacks: these too
@bluestriped bee: and I totally get what you are saying and also think its a great idea. People can peruse and get addicted, not know about the "special" features and then get a VIP invitation when they reach a certain amount of posts, in turn keeping them from being turned off in the beginning but sucked in enough to get some of them to pay for the extras.
I'm pretty new to posting here but I have been a long time lurker. Since I'm so new I'm not sure if I would pay, but I do know at first if I came to the site and found that the whole thing cost I would not pay, I would just move on, I'm not sure if I would go somewhere else or just skip the whole baby forum thing all together. I mean you don't know what your missing if you never had it, you know?
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@MrsStormy: Yup, exactly.
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@bluestriped bee: I think it's a good idea to be transparent from the beginning about the pricing structure of a service/website. A new user wouldn't feel turned off if they knew they could participate for free, but you never know if someone might be willing to pay from the start for full access.
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@MrsStormy: @bluestriped bee: I think that's a good idea in theory but in reality how long could you keep a secret VIP membership secret? Word would definitely get around and fast.
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@Mrs. Pen: Yeah I agree, but I don't think it even really has to be secret, but I think like on other forums people often say people should have to on the site a period of time before they see photos, or before they can post on certain topics, etc. I think its sort of a similar concept regardless of secrecy or not. I also don't know if it would actually work, but I can totally see the appeal and benefit of the idea for a variety of reasons.
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As a new member, I would definitely not pay, and even as a user who has been around for awhile and (obviously...) has an obsession with the site, I wouldn't be able to justify paying to use HB.
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I would pay to not have to watch a commercial. Please don't use more invasive ads, they make me crazy and I often avoid those sites entirely!
I pay for sites if I think they're valuable and want to support the site. I currently pay for deviantart, mostly to avoid ads but there are other site enhancements that I like. I think it's a good model as long as the main forums are still free with ads.
Private messages, a library of printables, maybe a special bee level?
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@Mrs. Superhero: we don't believe in invasive ads!
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@mrbee: I didn't think you would, the site is so nice and clean looking
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@spaniellove: Yeah, I don't like hidden or secret features on sites, either, but I was only going off of what users said in this thread (that they would be turned off if they came here as a new member and saw that you had to pay for additional features).
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I am not sure I would pay to use Hellobee. Don't get me wrong I love Hellobee, but paying for a website is not high on my list of things to worry about. I do love the commuity that is avaliable to me right now. I would hate that to change.
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Yep. But agree with PPs that as a new member, it'd be off putting just because I wouldn't know what makes this site different than other baby sites. Maybe a free trial period would get me hooked?
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@mrbee: Are u planning to shut down HB because of my thread about buffalo ranch? -crying- Please don't...I will buy all the ranch! click click click click click
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I don't ad block, honestly, don't know how to even if I wanted to. Yes, I would pay a yearly fee as long as it wasn't crazy expensive.
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@tororojo: Cool Ranch too?
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@mrbee: Yes, whatever it takes! (I would never discriminate among ranch)
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I do find value in HB and could definitely rationalize paying a magazine subscription fee but I probably wouldn't. I do think if the bloggers were paid I'd be more likely to pay a fee but it'd feel weird to pay for a magazine where everyone just contributed their time and writing for free.
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@tororojo: LOL!!!
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I think I would. Not sure how much.
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@Mrs. Superhero: lol! That's what I was thinking! Nooooo to the commercials!
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I probably wouldn't pay until I was pregnant. For me, I absolutely love this community and would be so sad to lose it, but I'm not TTC/pregnant/a mom, so the value is not as high for me as for others. I might pay for an iPhone app though - $5 one time?
Having said that though, I totally get your need for a revenue stream. Too bad people use ad blockers.
I think your advertisers are all pretty awesome actually! Usually totally on-topic and the ads are not distracting in the least.
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I love HB, but I would not pay to use the site. How do you think other baby sites deal with the ad blocking issue? I realize that sites like the bump and babycenter have millions of users so maybe they just see it as a cost of doing business and move on, or do they have something that blocks ad blockers? Is that even possible?
I think that you should write a post on why there are ads on the site and how ad blocking hurts you from running HB. Make the post/blog a sticky so everyone can see. Years ago before I understood the importance of ads on a site I would have totally installed an ad blocker without thinking it hurt anyone. Now, DH helps run websites for a large internet company and the state of his job revolves around how many ads are on each site, click-through rates, and overall profitability of each site which is solely based on ad sales. You and Mrs. Bee didn't start this website just for the heck of it and your ultimate goal is to make a living which we all understand!
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I adore HB, but I can't say I'd pay to use any website. I would be happy to use it if there was a "freemium" model and I could still interact with the awesome community without paying, but if others wanted to pay, they could.
I'd also happily pay up to $5 for an app! I think it'd be really cool actually!
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@tororojo: lol!!
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I honestly wouldn't pay for a forum or membership. The way I see it, there are plenty of other online communities that also exist for free to the user. I might PREFER the community on HB, but I can't see myself paying for it either.
I would like to say though, it's sad about the AD Blocking as I do understand that's how sites like this generate revenue. In fact, I actually LIKE and have clicked on certain ads, especially when they are pertaining directly to the topic/thread I am reading. -
Honestly, I probably wouldn't pay. I don't value my time on the internet highly enough to pay for it in general. That being, said, I don't ad block, and while I rarely click on ads online, I actually like some of the ads that hellobee generates for me.
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I would pay approx 20$ annually for upgraded features, private messaging, ability to "like" posts and a private members only board so coud share pics and personal info.
I would also pay 5$ for an app.
What about having a section of pay per download guides? Like registry guide, sleep training guide etc?
Some of my friends monetize their sites that way and ive spent a ton on them.
Thread Closed
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