New EC type site will happen
April 18th, 2009 by GregOK I have mentioned it a few times before but have not got around to completing my own EC type site within the next month.
I am coming to the end of my current coding project which should be complete within the next week, at that point I have decided to go back to the project I started some time ago to create my own version of Entrecard. Much of the work is done, the widget is done, the checking of blogs for new posts is complete and awarding credits for dropping is also complete.
The design needs work, monetizing the site needs to be set up, but this will be done in a totally different way to the EC is going about it and will not be set up immediately.
There is no ‘market place’ at the moment and that could be a feature that is added at a later date, I am not sure if Credits should be treated as a ‘currency’ or just kept as ‘credits’ which are earned from dropping/displaying widgets and spent to place ads/trade services, but I have not decided on this yet.
Any thoughts/ideas can be posted as a comment to this post and/or emailed to sales at gregorymathews.com
Posted in General, My Other Sites, advertising | 40 Comments »
Sounds like a great idea, and you’re moving along. I like the idea of keeping the credits “credits” and not currency. Keep me updated on this new site of yours
I’m listening … (actually reading, but that doesn’t sound intrigued)
Ever since this paid ads came up in Entrecard, I’ve always thought that if there’s another system that was like Entrecard before the chaos, it’ll attract a good portion of the existing members over.
I don’t think Adgitize’s attractive enough as an alternative for the purpose of traffic exchange.
Hope you can make it happen.
oooooooo,,,, keep us in the loop so we can report the update on this episode of EntrePOD which comes out April 25th.
good luck
I certainly will, the more people that hear about it the better.
I’m all for an anticard.
Just keep it points only.
Why copy the concept of a marketplace.
When you need help and I can help, let me know.
Maybe monetizing won’t be a real problem.
People have tasted the good feeling of entrecard.
Maybe donations will do a lot.
Dude, I am in!
Sounds likes the makings of somethinggood there. I’ll be one of the first to sign up once you get it up and running, as long as you don’t forget that the bloggers, and not money, are the reason sites like this even exist!
I totally agree, the monetizing will be secondary, I enjoy developing sites which is the main reason I do it. I do have to cover costs and live though so I hope to monetize in a way that does not have a detrimental effect on the site and bloggers.
My plan is create the site initially to get the basics working, then hopefully if enough people join I will use user polls to help me make decisions on future developments.
sounds good. keep me posted
Sounds cool! I take it there will not be any third party advertising on the widgets? If not, I would be happy to add one to my blog.
There will be no paid ads in the widget. I have got a few idea’s on how to monetize, to cover costs etc but none include putting paid ads in the ‘normal’ widget. The options will be open for discussion on the site once launched.
Cool! I think EntreCard had better watch out… there’s another competitor on the market.
If you say NO to paid ads on Entrecard take a look at this and add your blog! http://bit.ly/fweFu
I’m just making a list of like minded bloggers, happy if you wish to be added!
Lady Banana
I have commented on your post, great idea.
Sounds like a great idea. Question though, will it be possible to use it even with wordpress blogs? Am not a happy camper that I am not able to have a wordpress blog on entrecard.
That is an issue with wordpress.com rather than entrecard.com as I host my own blog using the wordpress blog system and that works fine. I will look into what the issue is and do my best to resolve it.
According to Entrecard the problem is that wordpress.com does not allow javascript widgets on blogs hosted with them. I was thinking of using an iframe but thinking about it I may redo the widget as an html widget.
That would be great. I used to enjoy Entrecard, and wanted to switch to wordpress but the issue with wordpress not allowing the javascript is/was holding me back. Looking forward to your new site!
i too have a 2nd blog hosted on wordpress and i understand the problem- the issue with wordpress.com is that it will not allow anything to execute a script on a wordpress.com site. and all the links for ads and entrecard are script-based not html-straight links.
I have been looking at the options available to get around this problem, a straight html widget could be coded for this situation but it would have basic features, ie clicking on the drop button would need to open a new window, as it would have to be a physical link or form button. The window would then automatically close again but it would not look great. I will see what I can do with it.
Hooray! I am totally in, I actually asked around to see if anyone in the Entrecard community could come up with a clone of the system. As far as the marketplace goes, if there’s a forum added you could simply leave it to members to do this D.I.Y as it were? I remember early on where people used to sell credits on Ebay and that’s a real marketplace! As far as trades for services just include a category in the forum. Absolutely fantastic news Greg – I will give this a post a mention on my “no to EC paid ads” page and of you keep me updated I will do my best to help promote the new service later!
Good luck. These guys have gone a little crazy there. Ads on our sites with no compensation, confrontational language toward members,
And Adele…
Hi Greg,
I look forward to your project completion and inauguration.
Right behind you on this one.
Cheers!
I look forward to seeing your site when it is ready. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about different aspects of what makes systems like this work or fail and would be glad to share ideas.
Also, I just finished reading Tara Hunt’s new book, The Whuffie Factor. I mention this blog post in my review.
I am always interested in getting feedback/idea’s. drop me an email or if you have Instant Messaging let me know and we can throw some idea’s back and forth.
I can’t wait for your site! I think the original Entrecard where we used credits to advertise on blogs was fine. I got lots of new readers and exposure and found lots of great blogs too. I’d love to be back to a simpler system.
Sounds wonderful! I can’t wait!
Yes, please hurry!
I have been thinking to do so for a long time and you made it happen.. Thanks and will join you soon….
Keep us posted- I can promote on several sites that get lots of traffic
You mean you’re making the site EC was supposed to be? Count me in.
Count me in too Greg – I’m getting as jaded with EntreCard as much as everyone else is as well.
I’ll be one of the first to sign up to your system; just let us all know when it’s ready to go…
I’m totally stoked about this idea. I don’t know how others would feel about it, but I would not object to paying something like $5/month for the service. I’m rooting for you and I’m in when it goes live!
Kathy
Thanks for the support, I’m getting good feedback on the idea of a ‘membership’ option but it needs lots of thought, initially it will be free service.
Just bookmarked your site after dropping. Am interested and will continue to check in to see how things are going.
Sandy
Greg, just my 2 cents…
Even before the paid ads, Entrecard’s problem was really poor quality traffic, with a high bounce rate. The traffic wasn’t about real readers, but droppers leaving quickly just to get their credit through the widget.
Popularity had nothing to do with readership outside of EC, but just from dropping, which anyone with a lousy blog could do.
If you duplicate the system exactly as they had it, it will create the same bad quality traffic problem. Maybe you want to implement it in a way to avoid the 300 drops, and create a real interaction between bloggers…
I have left EC last week.
If you manage to create a system that will avoid these problems, you have a great idea and a great project going on!
Palma
I agree that the traffic generated is not always the best, I have some thoughts about the popularity rankings and the dropping rate will not the most important factor.
what a great project and i look forward to hearing about it when it ready to launch.
have you started some sort of newsletter or email sign-up for notification somewhere?
i do think that you should consider how you will support your project. and that you consider it from the beginning. people don’t adjust well to change…
some things you might consider:
1.) i think that each community member should be give the choice to host a second paid ad or not and the proceeds of the ad could be split in some equitable manner- per click or per thousand. dunno
that is ultimately my main issue with entrecard; i do understand the expense of running such a social ad network but i would have preferred to have had the choice to support entrecard’s paid ads with an additional widget than to have my community networking ad hijacked by paid ads.
2.) i think that members who want to promote their website but don’t have enough credits should be able to buy credits to do so. it is helpful, especially in the beginning , to get some traffic to the site and it adds some funding options to your projects.
MadBadCat
Unfortunately no mailing list as such, but you could subscribe to this blogs feed, I am hoping to ask people to register later this week, those that do will be the ones that see the project evolve as it will be just the basics.
I plan to have advertising on the site itself, this may be just adsense or something, or direct advertising or mix of both. I have also been thinking of a ‘membership’ option, so for small monthly fee users can upgrade, I do need to look at what benefits they could receive from upgrading.
1. If I went down that road then paid ads would definitely have their own widget and it would be on a revenue share basis, the only problem I can see is attracting enough advertisers to fill the space available, especially in the early days. This could be something we introduce at a later stage, as EC have once we have stats etc but as said making it totally optional and beneficial to all
2. I don’t want to value the credits, EC have done this and it’s not been great for them, I may make ‘free credits’ one of the benefits of upgrading your membership.
I’m wondering what you think of the new turn of events in rntre card,if you have not read it yet I posted it on my website.