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IP.Nexus Dev Update: Advertisements

Posted by Mark, 29 June 2010 · 1,487 views

IP.Board 3.1 has a great advertisement system. Administrators can specify code to appear in certain locations around the community to display banner ads.
With IP.Nexus, it seemed logical to expand this to allow members of a community to purchase advertisement space.

In order to do this, when you install IP.Nexus, the advertisement system in IP.Nexus will override the system in IP.Board. Even if you're not planning on selling advertisement space, the system in IP.Nexus allows you to set up multiple advertisements (for rotation), automatic expiry, per-ad permissions and other features.


Setting up your own Advertisements

The Admin CP has a page which lists all advertisements currently running on your community. These could be ones created yourself, or ones purchased by a user.
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Here you can add your own advertisements. You can specify either raw HTML code, or an image URL and link URL. The latter is required for click tracking.
You can also specify which groups cannot see the advertisement and if it should expire after a certain number of clicks or impressions.

The table indicates how many clicks and impressions each ad has received. When it has reached its limit, it will expire and become inactive.
You can manually edit the current number of clicks or impressions the advertisement has by editing it.


Advertisement Packages

In order for a user to be able to purchase advertisement space, you will have need to created at least one advertisement package. These define the terms such as where the ad will show, who it should not show to and how many clicks/impressions it will last.
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You can manage your packages in the Admin CP.
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Purchasing Advertisements

A user can purchase advertisements in their User CP.
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They can select a package, provide the URL for the target link, and either upload or provide a URL to an image.
For security reasons, and to allow click tracking, users cannot provide raw HTML.

Once a user has purchased an advertisement, it must be approved by an administrator. An Admin CP dashboard notification appears if there are pending advertisements, and unapproved advertisements will be highlighted on the listing page.
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To approve an advertisement, you would just click the cross indicating it is not currently active.

When a user selects his purchase in the client area, a page will display the status (approved, pending approval, expired) and the current clicks/impressions of the advertisement.
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How advertisements are displayed

IP.Nexus will display whatever ad is appropriate for each location. If there are no advertisements set up for a location, none will show, and if multiple are set up, one of the appropriate advertisements will be selected at random to show. This is calculated on each page load, however, advertisements are cached based on the appropriate location, so advertisements are not pulled on every page load to save resources.
Each time an advertisement is used, it's impression count is increased. When an advertisement is clicked on, it's click count is increased. IP.Nexus will automatically disable an advertisement after it has reached it's allocated number of impressions or clicks.




will the user be able to check his ad statistics? how many clicks/impressions

will the user be able to check his ad statistics? how many clicks/impressions


Have added that to the entry :)
Image only ads? Option for text,video, inline popup in future?

Image only ads? Option for text,video, inline popup in future?


Administrators can add whatever they like with HTML.
For users, we have to be very careful due to security concerns - you don't want users to be able to enter HTML to display on your site, trust me ;)
Can it randomly alternate between say a paid advert and google adsense?

Would also be nice to add weights to adverts to increase or decrease their frequency.

Not so much Nexus, but it would also be nice to see header, inside first post and inside last post added to the advert locations.

Especially with these paid adverts as we might have a client who is wanting such a location etc.

Thanks.
I understand that (unrestricted html). But for text, is it possible to have inputs asking

Specify text URL
Specify text link text (with max characters, restricted characters, NO SHOUTING!@#!@#!@#)

I understand that (unrestricted html). But for text, is it possible to have inputs asking

Specify text URL
Specify text link text (with max characters, restricted characters, NO SHOUTING!@#!@#!@#)


Might be easier if a client wishes to include HTML, then they can email you their needs - perhaps have an extra instruction box on the page for such occasions that could be filled in and displayed should more options be offered by the site (perhaps advert design etc.)

Can it randomly alternate between say a paid advert and google adsense?


Yes. It randomly picks from all available advertisements.
Great job Mark, been waiting for this blog entry for ages :)

One thing I'd love to see in a future version is the option for the customer to specify a start/end date for their advert for short targeted campaigns.
This will be free right? I will include an IPS banner :P
The more I hear about Nexus the more I wants its...the preciousssssss....

Can it randomly alternate between say a paid advert and google adsense?

Would also be nice to add weights to adverts to increase or decrease their frequency.

Not so much Nexus, but it would also be nice to see header, inside first post and inside last post added to the advert locations.

Especially with these paid adverts as we might have a client who is wanting such a location etc.

Thanks.


And while nobody purchase an ad spot show an alternate banner.

And while nobody purchase an ad spot show an alternate banner.


Easy make up your own for such a reason. :D
This all sounds so great but... i bet the cost is going to be in the hundreds for an application like this. and boohoo I won't be able to afford it. :(

This all sounds so great but... i bet the cost is going to be in the hundreds for an application like this. and boohoo I won't be able to afford it. :(

I will gladly pay you Tuesday, for a hamburger today...

I hope it's under $50 (at least for the early adopters).
Is there a way to have a 'time based' ad, a month, 3 months, 6 months, without regards to number of impressions? Possibly a *huge* number of clicks set up for a package, then the admin can remove the ad manually at a certain date if the advertisers do not re-sign up? We use per month advertising and my advertisers don't think in terms of clicks or impressions.


Is there a way to limit what groups see what advertising packages in their User CP? That way non-commercial members would not be able to buy advertising? I realize that the admin would approve every ad before it went live, but that could be a pain to return the $. For example, if dozens of regular members sent $ to advertise things that are not appropriate, then the $ sent would need to be reversed, and dozens of messages would need to be carefully worded explaining to people why their ad was not really desirable.

I will gladly pay you Tuesday, for a hamburger today...

I hope it's under $50 (at least for the early adopters).


I would happily pay $50 for it. Just hoping they keep it under $100 for early adopters.
Totally Rip Off!

I will gladly pay you Tuesday, for a hamburger today...

I hope it's under $50 (at least for the early adopters).


Wow reference near Stormwind AH. xD

Totally Rip Off!


Oh? Base on what?