Do you build for other webmasters or do you build for surfers?

[SykkBoy]

I was surfing around the 'net the other day, checking out tgp galleries and free sites and I had wondered how many of these sites were built to impress other webmasters and how many were built to actually make money.

I saw a lot of fancy graphics and amazing designs, but they seemed to be more about eye candy than profit. That's not to say every page built has to have yellow text on a lime green bcakground and with 10,000 animated gif's all over it....it's just I sometimes think webmasters (I've fallen into that trap before too) build more to show off photoshop skills than to make money.

So, do you build your sites to make money or build them to impress other webmasters? Are you able to balance a nice design with an *effective* design? Do you take the surfer into as much consideration as you do other webmasters who might make fun of your lack of photoshop skills?

[Mihx]

First and foremost I design sites that are pleasing to my own eyes . Nothing fancy though, as I can't do much of anything in terms of graphics work, but I do tend to waste an inordinate amount of time on minor changes to color schemes, border widths, link styles and stuff like that.

I can then only hope that I share similar ideas with some of my visitors of what constitutes aesthetically pleasing design . And hopefully I've also managed to make the site in question fairly efficient in the process, both in terms of navigation/layout as well as loading times (though I still think dialup users should be lined up and shot).

[haui]

Lots of that is done to get around some LL and TGP rules would my guess be, but yes folks better have your page or site listed at a few less sites but make some sales! And my old saying still stands ugly sells!

(Note: Nice looking might sell as well, but build with the objetive to sell and not to showcase good looks! Your bank account will be thankfull!)

[Tremor]

The graphics of a site should add to the content, not draw focus away from it. I've never built anything fancy, I just try to focus the surfer's attention where it needs to be with well placed text, pictures, or videos.

[SykkBoy]

Originally Posted by haui

Lots of that is done to get around some LL and TGP rules would my guess be, but yes folks better have your page or site listed at a few less sites but make some sales! And my old saying still stands ugly sells!

(Note: Nice looking might sell as well, but build with the objetive to sell and not to showcase good looks! Your bank account will be thankfull!)

Yeah, I know a lot of webmasters have to go prettier to get listed. Ugly still sells. Webmasters should want their sites to be less "pretty" than the sponsor sites they are sending to...give that surfer a feeling that if they want quality, they'll have to pay for it.

It's all about effective web design.

[haui]

One hint if ya wana make it look nice:

(worked for me in the past leme know if it does for you)

Is to make your tgp page or free site in the same color and style as the paysite you want to send the surfer to. Because if the surfer clicks on your links and goes to the paysite he might not even feel he left your site and is less likely to click out fast. He might therefore stay longer at the paysites tour and hopefully is gona buy.

[SykkBoy]

Originally Posted by haui

One hint if ya wana make it look nice:

(worked for me in the past leme know if it does for you)

Is to make your tgp page or free site in the same color and style as the paysite you want to send the surfer to. Because if the surfer clicks on your links and goes to the paysite he might not even feel he left your site and is less likely to click out fast. He might therefore stay longer at the paysites tour and hopefully is gona buy.

Yup, or using some elements of the tour on the promotional pages.

[Zac]

Surfer has to be glad to land on a sponsor Page

[DutchTeenCash]

eyecandy is nice - but experiences learn that our best aff make sales with 16 thumbs and a banner on a blank page

overkill is never good

[trix]

I build for surfers. I use IE6 (check in others of course) since my stats show that is almost all of my surfers preference. I use popup-free, console-free sponsors. I give lots of clean non-sponsor content (fresh). My galleries are very simple except sometimes a crazy retro background for fun. In fact, they are probably considered ugly.

Other webmasters would wet their pants laughing at my galleries. But I like them and I have some nice partner accounts. Sometimes I get a note from the tgp owners saying they like my galleries. That makes me feel great.

I remember what it was like to be a surfer and get my browser crashed, virus, etc.

[SykkBoy]

Originally Posted by trix

I build for surfers. I use IE6 (check in others of course) since my stats show that is almost all of my surfers preference. I use popup-free, console-free sponsors. I give lots of clean non-sponsor content (fresh). My galleries are very simple except sometimes a crazy retro background for fun. In fact, they are probably considered ugly.

Other webmasters would wet their pants laughing at my galleries. But I like them and I have some nice partner accounts. Sometimes I get a note from the tgp owners saying they like my galleries. That makes me feel great.

I remember what it was like to be a surfer and get my browser crashed, virus, etc.

Excellent

This is what I was talking about...simple/ugly doesn't mean bad

I remember many years ago, one of my typcial galleries to the hun and adult buffet was a long scroll with 2 thumbs, a banner, a text link, a couple more thumbs, a random pic of the day and a couple more thumbs with a banner at the bottom...and those galleries did very well

[freechess]

neither i build for me

[goodspirit]

Originally Posted by freechess

neither i build for me

Wise guy for surfers of course

[Contra]

Originally Posted by Mihx

I do tend to waste an inordinate amount of time on minor changes to color schemes, border widths, link styles and stuff like that.
.

I do the same thing. Nothing kills my productivity faster than a page that wont line up or format. I can build 10 galleries an hour of spend an hour fixing one little thing.

I don't do it for webmasters or surfers. I get caught up with it because I'm a dumbass. No other excuse needed

[glowlite]

I design for the surfer and try to always provide a seamless transition like haui suggested. If the graphics/design overpower the content/merchandise or the sponsor tour it almost guarantees failure. Lurking through some of the surfer forums can often be beneficial too. I recently saw "That's their idea of monster tits? WTF?". There were several other comments in agreement that followed. The link went to a standard 4pg freesite that promised "Monster Melons" but delivered nada on the freesite. The sponsor truly delivered big tits but none of the surfers got so far as to click thru.

Originally Posted by DutchTeenCash

eyecandy is nice - but experiences learn that our best aff make sales with 16 thumbs and a banner on a blank page overkill is never good

Nice to hear the voice of you and SykkBoy on this matter. You're in a much better position to see what produces and what doesn't. And you've got much more data to work with.

[Video Rob]

I hardly do any designing, I do the odd small header but thats it. I make my sites look pretty smart with the right layout, colours and font choice.

My sites are simple and very easy to navigate around. I make all the sponsor links different colours (and usually larger) from the other text on the page so that they jump out at the surfer.

Everyday I see sites with fancy designs, hardly any text on the page and sponsor links that blend in with the rest of the text. It makes me wonder how these people make any money.

With traffic becoming harder and harder to generate it's vital that your CTR is as high as possible.

[SleazyBear]

If I build it, it looks like a 10 year old did it, I dont give jack shit about impressing anyone, I build it to make sales not to kiss someones ass for there traffic. Ugly sells and so does softcore till we can get sponsors and webmasters to commit to that fact, we are doing nothing more than kissing links style sites for there traffic, which is nothing but numbers so they can increase what they are charging webmasters and sponsors for a link.. Until you get 2000 paysite owners to commit to not giveing webmasters free hardcore, its going to stay this way..

[Jel]

I like the word 'clean'. Especially when pertaining to minge, but also when making a page. Clean, and easy to find those enticing text links.

[Kamilla]

One glance at my sites and the answer is pretty clear; I design for surfers I work mainly in the amateur market so my simple sites works for me.

[Evgenika]

good thread, btw